Working conditions and non-economic well-being of female domestic workers: An evidence from survey of female domestic workers in Lahore

Abstract

This thesis investigates working conditions of female live-out domestic workers and their impact on their non-economic wellbeing in Pakistan’s context. This study is especially important because the interaction between employer and employee takes place in the employer’s home that is distinct from factory or office space that has relatively better working conditions than domestic workers .These conditions make it imperative to analyze empirically this issue and suggest recommendations after the research.. Studies have reported that female domestic workers’ exploitation in many cases are in the form of long working hours, low wages, unsafe and undignified work place conditions, and susceptibility to physical, mental, and sometimes sexual abuse which leads to negative outcomes (Giles & Sedaf, 1994; Gill, 1994; International Labour Organization, 2011; Rollins, 1985; Brites, 2014; Chen, 2012). The study has utilized quantitative research method and a pen & paper survey was conducted from 135 female live-out domestic workers in Lahore. Results of the OLS regression showed that working conditions positively and significantly impacted non-economic wellbeing of a female domestic workers working either in a single or two households in Lahore. Similar analysis on female domestic workers own housing conditions showed significant relationship on their non-economic wellbeing. Surprisingly, income of female domestic workers (as control variable of female domestic workers) has showed a negative and insignificant impact on the non-economic wellbeing of female domestic workers in Lahore. Our research results suggest that, despite a raise in salary of domestic workers non-economic wellbeing of female domestic workers does not increase, although their non-economic wellbeing is increased or decreased primarily by the conditions of their work place and their own household conditions. Keywords: Domestic workers; Female; Pakistan; Non-economic wellbeing; Subjective wellbeing ;employer employee relationship; Housing conditions; workplace conditions