By Narayanan Kizhumundayur

Domestic workers form an essential part of households across the world. From sweeping floors and washing dishes to taking care of children, the elderly, and the disabled, they perform numerous tasks that make daily life easier for their employers. However, despite their indispensable contributions, they remain one of the most vulnerable and neglected groups of workers. Domestic work is often undervalued, unregulated, and even invisible in many societies. Most domestic workers come from impoverished backgrounds and take up such jobs out of necessity rather than choice. They are frequently subjected to low wages, excessive workloads, abuse, and lack of legal protection. What makes their plight worse is that many governments fail to acknowledge their rights as workers, leaving them trapped in a cycle of exploitation. It is essential that governments and societies recognize the sufferings of domestic workers—men, women, and children alike—and take immediate steps to ensure their safety, dignity, and well-being.

Unlike other workers who have defined work shifts, domestic workers are often expected to be available from dawn to midnight—or even round the clock in cases where they live in their employers’ homes. There is no concept of “office hours” for them. Some start their day before sunrise, preparing breakfast, cleaning the house, and running errands, and their tasks continue well into the night. Many employers feel entitled to their worker’s time, demanding that they be available for all kinds of tasks, from massaging their feet to running last-minute errands at odd hours. This relentless workload leads to severe physical exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and chronic health problems.

Domestic work is among the lowest-paid jobs in many parts of the world. Wages are often determined arbitrarily by employers, who pay whatever they feel is “sufficient.” In many cases, domestic workers are paid well below the minimum wage required by labor........

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