The report of a pilot project examining the employment experience of domestic workers in UK under the Overseas Domestic Workers (ODW) Visa . Our questions were: • Is guidance on domestic worker visa issuance being complied with? Does the... more
The report of a pilot project examining the employment experience of domestic workers in UK under the Overseas Domestic Workers (ODW) Visa . Our questions were:
• Is guidance on domestic worker visa issuance being complied with? Does the process for screening applications for domestic workers’ visas ensure that they are employed in line with minimum legal entitlements?
• Could domestic workers use immigration documents to pursue claims for breaches of employment rights or contracts? What are the benefits and risks of doing so?
• What are the broader implications for the argument that immigration controls are a means of affording vulnerable workers protection?
The research found varied and widespread abuses of employment (and other) rights, particularly relating to pay, hours of work and documentation. Enforcement routes were unsatisfactory or non-existent, but some workers deployed strategies of resistance and organisation.
• Is guidance on domestic worker visa issuance being complied with? Does the process for screening applications for domestic workers’ visas ensure that they are employed in line with minimum legal entitlements?
• Could domestic workers use immigration documents to pursue claims for breaches of employment rights or contracts? What are the benefits and risks of doing so?
• What are the broader implications for the argument that immigration controls are a means of affording vulnerable workers protection?
The research found varied and widespread abuses of employment (and other) rights, particularly relating to pay, hours of work and documentation. Enforcement routes were unsatisfactory or non-existent, but some workers deployed strategies of resistance and organisation.
