Domestic work regulation to end slavery at home, minister says

The minister of the Secretariat on Policies for Women, Eleonora Menicucci, said Tuesday (June 2) that the presidential sanction of the law regulating domestic work will end slavery in Brazilian homes. “This sanction tears out one of the saddest chapters in our history – slavery within our own homes. Brazil will now be one of the few countries that have a law protecting all labor rights of domestic workers,” she said.

The law regulates rights introduced in 2013,including the eight hours' working time, overtime pay, paid holidays, and compensation for unfair dismissal. Although they were approved two years ago, some of these rights were being violated without the regulatory details.

Sanctioned by President Dilma Rousseff on Monday (June 1st), the law also introduces new rights for domestic workers, including unemployment insurance, the salário-família (a benefit paid to low-income families based on the number of children aged under 14 or with disabilities), day care stipend and workplace injury insurance.

Translated by Mayra Borges