Domestic Work: A Focus of Parliamentary Attention

On May 22, George Sandul, the legal director of Labor Initiatives, delivered a speech at hearings organized online by the parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Veteran Affairs focused on domestic and platform work.

Over 90 stakeholders from diverse sectors, such as Members of Parliament, government officials, academics, union representatives, and employers, participated in the hearings. The leader of the newly formed Union of Home Staff was invited to speak on behalf of domestic workers, highlighting the daily struggles they endure in Ukraine and proposing ways to implement the legislative measures concerning domestic work that were adopted in 2024.

George Sandul also shared findings from Ukraine’s first nationwide survey of domestic workers, initiated by Labor Initiatives in 2023. He also pointed out that domestic workers in Ukraine have been invisible for many years, and now is the time to pay attention to this category of workers.

Among the crucial hearings’ takeaways is the necessity of conducting an information campaign among domestic workers and their employers to educate them about the new law provisions and the benefits of official employment. At the same time, legislative changes concerning the compulsory payment of unified social contributions by employers of domestic workers, along with improved regulation of home staff agencies, are needed.