"I Need to Work for My Children Because If I Give up, What about Their Education?": Job and Family Demands of Filipina Care Workers in the Informal Sector

Background and Purpose: Care workers in the informal sector (e.g., domestic workers, babysitters, au pairs, etc.) are a vulnerable population (Chang, 2016). This sector are primarily comprised of womxn (95%), racial or ethnic minorities (54%), and immigrants (46%) (Burnham & Theodore, 2012). The multitude of job duties that care workers execute places them at at-risk for negative health outcomes. Care workers, particularly immigrant care workers, also experience family demands and the stress of migration and acculutration. There is an expected job increase for home health aides (41%) (Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.-b) and childcare workers (7%) (Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.-a). Thus, it is crucial to examine the demands experienced by care workers and identify resources available to them that can buffer poor working experiences. The purpose of this study is to examine how Filipina care workers develop and access family and job resources in the informal sector.

Methods: The present study followed a grounded theory research design framework (Chun Tie et al., 2019). Participants were recruited online. Inclusion criteria include 1) identifies as Filipina, 2) identifies as a womxn, 3) care worker, 4) 18 years old and older, 5) an immigrant, and 6) resides in New England. Fourteen participants were interviewed in person or over the phone in both Tagalog and English. Semi-structured interviews were translated to English and transcribed. Two trained researchers coded the transcripts separately. Using thematic analysis, coders performed open coding, created categories, and analyzed the relationship of categories until themes and theories were developed.

Results: Participants discussed that the differing demands of their job facilitated abuse and exploitation. Their employers demanded tasks beyond their agreed job responsibilities. Those who were live-in care workers had to provide 24/7 care to their employers which blurred the lines between work and personal space. Participants also discussed the stress of supporting transnational families and sending remittances for financial support and guilt from not being with their children physically. Despite these stressors, certain job resources also existed. Some participants learned to negotiate their job contracts to protect their rights such as their right to a day off and overtime pay. Furthermore, participants also organized with fellow care workers to advocate for themselves and provide mutual aid to one another.

Conclusions and Implications: While Filipina care workers experienced both job and family stressors, they also advocated for themselves and others and provided resources to address the paucity of support provided for them. The shift of care from formal sectors to private homes with an aging population suggest that there will be a continuous demand for care workers in the informal sector. Social work needs to provide support for care workers in the informal sector through mental health services, job contract negotiation, know your rights workshops, legal aid, and advocating for policies such as the passing of the federal version of the Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights.