Can we steer clear of precariousness in domestic service work? Exploring labour market pathways of Belgian Service Voucher workers

Abstract: Can domestic service jobs ever be good jobs? We consider the case of the heavily subsidized, strongly regulated and yet also extremely popular Service Voucher Scheme in Belgium. Close to a quarter of Belgian households employ domestic service workers under the scheme. These workers are among the most generously protected in the world in terms of labour rights, social security rights, wages and other benefits. We ask: does this scheme provide an alternative to the precarious, bad quality jobs domestic workers often endure elsewhere? Or is this a case of institutionalised second-tier w... Mehr ...