Commentary: A law goes into effect today that ensures home care and domestic workers—the people who clean homes and deliver care for others—are protected by New Mexico’s minimum wage standards and other wage protections.
Under the Domestic Service in Minimum Wage Act, domestic and home care workers are now covered by New Mexico’s wage laws, and the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions can investigate their complaints, enforce their rights, and recover their wages and damages.
“Talking with domestic workers, we have found that this is a growing industry and many of these workers in the past didn’t have anywhere to go to when they have been the victims of wage theft,” said Hilaria Martinez, a community organizer for El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos.
“Our domestic worker committee has found that cases like these keep increasing, especially to women in this field and other minorities in our community,” Martinez added. “Therefore, after years of hard work and community organizing, I am glad to see this law go into effect to deter workplace exploitation for domestic workers and for them to finally be valued like any other worker in our state.”
Domestic workers have been left out of many labor protections throughout history, and typically had very few options when they were not paid.
The Domestic Service in Minimum Wage Act, sponsored by Sen. Liz Stefanics and Rep. Christine Trujillo, ended the exemptions for domestic workers from New Mexico’s wage laws—as has already been done at the federal level.
New Mexico law generally requires employers to pay employees minimum wage and overtime, keep records, and pay employees in full and on time. However, like other wage laws enacted in the 1930s, it excluded large categories of work typically performed by women and people of color from the minimum wage and other protections.
Federal law eliminated its exclusion of domestic workers years ago, but lacking state protections, New Mexicans who work in people’s homes were not protected and were subject to low or no pay and exploitative situations.
“The Domestic Service in Minimum Wage Act was a culmination of years of work, including listening sessions with caregivers. The New Mexico Legislature recognized that it’s high time to ensure all workers, including people who work hard in other people’s homes, are guaranteed fundamental labor protections just like everyone else,” said Adrienne R. Smith of New Mexico Caregivers Coalition. “Domestic workers’ historical exclusion from the federal labor laws is an ugly vestige of slavery. The federal government righted that wrong years ago. We are overjoyed that today New Mexico has finally done so as well.”
In the 2017 New Mexico legislative session, the New Mexico Caregivers Coalition successfully spearheaded Senate Joint Memorial 6 that created a statewide taskforce to recommend short-term and long-term actions to promote a stable and growing workforce to meet the needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities who rely on these services in order to live independently in their communities.
“There is nothing more important than taking care of New Mexico's children, elderly, and family members with disabilities,'' said Alicia Saenz a member of El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos. “It is invisible work and historically, our work has not been given the value it deserves. I am proud to provide these services to my community. The implementation of this law today is a step in the right direction to give domestic workers the respect and dignity they deserve.”
“This law was the result of people doing some of the toughest jobs—like caring for others’ loved ones—coming from around the state, sharing their stories, and speaking up for fairness,” said Stephanie Welch, supervising attorney at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. “Domestic and home care workers are now entitled to the state minimum wage and can file a claim with DWS when they are not properly paid.”
###
The New Mexico Caregivers Coalition advocates for direct care workers’ education, training, benefits, wages and professional development so they may better serve people who are elderly and those with disabilities.
El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos is a grassroots, Latino immigrant-led organization based in Central New Mexico that works with Latino immigrant communities and allies to defend, strengthen, and advance the rights of our community.
The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty is dedicated to advancing economic and social justice through education, advocacy, and litigation. We work with low-income New Mexicans to improve living conditions, increase opportunities, and protect the rights of people living in poverty.