Survey of Employers of Domestic Workers in India: Delhi and Mumbai

Methodology: For this project, IHD collaborated with CDRA Mumbai to conduct the survey, while IHD conducted the Delhi survey, CDRA carried out the Mumbai survey. The study followed a mixed method approach with quantitative survey and qualitative interviews of different types of employers across different socio-economic strata. A listing survey was undertaken as per the population proportionate sampling of wards based on the 2011 Census. A total of 6010 households were listed from the cities, 4041 in Delhi and 1969 from Mumbai. The employers’ sample of 1000 + employer households were selected through a multi stage stratified sampling (city stratification, locality/colony selection, household listing, and identification of domestic worker employer household). In all, 33 localities were covered in Delhi and 64 locations in Mumbai.

Findings:

• Issues stemming from the survey findings of employers’ perceptions are related to recognition, preferences, regulation, recruitment channels, working conditions, remuneration, treatment, and awareness of legislative rights and provisions;
• Some of the features emerging strongly relate to the fact that domestic service is a heterogeneous sector; elements of segmentation within and specialization of tasks are noted, with a hierarchy among domestic workers depending on the tasks they are hired for, which is reflected in the wages as well;
• Worker characteristics are gaining prominence over other factors such as caste, especially among the part time domestic workers;

The recruitment channels remain largely informal and personalized such as relatives, friends, neighbours with very few employers resorting to formal agents/agencies. The few who do hire through agencies are those who hire live-in workers.