Socio-Economic

Status of
Domestic
Workers
(Analysis and Recommendations)

Submitted By:
Dilraj Singh Mann (17107083)
Manraj Dhaliwal (17107081)
Diksin Gulati (17107068)
Ravshaan Singh (17107064)
Archit Khanna (17107060)
Anirudh Gargya (17107049)
Greeshma Mariam Reji (17107003)

Submitted to:
Prof. Shivani
Contents

Acknowledgment ....................................................................................................................... 0
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
Review of Literature .................................................................................................................. 2
Research Methodology .............................................................................................................. 3
Objectives of the Project/Report ............................................................................................ 3
Data and Methodology ........................................................................................................... 4
Data ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Methodology....................................................................................................................... 4
Sample Size ........................................................................................................................ 4
Data Analysis and Findings ....................................................................................................... 5
Observations ........................................................................................................................... 5
Identified Problems ................................................................................................................ 8
Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 11
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 14
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 16
Questionnaire ........................................................................................................................... 17
Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Prof. Shivani for giving us this opportunity to write this report on
“Socio-economic status of Domestic workers (Analysis and recommendations” which has
allowed us to study a section of society that is normally ignored and neglected by most
people.

We would also like to thank the numerous domestic workers who were kind enough to take
out time from their busy schedules and provide us with vital raw data that helped us identify
their problems and then work towards developing practical solutions and recommendations.
Introduction

It is difficult to define the term “Domestic” or “Domestic help” due to its broad nature. This
term encompasses workers who help in cooking, cleaning and carry out other menial tasks of
the household. To be more specific we will use the following definition throughout our study-

“Domestic Helpers are the servants who do chores such as cooking food, cleaning utensils,
cloth washing, sweeping and cleaning of houses as a means to earn for themselves”

Domestic Workers, classified under the Unorganised Sector, have increased significantly in
the last three decades. This increasing trend is more prominent when we consider Women
domestic workers.

Once considered a luxury available only to the rich and elite, domestic workers now a days
have become a basic need among middle and even lower middle class families due to the fast
paced urban lifestyle and nonexistence of support in terms of household tasks.

An increase in the cost of living along with breaking down of social barriers and better
education has led to more men/women securing paying jobs. This transition in society has
given rise to a growing need in terms of domestic workers. As more and more people find
employment in the organised sector, the value of work in the unorganised sector diminishes.
The value associated is low when this work is done by the member of a house such as a
wife/mother/sibling and even lower when this work is outsourced to someone outside the
family. This leads to lesser rewards, which is reflected in the form of lower salaries. Another
reason for the low wages is the belief that domestic workers are the ones who are in need of a
job and not the other way around.

This precedent does not allow people to evaluate the physical and emotional labour involved
in this work correctly and it just remains a reflection of the societal prejudices against the
‘menial’ domestic work.

The lack of skills, absence of backup mechanisms and no formal unionization make domestic
workers vulnerable to exploitation at the hands of the people hiring them. There were
approximate 3.5 million women domestic workers in India, which was a 222% rise from
1990-2000

Broadly speaking, Domestic Workers are categorised into two types:

 1. Part time workers- Migrants who move to the city along with their families and
construction workers fall under this category. They also include landless labourers
who are displaced when their rural lands are gentrified. These migrants find dwellings
in slums and start finding work as menial helpers in nearby households and offices.
Apart from living in unhygienic conditions with limited supplies and resources they
also have to deal with a cultural shock which arises due to differences in the rural and
urban society
2. Full time workers- These people live with the family of employers. They often have
no specified hours and are on call for 24 hours, 365 days of the year. Some do not get
proper rest or food or appropriate remunerations. The problems that they face include
non-payment of wages, lesser holidays and in some cases sexual and physical abuse.

Review of Literature

While gathering data on the Socio-economic status of domestic workers we came across
various case studies, experiments and research papers linked to this topic. These papers and
articles gave us insights into how conditions have changed over time and how status of
individuals vary with change in society and region.

VIMALA.M. in his report “Socio Economic Status of Domestic Women Servants – A case
study of Thrissur Corporation” has carefully analysed the life of domestic women servants in
the Thrissur Corporation in Kerala. He explains the problems faced by women workers as
follows “The plight of the women in unorganized sector is miserable as they work at
extremely low wages, with total lack of job security and unprotected by any government
labour legislations”

NEETHA N. in her article- “Contours of domestic service: Characteristics, work, relations

and regulations” published in the ‘The Indian Journal of Labour Economics’ has defined the
occupation of domestic workers as “Long working hours, low pay, absence of job security
and low social status define the occupation. Although these are the characteristics of many
informal sector occupations, the absence of legal protection makes domestic workers
particularly vulnerable to many labour market exploitations.”
SUNEETHA ELURI and ALOK SINGH in their paper- “Unionizing Domestic Labourers”
highlights the need for unionization in the domestic worker sector- The whole exercise of
unionizing and articulating is about getting what is legally entitled to them, drawing a
mutually beneficial solution form the context of mutual necessity (in terms of the employer
and domestic worker depending on each other, and, above all, aiming at improving their
living and working conditions”

JAGORI in his study of part time domestic workers in Delhi- “Domestic Workers:
Conditions, Rights and Responsibilities” discusses problems faced by domestic workers and
proposes possible solutions- “The constantly changing urban scenario, with evictions and
displacement, has affected their life, livelihood and, in turn, their dignity. The challenge,
then, is to involve workers, unions and workers’ organisations, employers and the state in this
debate to identify steps to address the issues.”

DITHI BHATTACHARYA, MEGHNA SUKUMAR and MOHAN MANI in their scholarly

article- “Living on the Margins: A Study of Domestic Workers in Chennai, India” have
identified the following issues in the matter of socio-economic status of domestic workers
which include their work being unregulated and underpaid, caste determined task division,
organising in the face of changing residential problems etc.

The above-mentioned scholarly articles made it simpler for us to understand various aspects
and dimensions of the ‘not so discussed’ life of domestic workers.

Research Methodology

Objectives of the Project/Report

The specific objective of this study are as follows

 To analyse the socio economic profile of Domestic workers

 To understand their occupation structure and wage structure
 To examine the social problems faced by Domestic workers
 To analyse how domestic workers manage money and capital
 To examine their working back ground and the type of contract made by the
employers to make the service of domestic servants available
Data and Methodology

Data

The study was based on primary data collected from the domestic servants through
means of a questionnaire, which included questions regarding their socio-economic
factors.
Secondary data used in this study was taken from reports and scholarly articles(the
details of which are mentioned in the bibliography).

Methodology

Simple arithmetic tools such as percentage, average, etc. were used to analyse data
throughout the study. We have interpreted the findings and results in the forms of
graphs and charts as well to better represent or inferences and conclusions.
Apart from conducting interviews and gathering primary raw data, careful analysis of
secondary data, sourced from previously sourced published reports and scholarly
articles, was carried out. This helped us in understanding the differences in the
condition of these domestic workers from region to region and in terms of past
treatment and present treatment.

This carefully analysed data helped us draw conclusions and come up with possible
solutions to improving the socio-cultural status of these domestic workers.

Sample Size

A total number of 50 persons were surveyed (i.e. the questionnaire was filled by 50
people). Servants and other domestic helpers were selected from nearby areas which
includes
 Domestic helpers employed as servants in residential areas of Sector 36,37,38
and 39
 Housemaids residing in neighbouring areas including Dhanas, Hallo Majra,
Nayagaon and Attawa
Data Analysis and Findings

Observations

The comprehensive questionnaire provided us with raw data which was carefully examined
and analysed. Apart from various graphs and pie charts, the analysis yielded the following
findings and observations:

i. Most the domestic workers were migrants who had come to the city seeking a better
life with water, food, electricity, education etc. Around 30% of these migrants were
landless labourers while the rest 70% possessed land in their native areas with the
land area being less than 2 acres in every case

ii. In terms of home ownership and type of accommodation we found that

 Residential servants were given accommodation by their employers usually in
the form of garages that were modified to enclose 1-2 rooms with a single
bathroom and a kitchenette. The family of 3-4 sleep on 2 beds (one for the
couple and another for the children).They enjoy regular supply of fresh water
and electricity. Every one of them has a TV with a satellite dish connection.
 Domestic workers such as housemaids and cleaners reside either in illegal
slums or rented accommodations in the neighbouring village areas of
Chandigarh. Majority (92%) of these accommodations are 1BHK with an
average rent of Rs. 2000/month. 55% have their own individual bathrooms
while the rest use common toilets. The main source of fresh water is the
municipal taps installed in their colonies and slums.

iii. The pie chart (fig. ) gives the distribution of educational qualification of the domestic
workers. We can see that a high percentage of the people have at most studied till
class 10/12 with some being illiterate as well. It was seen that women domestic
workers were less educated than their male counterparts (which brings out the
patriarchal face of Indian society). On asking people were satisfied with their level of
education every person said that if they had the chance they would have studied more.
iv. Part time workers were found to work in multiple houses, average 5, mostly in the
same locality. It was seen that the work included washing clothes, sweeping, cooking
and cleaning utensils. The number of hours spent in each household averaged about 2
hours when one was performing all the above listed household chores. The monthly
wage drawn from each house centres around Rs.3000 if the domestic helper performs
the above listed activities (excluding cooking food, which if included raises the wage
to Rs.4000 per month per household). Majority of them were satisfied with the wage
they were drawing and had little to complain about when it came to the behaviour of
homeowners with them. The number of holidays in a month which were enjoyed by
these workers ranged from 3-6

v. Full time workers were found to perform all household chores including cooking,
sweeping, washing clothes, dusting, washing utensils etc. The average monthly wage
drawn by full time workers was found be Rs.6000

vi. People living in slums were found to be suffering from more number of diseases as
compared to domestic workers living in peoples’ homes. Sanitation facilities and
quality of food was better when it came to full time workers who had
accommodational in residential areas of Chandigarh. It was seen that some of the full
time workers got either one or both meals from the kitchen of the house they worked
in. Paranthas for breakfast, Rotis, Dal/sabzi for lunch and dinner was found to be the
most common diet followed by all domestic workers. Eating outside food was found
to be fortnightly affair as the people have limited dispensable income

vii. Full time workers were satisfied with the amount of leisure time they got while part
time workers who had to commute between houses were of the opinion that they
needed more time relax and unwind
viii. Generally speaking the manner in which monthly expenses were distributed for full
time workers was found to be
1. Food and cooking supplies
2. Loans
3. Education of children
4. Clothes
5. Entertainment
and that for part time workers was found to be
1. Food and cooking supplies
2. Rent
3. Education of children
4. Electricity and water bill payments
5. Clothes
6. Entertainment

ix. Majority of the domestic workers were found to possess a savings bank account either
in Chandigarh or in banks located in their villages. The average amount in these
accounts was found to be Rs.5000 on the higher side and Rs.2500 on the lower side. It
was found that most domestic workers had not put their money in the bank but had
cash stored with them in their houses

x. Loans taken by domestic workers included housing loan, car loans( in case of auto
rickshaw drivers) and in some cases education loans for their children if they were
pursuing higher education. It was found that the people found it difficult to pay the
instalments and were at times not able to pay back the loans on times which led to
penalties such as auctioning of the articles they had kept as collateral

xi. A high percentage of the domestic workers live as families – a couple, their children
and nieces/nephews. Average number of children a domestic worker was found to
two. All children were found to be attending school (at least till Class 12). Their
 parents had high expectations from them as they did not want their children to become
domestic workers like them who had very little job security and low wages

xii. Domestic workers were found to be part of caste based and religion based groups
rather than workforce unions. % of the people surveyed were found to be members of
a union which was linked to protecting the rights and interests of domestic workers.

Identified Problems

We will now shift our focus towards the various problems faced by domestic workers which
were identified after analysing the raw data. An effort has also been made towards finding the
cause/reasons of these problems

1. Execrable wages: When we talk about a job in general, it is only fair to say that
people should be paid according the amount of work they do and the efforts they put
in. However, this is not the case when it comes to domestic workers as a lot of them
are underpaid for work they do. The reasons for such low wages are:
 Lack of awareness and illiteracy among domestic workers due to which they
are unable to challenge this form of wage discrimination
 Domestic Helpers fall are associated with the unorganised sector which does
not have many government policies safeguarding the interests of people.
Neither is there any government mandated minimum wage which a domestic
helper must get
 Minuscule level of job security which forces domestic workers to accept lower
wages even though they deserve more

2. High Level of Insecurity: In India government jobs are associated with high level of
job security and jobs in the private sector such as those in multinational corporations
like banks, IT firms etc. also ensure some degree of security though means of gratuity
and severance packages. Domestic helpers on the other hand are entitled to absolutely
no job security as their services may be terminated at any point of time depending
upon the will of their employer. It was seen that many domestic workers were unsure
 of getting permanent work which is why they (mostly part time workers) took up jobs
at multiple places along with lower wages.

3. Illiteracy and lack of formal skills: As seen from the data gathered, many of the
domestic labourers possess little to no educational qualifications. It is because of
illiteracy and lack of formal skills, which includes vocational and communication
skills, that people are restricted to take up jobs as domestic workers The reasons for
such low levels of literacy among them include:
 Lack of schools and educational institutes in rural areas (native areas of
domestic workers which served as their homes before they migrated to
Chandigarh)
 Prevalence of gender based discrimination and patriarchy which results in low
levels of formal education among women who are employed as housemaids,
sweepers, helpers etc.

4. Lack of Confidence in securing other productive jobs: Due to low levels of education
and lack of general awareness, domestic workers possess very little to no confidence,
which prevents them from taking up jobs other than those that involve physical
labour. It was seen that all people who were surveyed wanted to pursue higher
education as it would enhance their skillset which would eventually allow them to
take up other jobs

5. Long and unregulated working hours: As domestic help services are classified under
the unorganised sector there are no fixed hours of work such as a 9 a.m.-5 p.m. time
slot in case of government jobs. Part time workers, particularly housemaids, start
their work early morning and it continues till the evening with very little leisure time.
Their working hours are not monitored by any regulatory authority, which could have
penalised their employers for making them work for long and tiring intervals of time.

6. Negligible paid holidays and sick leaves: It was seen that domestic workers were
entitled to no paid holidays as opposed to jobs in government and private sector
where one is allowed a minimum number of paid leaves. When it came to sick leaves
(including maternity leaves) domestic workers got no such holiday and if they failed
 to turn up for work, they were fired in most cases. The reasons for negligible paid
holidays and sick leaves are:
 No regulatory or monitoring authority to promote the interests of domestic
workers
 Lack of empathy among employers including consideration of such work
(work of domestic workers) as inferior which does deserve any paid leave
 The general feeling among employers that if they would fire one domestic
worker there would always be five people waiting to take up the job due to
high population levels

7. Health Problems: It was found that domestic workers were at a greater risk than
others when it came to contracting diseases such as dengue, malaria, diarrhoea etc.
The factors which are responsible for poor health of domestic workers are:
 Poor sanitation and living conditions particularly in slums categorised by
organic wastes and stagnant water which serves as an ideal breeding ground
for mosquitoes and other bacteria that causes diseases
 High amount of workload with very less time for relaxation and leisure which
leads to increased mental and physical stress. The accumulation of these
stresses results in decreased immunity and depreciation in mental health
 Limited availability of treatment options due to low incomes and high costs of
treatment in private hospitals and clinics

8. Social Exploitation: Many of the domestic workers belong to the SC/ST category that
are associated with the depressed classes of society. In Indian society, ever since the
vedic period-which saw the portioning of society into four Varnas i.e. Brahmin,
Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra on the basis of caste, the Shudras have been socially
exploited by the upper castes. This discrimination is seen in practices such as
untouchability which is still seen in rural areas despite being declared illegal. Most of
the domestic workers migrated to urban areas to escape this discrimination but found
themselves facing the same problems here, though on a smaller scale. Domestic
workers are given negligible representation in societal matters and religious
occasions which leads to their social exclusion from society.
Recommendations

Careful analysis of raw data led to identification of several problems that domestic workers
face. Like all societal issues, these problems can also be dealt with provided suitable steps
and measures are taken which would include certain proposed solutions and
recommendations.

After having studied the details of the lives of socio-economic workers we have come up
with three recommendations/measures that could prove to be instrumental in the
emancipation of domestic workers,

1. Education and Awareness: It is essential that one be aware and educated in today’s
world to prevent others from exploiting one. Education does not necessarily mean
possessing graduate and doctorate degrees but in the broader sense refers to
 Being literate enough to understand one’s surroundings
 Having knowledge regarding basic rights which every Indian is entitled to
 Being able to tell when someone, like a conman, tries to take advantage of you
which includes money frauds in terms of investments, transactions, donations
to fraudulent agencies etc.
 Not getting swayed away by godmen and other radical teachers with ulterior
motives

The following steps would be useful in achieving the objective of education and awareness
among domestic workers

i. Ensuring that children, both boys and girls, of domestic workers go to school on a
daily basis and achieve the minimum target of completing high school. This would
require encouragement from
 the children’s parents(domestic workers)
 their employers – by persuading domestic workers to send their children to
school and providing help if and when required in terms of money and study
related matters
 the government- though means of incentives and schemes which would draw
more children to attend school and create awareness regarding the importance
of education
 ii. Spreading awareness regarding the benefits of being educated so that people start
paying heed to their children’s education and future. This can done by
 Door to door awareness by students and teachers
 Street plays and skits to highlight the importance of education in today’s
world
 Government sponsored campaigns which motivate and encourage people to
send their children to school

iii. Educating domestic workers by means of adult education programmes such as

public lectures and speeches either by the government or employers

2. Need for Unionization: A union refers to “a society or association formed by people

with a common interest or purpose”. Workers’ Unions are a feature of different
occupations ranging from office clerks and bus drivers to civil servants and heads of
corporations. The main purpose of labour unions is to give workers the power to negotiate
for more favourable working conditions and other benefits through collective bargaining.

Before understanding the significance and importance of unions we look at why unions
have not been formed in the case of Domestic workers. The reasons include:
 Unions are typically perceived as deliverers of social benefits that are enjoyed
only if they people members of the union. This has resulted in many union
members viewing the union only as an instrument for getting benefits, and not as a
body for building collective power or identity to facilitate negotiation with
employers
 Due to less availability of opportunities, there is social tension between domestic
workers who have migrated from some other area and the original inhabitants of
that area

The following points illustrate how unionization of domestic workers can help improve their
socio-economic status:

i. Better representation: Unionization ensure that domestic workers get better

representation in front of employers and the government when it comes to
 addressing matters of importance generally relating to their social welfare.
Unionization helps portray domestic workers as a united front and instils a feeling
of brotherhood and togetherness amongst the union members which prompts them
to look out for each other

ii. Increased Job security: As we have discussed before, domestic workers enjoy very
less to negligible job security that causes them to remain in a perpetual state of
anxiety. The formation of unions would ensure that domestic workers are not fired
for unjustified reasons. Unions could also be helpful in helping domestic workers
finding work if they are unable to do so themselves

iii. Protection of the rights and interests of domestic workers: A union involves the
support of masses and is not easily overlooked by concerned authorities such as
the police and government agencies whose task is to provide assistance and to
safeguard the interests of people

3. Need for a Formal Regulatory/Monitoring Environment/Unit: A

supervising/overlooking body is essential to ensure that no discriminatory practices take
place and the rights and interests of people working in a particular profession remain
protected.
The problems of wages, unregulated working hours, no holidays and sick leaves, health
issues and Social exploitation are due to the reason of no umbrella regulatory agency
presiding and governing the rules of what constitutes the job of domestic workers, what
are the obligations of the employer, minimum wage, social security etc.
On the other hand, over regulation may prove to be just as detrimental as under regulation
as more amount of interference may not be welcomed by both the employers and the
employees (domestic workers)
So there must be a formal regulatory environment consisting of the following specific
roles-
i. Creation of more jobs, preferably formal, through means of labour intensive
growth. This refers to providing more opportunities to domestic workers so that
they can get employed in recognised sectors which leads to a higher level of job
security. Job security would ensure better performance and service for the employer
and lesser anxiety and stress for the employee
 ii. A regulatory body must ensure that the rich (who employ the domestic workers) do
not exploit them. This can be done by
 Conducting surprise checks and inspections to make sure that the domestic
workers (primarily full time workers) are being treated well by their
employers
 Gathering feedback from domestic workers (both part time and full time)
iii. Registering of Informal enterprises and regulation of informal jobs. Employers
should be encouraged to contribute to health and pensions for their employed
helpers
iv. Social and Legal protection should be made available to the informal workforce as
well. It must be done so as domestic workers do not possess enough money to get
represented by lawyers most of who charge high consulting fee

Conclusion

In this report, we have highlighted the various problems faced by people employed in the
domestic help sector and given recommendations, which aim to improve their socio-
economic status.

The domestic help sector is growing every day and the rate of its growth is only increasing
with time. Society does not consider domestic workers as equals, which is reflected in cases
of discrimination and exploitation against the already deprived section of society to which
they belong. There is no regulation of employment and an extremely low level of
organisation.

The importance of organization in the sector is critical. Without organization, existing

regulatory measures like the statutory minimum wage will remain an illusory victory for the
sector, with no real impact on the actual conditions of employment.

The solving of all the problems related to Domestic workers requires the active participation
of

 NGOs: By providing assistance and guidance along in legal, educational, sanitation

and financial matters. NGOs can become useful organisations during times when the
government does not pay much attention towards the welfare of domestic workers.
  Government agencies: By acting as regulatory/monitoring bodies who safeguard the
interests and rights of domestic workers and by developing efficient strategies with
the objective of imparting education (primarily to the children of domestic workers
so that they get to be more than just domestic workers in the future). Due to existing
unemployment, it also becomes necessary to formulate unemployment Insurance
Schemes that can be implemented only with the approval of the government. Health
care schemes can also be properly implemented by the government to improve
general health and reduce/eliminate diseases thereby lifting the heavy burden of
treatment expenses off of the domestic workers’ heads
 Workers’ Unions: By acting as representative bodies and elevating the level of
organisation, which at present is very low. Unions also help in boosting the
confidence of workers by giving them a sense of job security and support that may be
emotional or monetary in nature.
 Employers: By treating domestic workers with respect and appreciating the efforts
put in by them. Employers can also help domestic workers by providing educational
and money related assistance. Employers should not engage in discriminatory and
exploitive activities and should not harbour feelings of inferiority towards domestic
workers

Lastly, for any of the above mentioned steps and recommendations to bear fruit, it is essential
that mind-set and attitude of people (employers) changes towards the domestic workers and
the employers see and treat them as equals.
Bibliography

 Vimala.M., 2004, “Socio Economic Status of Domestic Women Servants – A case

study of thrissur corporation”
 Kaur &Neetha, 2004, Case Study
 Chandrashekhar and Ghosh, 2003, Case Study
 Suneetha Eluri, 2006, “Unionizing Domestic Workers”
 UNDAW,OHCHR, 2000, “Gender and racial discrimination Report of the Expert
Group Meeting”
 Jagori, “ Domestic workers: Conditions, Rights and responsiblities – A study of Part-
time domestic workers in Delhi”
 Bhattacharya.Dithi, “Living on The Margins: A study of domestic workers in
Chennai”
 Guruprasad.M, 2016, “ Evaluating housewives contribution to the economy”
 Bariya.Neeraj, 2017, “Report on socio-economic status of women in
Vishakhapatnam”
 http://www.wiego.org/informal-economy/policies-programmes
 WIEGO, 2012, “WIEGO Working Paper Number 1”
 Wikipedia
 Questionnaire

Socio-Economic Status of Domestic Workers

(Analysis and Recommendations)

A case study of Chandigarh based Domestic Workers

Name:

Address:

Age:

Religion:

I. Particulars of Family Members

S.NO. Name Age Education Occupation Monthly

Income
1
2
3
4
5

II. Land and Housing Facilities

A. Does your family possess land? If yes then specify area and region.

B. House Details

i. Possession of House : Owned/Rented

ii. If rented, monthly rent :
 iii. Number of Rooms :
iv. Type of wall : Leaves/mud/bricks/others
v. Type of Floor : Dung plastered/cemented/tiles/others
vi. Type of Roof : Leaves/tiles/concrete/others
vii. Source of drinking water :Well/Public tap/pond/others
viii. Type of latrine(Washroom) :Room/pit/outside
ix. Access to electricity: :YES/NO
x. House alliances owned: : LPG stove/TV/Radio/Mixie/Vehicle

III. Details of Educational Status

i. Educational Qualifications:
ii. Are you satisfied with your education :YES/NO
iii. Have you had any training in craft work(elaborate if yes) : YES/NO
iv. Are you interested in further education : YES/NO

IV. Details of Occupational Status

i. Are you a Part Time/ Full time servant?

ii. If part time, specify the number of houses in which you are working:
iii. Nature of work in the house(s) :
iv. Working hours per day in each house :
v. Monthly wage drawn from each house :
vi. Are these houses near to each other? : YES/NO
vii. Have you desired to change the houses frequently : YES/NO (Specify why)
viii. Are you satisfied with your wage? : YES/NO
ix. Have you gone for any other job (specify if yes) : YES/NO
x. Why did you quit from that?
xi. Have you had any bitter experiences from the house matrons or others in the
house? : YES/NO
xii. Are the house matrons loving and friendly to you? : YES/NO
 xiii. Have you accepted any other help or gifts occasionally from the house
matrons? If yes then specify nature of gift(s) : YES/NO
xiv. Do you enjoy holidays/leaves? : YES/NO
xv. If yes, then specify no. of holidays in a month :
xvi. Did you get sick leave or any emergency leave in need without wage cut? :
xvii. If you are from any other district or states, why did you come here in search of
job? Who directed you to here?
xviii. If you are recruited by any agency, Name of Agency:
 Terms and conditions between you and the agency:
 The period of appointment :
 Are you satisfied with the agency’s functioning? (Give Details):

V. Health and Food

i. Do you suffer from any permanent disease : YES/NO

 If yes then specify nature of disease:
 Have you had any treatment? If No, why not? :
 Amount spent per month on treatment :
ii. Leisure time(in hours) per day :
iii. Do you think that you require more time for rest? : YES/NO
iv. Details of Food Intake
 Food items:
 Are these food items prepared by you or do you get them from the
houses you work in?
VI. Management of Monthly Expenses

Purpose Amount Spent (in Rs.)

VII. Saving Pattern

i. Do you possess any savings account(s) : YES/NO

ii. Amount of Savings in each :

VIII. Details of Loan/Credit if any:

i. Loan Amount :
ii. Purpose :
iii. Source :
iv. Interest Rate :
v. Duration :
vi. Have you paid it without any fail till now : YES/NO

IX. Other Personal Details

i. Marital Status : Married/Unmarried/Widow/Divorcee

ii. If married, spouse’s job :
iii. Number of Children :
iv. Do they go to school? If no, why? : YES/NO
v. If they do not go to school who looks after them when you go to work? :
vi. Do you think you possess the necessary resources to look after them? :
vii. Are you anxious about their education? : YES/NO
viii. Your expectations about their career :
ix. Number of persons in family who depend on you :
x. Are you a Member of any union? : YES/NO
If yes, which Union? :
Do you receive any help from the Union? : YES/NO
If not, do you want to join/form a Union? : YES/NO
Give your ideas :