CA Relief Fund for Domestic Workers

The devastating wildfires in California continue to expose the immense vulnerabilities faced by domestic workers. Unseen and underprotected, domestic workers often bear the brunt of the crises caused by climate accelerated disasters alongside other essential workers. The CA Relief Fund for Domestic Workers seeks to provide immediate and sustained support to domestic workers who are disproportionately affected by wildfires and the aftermath.

Domestic workers are often put at severe risk of injury and illness, especially when public health crises and natural disasters strike. These workers provide frontline responses to those in need of care and support, yet they often remain without any health and safety protections or financial safety net.

Climate-accelerated disasters have magnified the vulnerabilities and dangers that domestic workers and day laborers face daily. Over the past decade, countless stories have emerged from the frontlines of California’s wildfires, where domestic workers and other household workers, such as day laborers, were asked to stay behind to fight fires, guard homes or pets, work in smoky conditions, and clean up toxic ash. These workers were further endangered when employers failed to inform them that the homes they worked in were under mandatory evacuation orders. The growing frequency and intensity of wildfires, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters make it imperative that domestic workers receive health and safety protections and are included in the safety net and climate resiliency efforts of our state.

Why This Relief Fund Matters

Loss of Wages and Job Security

During emergencies, domestic workers often face wage losses or job termination as families evacuate or pause services. In more extreme cases, employers may lose their homes entirely. This sudden loss of income leads to financial instability, further exacerbating their existing vulnerabilities.

Barriers to Accessing Resources

Immigrant workers, many of whom are undocumented, often fear accessing disaster relief resources due to their immigration status. They are also ineligible for unemployment insurance, leaving them excluded from critical financial support.

Supporting Families During Evacuations

Many domestic workers go above and beyond by assisting the families they work for during evacuations. This unpaid emotional and physical labor often goes unrecognized, leaving them stretched thin during emergencies.

Health Risks from Hazardous Air Quality

Domestic workers, often older adults, are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of hazardous air quality caused by wildfire smoke. A lack of access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and limited awareness of both acute and long term health impacts from exposure to the toxic chemicals and particulates in wildfire smoke further compounds their risks.

Hazardous Work Conditions

As communities begin recovery, domestic workers are often asked to return to unsafe environments, including homes affected by smoke damage, toxic ash, and fire remnants. These hazardous conditions threaten their health and safety.

Exploitation and Wage Theft

Reports from previous wildfire events, revealed spikes in wage theft and exploitation. Extended work hours and increased demands without fair compensation are common challenges that domestic workers face in these crises.

Lack of Health and Safety Protections

Domestic workers often lack formal health and safety protections, paid time off, or sick leave, making it nearly impossible for them to care for themselves or their families during crises.

How Your Support Helps

By contributing to this fund, you help provide:

1. Emergency financial relief for lost wages and job displacement
2. Access to PPE and resources for navigating poor air quality
3. Support for navigating legal and financial barriers
4. Assistance in addressing wage theft and exploitation
5. Advocacy for safe working conditions 

Together, we can ensure that domestic workers—who play a vital role in our communities—receive the protection, recognition, and support they deserve.

Join us in standing with domestic workers as they face the challenges of California’s wildfire crises. Your contribution makes a difference.