Empowering Domestic Workers: A Critical Analysis of the Belgian Service Voucher System

Sarah Mousaid,Christophe Vanroelen,Kim Bosmans

doi:10.3390/soc7040036

Sarah Mousaid, Christophe Vanroelen + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040036

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Abstract

Domestic cleaners lack bargaining power, which can prevent them from being in control of their work quality. The ‘service voucher system’ is expected to change the power position of domestics. This is expected because the system is formalized by the Belgian government and organized through a triangular employment relationship between the domestic, the service voucher company (the employer), and the customers. This study draws on 42 interviews with immigrant and native service voucher cleaners. It probes into how the employment relationship with the company affects the domestics’ perceived power to bargain with customers about determinants of the work quality. Based on the results, policy recommendations are made to further empower domestic cleaners in the relationship with their customers and to help them safeguard their work quality.

Highlights

It is well established that domestic workers frequently have to deal with a poor ‘quality of work’
We shed light on how ‘good’ as well as ‘bad’ employer practices can affect the domestics’. Perceptions of their power to bargain about the employment conditions and the more intrinsic characteristics of their work task
Some companies have a severe cancellation policy for their customers. They oblige their customers to pay for the service if they have cancelled without prior notice. This assures the revenue of the service voucher company, but it prevents that customers treat domestic work as disposable employment

Summary

Introduction

It is well established that domestic workers frequently have to deal with a poor ‘quality of work’ In this context, ‘work quality’ refers to the employment conditions (e.g., employment contracts, income, working hours) as well as the intrinsic characteristics of the work task (e.g., physical demands, psychosocial demands, variation of work tasks) [1]. This largely results from the fact that characteristics of domestic work and of the domestic workers can prevent the latter to bargain in their relationship with customers [2]. Formal employment contracts are often lacking and job insecurity is high [3,8]

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