The new law on the regulation of the work of domestic workers establishes clear definitions of the terms “domestic work” and “domestic workers”, and also provides legal status to these workers, taking into account the specifics of their activities. The document establishes the basic rules of legal regulation and mandatory terms of employment contracts with domestic workers.
According to by law, domestic workers living in the household receive additional rights and guarantees. One of these guarantees is the possibility of enshrining in the employment contract the provision of housing for the employee, while the employer is prohibited from independently deducting funds from wages for the use of such housing.
The law also contains provisions protecting the private life and dignity of domestic workers, in particular, the guarantee of privacy. On the other hand, the employer has the right to require the employee to maintain confidentiality, which may relate to information obtained during the performance of official duties or living in the household.
Special attention is paid to regulation of working time and rest time of domestic workers. The law provides for alternative options for accounting for working hours, provides guarantees for employees in case of overtime work, shifts or accompanying household members during their rest.
Taking into account the peculiarities of the work of domestic workers, the law establishes additional grounds for terminating employment contracts. Among them is the possibility of differentiating the terms of notice of termination of the contract for the employer and the employee, termination of the contract in the event of the death of one of the parties, as well as immediate termination of the contract in cases that caused or could cause damage to one of the parties.
In addition, in order to optimize the process of administering the Social Insurance Institution, the law amends the laws of Ukraine “On mandatory state social insurance” and “On collection and accounting of a single contribution to mandatory state social insurance.” In particular, employers of domestic workers are exempted from the obligation to pay social security contributions, and the workers themselves can participate in the social insurance system on a voluntary basis.
