“Today, however, Juarez knows her rights well (and, yes, in Massachusetts she is entitled to overtime pay). In fact, she and colleagues like Angela Foster — a veteran nanny who discovered the domestic workers movement two years ago at a workshop during National Nanny Recognition Week (mark it: the fourth week in September) — now regularly conduct training sessions to teach others about their rights. They work as member leaders with an organization called Matahari: Eye of the Day (Matahari, in Malay, means sun). The group is part of the Massachusetts Coalition for Domestic Workers, which successfully lobbied for passage of a domestic workers’ bill of rights.”
Read MoreOn July 2, 2014, Massachusetts took a lead in inclusivity and civil rights. General Laws c. 149, § 190 brought domestic workers “out of the shadows”, Demonstrating the need for this new law and its popularity, it passed in one legislative session with a unanimous Senate and bipartisan veto majority in the House.
Despite the popularity and passage with virtually no opposition, disparaging misconceptions and myths about the new law abound. The authors of this article aim to correct the myths and explain why employee advocates and the management bar should appreciate this new law.
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