ILO hosts information session on rights and responsibilities of employers of domestic workers in Lebanon

BEIRUT (ILO News) – Employees within the private sector have participated in information sessions on how to have a successful employment relationship with domestic workers they employ in Lebanon. The sessions are being conducted as part of the My Fair Home campaign, which aims to aims to change attitudes and behaviour among employers of domestic workers to ensure decent work.

The information sessions cover practical processes such as regulations under the Lebanese law and how to assess transparency of costs in recruitment, as well as tips and tools to professionalize the employment relationship to the benefit of both worker and employer.

“Domestic workers perform vital work in Lebanon, but their contribution is not always recognized as work,” said Eliza Marks, Technical Officer at the ILO. “By changing the perception of employers to emphasize that their home is someone’s workplace, and that they are employers and managers of an employee, we hope to address some of the issues that can lead to an unharmonious relationship,” she said.

The information sessions are conducted in partnership with Equip – a centre for employers of domestic workers – the first of its kind in the region. Equip provides a number of services, such as skills training for domestic workers, and organized Sunday outing events; as well as support services such as ‘airport welcome’ with a community leader from the domestic worker’s country of origin.

A 2016 ILO study, ‘Intertwined’ found that employers of domestic workers in Lebanon do not actively seek information on their rights and obligations under the law, and instead rely heavily on second-hand information from the recruitment agency – a party that they believed was not always neutral or had their best interests in mind.

Regarding what was most useful about the presentation, participants stated: “treating the subject from both perspectives – highlighting the feelings of the domestic workers [because] in general we know our fears, but we don’t really know theirs”. Another participant stated that the most useful aspect was “practical information and communication solutions to improve the situation in the home”.

Empowering employers with the knowledge and tools to successfully employ a domestic worker is a part of a comprehensive strategy to secure decent work for domestic workers. So far 10 organizations and 110 people have participated, with sessions set to continue in Lebanon and begin in Kuwait in November 2017, in partnership with the Bridges Project.