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Estimating the nature and extent of labour exploitation among domestic workers in the UK

This project investigates the prevalence and severity of labour exploitation and abuse among domestic workers, identifying the nature of the risk among this vulnerable group.

Duration: October 2022 – September 2023

Funder:

Nottingham Research Fellowship, University of Nottingham.

Partners:

• Kanlugan
• Latin American Workers Rights Service
• Voice of Domestic Workers

Key people:

• Dr Caroline Emberson

Research summary

Background:

The isolated nature of domestic work, combined with restrictive visa arrangements, are recognised to create conditions in which British nationals and non-British nationals may be vulnerable to labour exploitation, including severe forms such as domestic servitude. While the reasons for, and barriers to, combating domestic servitude have been explored in the law and justice literature, to date, there have been few attempts to estimate the nature and extent of such abuse in the UK.

This project adopts an innovative respondent sampling strategy to capture and estimate the size of the hidden population of those trapped in domestic servitude and other abusive conditions and aims specifically to provide a better understanding of ‘how many’ and ‘to what extent’ domestic workers in the UK may have experienced such mistreatment.

As a result, findings will not only provide a more accurate estimation of the numbers of domestic workers at risk in the UK and the nature and extent of potential abuse, but will also provide researchers and policymakers with a better means and evidence to test potential solutions and develop pathways to make domestic work in the UK a healthier sector in which to work.

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