Abstract
Decent work is a growing phenomenon across the globe. Ensuring that all employees work in a safe environment, are given sufficient leave and rest time, adequate pay, healthcare, and social dialogue is an integral focus carried out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Organisations and employers are beginning to understand the importance of providing employees with decent working conditions. As decent working conditions are a path to the reduction of poverty and unemployment, empowerment of employees, youth, and most importantly vulnerable individuals.
The realities for domestic workers appear to be harsh and challenging. This is because domestic work varies for each worker and can be difficult to regulate despite having the South African Domestic and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU) as well as the Basic Conditions of employment Act. Many domestic workers face precarious work daily, receive little compensation, struggle to balance their work and family lives due to a lack of leave and rest days, get sick and have limited access to healthcare, and work in unsafe work environments.
This phenomenological study was done to understand the experiences of decent work for domestic workers in a South African context. South Africa has a history of colonisation and apartheid and the country is still recovering from the after-effects of these historical processes. South Africa has an unstable economy and a high unemployment rate with an even higher youth unemployment rate. This makes it difficult to find work which often leads to individuals accepting precarious labour to obtain compensation. The study aimed to identify how each of the decent work constructs was experienced by domestic workers. Primarily, decent work creates sustainable work opportunities in a sector often characterised by unstable work conditions for domestic workers.
This study consisted of eleven participants, using a qualitative research approach with a phenomenological epistemology, whereby data was obtained through conducting interviews. Thematic analysis was used and five key themes were identified (safe working environment, compensation, rest and leave days, social dialogue, and access to healthcare.)
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The study found that the domestic workers in this sample attain decent working conditions by being paid adequately, maintaining rest and leave, having access to healthcare, being provided with safe working environments, and being able to freely express themselves via social dialogue. The findings of this study differ from existing, in that, previous research reported on the negative experiences of domestic workers in their working conditions, lack of pay, an imbalance in work and family life, lack of access to healthcare, and a struggle to find work that aligns with their values and beliefs. In this study, there were many positive experiences narrated by the domestic workers about the constructs of decent work. It appears that the employers in South Africa are weary of their relationship with their domestic workers, provide safe working conditions, enough leave and rest days, adequate compensation, and access to healthcare and their values and beliefs align with their domestic workers. The study is a qualitative contribution to the field of industrial and organisational psychology complementing other quantitative studies and the decent work statistics reported by the International Labour Organisation.
Keywords: Decent work, Domestic workers, Adequate compensation, Adequate rest and leave, Access to Healthcare, Safe working environment, Psychology of work theory, South Africa.