Timothy S. Sumerlin, Brian J. Hall
Background: Employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) manage a distinctive employment context due to the intimate nature of domestic work. MDWs often live in their employer’s home, completing household duties and providing caretaking, merging a home and a workplace. However, most research has focused on the MDW experience, with relatively little attention paid to employers despite the central role employers play in MDW well-being. Understanding the employer perspective is essential to capture their challenges, management practices, and to provide a comprehensive view of this unique workplace relationship to improve employer and MDW well-being. In this qualitative study, we aim to explore the employer perspective and develop a conceptual framework of employers’ perceptions, practices, and relational dynamics in MDW.
Methods: From July 2017 to April 2018, one-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted among 26 employers of MDWs using a semi-structured interview guide. Questions covered the employer’s perspective on MDW employment. Exploratory thematic analysis was applied to understand the employer perspective and develop a conceptual framework.
Results: Employers’ perceptions of MDWs were shaped by personal beliefs and experience, stereotypes, and perceived social norms. These perceptions, alongside hiring motivations and policy knowledge and attitudes, influenced employer management of MDWs, which often required flexibility, consideration of privacy and trust, and efforts at employee retention. Employer-employee relationships ranged in closeness, varying by employer family member and workplace arrangements.
Conclusions: Employers of MDWs navigate a complex employment relationship that is often viewed both as familial and a formal arrangement. Perceived inadequacy in labor policies leaves employers to rely on personal beliefs and social norms in their hiring and management practices. Promoting clear communication in the workplace is essential in preserving a harmonious working environment and improving employer and MDW well-being.
