Legislature working to make Nevada the 8th state to provide domestic worker rights
CARSON CITY — Nevada would become the eighth state in the country to provide basic protections to domestic workers who perform household duties under a bill heard Wednesday by an Assembly Committee.
Senate Bill 232, called the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, would set in law when household help must be paid overtime. It would also limit what employers can deduct for meals and require that workers be given at least one full day off per week, and at least two consecutive days off per month.
The bill has passed the Senate on a party-line vote and was heard by the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee, which took no immediate action.
One of the sponsors, Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, said this workforce, estimated by one witness at as many as 4,000 in Southern Nevada, has no workplace rights in Nevada. Many live in the homes of their employers, he said.
No one testified in opposition to the bill.
The bill would provide a basic floor for the workforce by requiring employers to provide written details of their duties and the hours to be worked, Segerblom said.
Other states adopting such a measure include Oregon, Connecticut and Illinois.
Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.
