Home healthcare workers are providing essential care for seniors across the city, but they face harsh and unfair working conditions. Often having to take on 24-hour shifts for days on end, they care for patients around-the-clock, even though they are only paid for 13 hours of each 24-hour shift.
Home healthcare workers sacrifice their own health and family life.
Safe working conditions, a reasonable work schedule, and fair pay are the basic workplace tenets for healthy communities and a just society.
Women still take on most caregiving work, which continues to be devalued and underpaid. Home healthcare workers – who are mostly women of color and immigrant women – continue to be mistreated and overworked. In fact, New York state employs around 239,000 home care workers of whom 93% are women and 79% as immigrants. The demand for home care workers continues to grow with the increased needs of an aging population.
Empower Home Healthcare Workers in New York City
Home healthcare workers in NYC often face abusive working conditions working multiple 24-hour shifts. They are fighting for fair pay, back wages and an end to 24-hours shifts. NOW-NYC is calling on the women-majority City Council, and Speaker Adrienne Adams to vote on Int. 0175 sponsored by Council member Christopher Marte to improve their work lives.
At the state level Assembly member Harvey Epstein and State Senator Roxanne Persaud are the lead sponsors of A.8064/S.6640, which will provide workers throughout New York with shifts that will be limited to 12 hours. An individual who requires around-the-clock care would have two different attendants who split the 24-hour shift in half. In addition, the number of hours a home care worker could be contracted to work would be capped at 50 hours a week. Additional hours after 50 must be voluntary.
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Calls needed
Call your City Council rep and tell them you support ending mandatory 24-hour shifts for home healthcare workers!
Here’s what you can say to city and state reps:
[First, let them know your name and neighborhood.] “I’m calling because I strongly support ending mandatory 24-hour shifts for home healthcare workers, and ensuring that they make a living wage. I ask that you co-sponsor and support city council bill Int. 0175 by Christopher Marte. Please tell City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to bring this bill to the floor for a vote.
Speaker Adams office number is 212.482.6731
For State Senate Bill S.6640/State Assembly Bill A.8064. I hope you’ll commit to changing our laws to end strenuous 24-hour work days and ensure that the health of these workers is protected and the seniors they care for are getting the best, most attentive care available. Especially for this majority women of color and immigrant workforce, we must act to ensure that every worker is given dignity, respect, and the ability to care for themselves and their families.” [Be sure to add your own story if you have one!]
End the 24-Hour Workday
NOW-NYC's Press ReleaseFair pay and reasonable hours are vital for workers and the patients they care for.
Everyone deserves to have a break from work where they have time to spend with loved ones and recharge. Working 24-hour shifts with little break can be detrimental to one’s health, is unsustainable and exploitative. The best care can be given to patients when their home care workers have time to recuperate and relax before the next shift.