Federal labor law finally reaches domestic workers—housekeepers, nannies, caregivers
S. 3396 — Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act · Filed by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) · 17 cosponsors · Introduced Dec 9, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill extends federal labor protections to domestic workers (housekeepers, nannies, caregivers) by requiring written employment agreements, paid sick leave (1 hour per 30 hours worked), fair scheduling with 72-hour notice, meal and rest breaks, overtime pay, and protection from retaliation. It also creates a Domestic Employee Standards Board to oversee enforcement and establishes penalties for violations.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to extend Fair Labor Standards Act protections (overtime, breaks, written agreements, sick leave, scheduling fairness) to domestic workers previously excluded from federal labor law. It is a straightforward worker-protection statute.
What the text implies
- Live-in domestic workers gain the right to 30 days' notice or severance upon termination, plus lodging or pay—a significant shift in at-will employment norms for this sector.
- The bill prohibits predispute arbitration and nondisparagement agreements, preserving workers' right to sue and speak publicly about wage theft or abuse.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Domestic workers—a historically excluded and vulnerable workforce—gain enforceable rights to minimum wages, overtime, sick leave, scheduling predictability, and protection from arbitrary termination. These protections address documented exploitation and wage theft in the sector.