The domestic worker is a professional figure who plays a fundamental role within homes, assisting families in various daily activities. This is a person who becomes, in most cases, a real point of reference and who can take on various tasks, ranging from cleaning and maintenance of the house, to cooking, to caring for children or the elderly, up to gardening and other domestic support activities. The work of the domestic worker is essential to guarantee the well-being and comfort of family members, contributing significantly to the management and organization of family life, especially when there are members who are not self-sufficient or need constant support.
What is meant by domestic worker?
The domestic worker is a figure who can work for a person by giving their support in various tasks. Depending on the different qualifications that he can perform changes the level of tasks he can perform. In fact, as happens in many other professions, the level of classification can influence the salary that can be paid according to the tables updated annually by the Ministry of Labour.
The employment level of a domestic worker can be summarized as follows in the table:
| Level | Task | Description |
| TO | General domestic worker | General housekeeper with no experience or with experience of less than 12 months. |
| A Super | Company employee / Babysitter | Company workers and babysitters. |
| B | Multifunctional general collaborator | Maid with more than 12 months’ experience, caretaker of a private home, ironing worker, waiter, gardener, driver, room tidyer and breakfast attendant for the employer’s guests, qualified worker. |
| B Super | Assistant to self-sufficient people | Family workers who assist self-sufficient people (elderly or children). |
| C | Cook | Family worker who works with total autonomy as a chef. |
| C Super | Assistant to non-self-sufficient people (untrained staff) | Family workers who assist non-self-sufficient people with basic tasks. |
| D | Administrator of family assets, butler, housekeeper, head chef, head gardener and tutor | Collaborators with responsibility and decision-making autonomy. |
| D Super | Assistant to non-self-sufficient people (trained staff) / House manager | Collaborators who assist non-self-sufficient people with specific skills and/or coordinate the needs of the home. |
What is the difference between a cleaner and a domestic worker
Maid and domestic worker are two terms that are too often and mistakenly confused: the main difference between a family worker (maid) and a domestic worker concerns the type of work performed and, in some cases, the working context.
There housekeeper is a person employed to carry out domestic tasks in a private home: his job description includes cleaning, washing, taking care of the kitchen and children or caring for the elderly. In practice, a domestic worker works in a single private home and can be employed full or part time. In some cases, she may live in the house where she works, becoming a “resident housekeeper”.
It is therefore essential to also keep in mind the difference compared to live-in housekeeperi.e. a person who lives with the family or the person who needs assistance: in this case it is advisable to read all the rights and duties of this figure: in particular the weekly rests and holidays.
It should be underlined that, unlike domestic workers, domestic workers can be employed in business contexts that provide home services, such as cleaning or care agencies. As a result, their work is often less personal and more oriented towards the specific task for which they were hired.
The domestic worker’s contract: hourly or full-time?
When you want to hire a domestic worker it is advisable to keep in mind that the contract is regulated in Italy by the CCNL (National Collective Labor Agreement) for domestic workers which offers different forms:
- permanent: it is the most stable type of contract, without an expected end date. It can be full or part time;
- determined: it is a form of contract that has a specific deadline. It is used for temporary needs, such as replacements for illness or maternity;
- by the hour or on call: the hourly domestic worker contract provides that the person works only when requested, with a variable number of hours. This type of contract is flexible and adapts to the needs of both the worker and the employer.
Furthermore, it is worth underlining that the working hours for domestic workers can vary significantly: they go from full-time to 38 hours per week to part-time ones which involve a lower number of hours (but always specified by contract). Occasional hours: For occasional or on-call jobs, working hours are agreed on a case-by-case basis.
The remuneration and rights of domestic workers, such as holidays, leave and thirteenth salary, are defined based on the professional category (A, B, C, D, etc.), which depends on the tasks performed and professional qualifications, and on the number of hours work. Please note, however, that the employer has the possibility of requesting a subsidy from the State, provided through the carers bonus.
What are the duties of a domestic worker
The duties of a domestic worker can vary based on the level of employment and the specific needs of the employer. However, in general, the duties of a domestic worker may include:
- cleaning and care of the house: takes care of sanitizing all the rooms of the house, including bathrooms, kitchen and bedrooms. It is also his responsibility to dust and take care of the furniture, wash the floors and windows, as well as change towels and sheets. If agreed, he can also take care of washing and ironing;
- Kitchen: among the tasks of a domestic worker there may also be those relating to the preparation of meals according to the employer’s instructions, washing dishes and kitchen utensils, as well as cleaning the kitchen itself and possibly food shopping;
- personal assistance: in some cases a domestic worker can also provide assistance to the elderly or people who are not self-sufficient in daily activities such as dressing, personal hygiene and mobility. Furthermore, in these situations, the domestic worker can also keep the elderly person company or support them in carrying out some errands.
It is essential that the tasks are agreed between the employer and the domestic worker so that the working relationship can be profitable for both: in particular, it is essential that the domestic worker, especially when providing care for the elderly, can become a point of reference for the family.
Domestic worker on sick leave: how to best manage the situation
In the event that a domestic worker becomes ill, the illness certificate must be promptly issued (automatically uploaded to the INPS portal), as well as communicating the illness itself and the prognosis to the employer. Please remember that when the housekeeper or domestic worker becomes ill, INPS does not pay any compensation to the employer.
