TABLE 2—

Regulations Concerning Working Conditions of Foreign Domestic Caregivers in 7 Countries

Regulations	Canada	Germany	Israel31,32	Singapore20	Spain	United Kingdom33	United States
Working and living conditions of foreign domestic caregivers are regulated	Yes	Yes	Yes	Very little	Very little	Yes	No
Minimum wages	Yes	Recommendation only (wage must not be immoral)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	NA
Room, board, and accommodation	Yes	Not obligatory but commonly accepted, high standard	Yes, but only low standard of accommodation required	Own room if possible; otherwise sufficient space, protection from environmental elements, safety, ventilation, and adequate food required		No	NA
Right to free time (holiday, days off, limits on work time)	Yes	Yes	Yes, a weekly rest period of ≥ 36 h on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, according to religion of worker	Yes, a weekly rest day		Yes, but is often ignored	NA
Workplace safety insurance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		No insurance regulations; employer must ensure workplace is safe	NA
Social insurance	Yes	Yes	Yes		No	Yes	NA
Medical care/health insurance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Statutory sick pay	NA
Written contract	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	NA
Contact with family and place of origin	Employer pays travel expenses for home visits	Reimbursement is not obligatory; only Internet and phone are commonly accepted					NA

Note. NA = not applicable.