Do you know someone who takes advantage of a nanny?

I was speaking this morning with my children's excellent caregiver about the controversy surrounding Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla and the allegations that she took advantage of women brought here through the domestic caregiver program.

Whatever you think of Dhalla's particular case, a Star series on nannies has brought to light just how vulnerable domestic caregivers can be. Some of these women are often misled and mistreated by several different groups along the way to a "better life" in Canada.

Sometimes there's a person in their home country who offers to hook them up with a job overseas, then a shady agencies that lures them here on false pretenses, illegally charging them thousands of dollars for placement in jobs that may or may not be legit. Some of them wind up with employers who treat them as hired vacuums, abscond with their passports, expect them to work ridiculous hours for little or irregular pay and even withhold food.

My boys' nanny worked as a live-in caregiver for parents in Oakville who expected her to eat only the children's leftovers. Her eyes welled this morning as she talked of surviving on peanut butter sandwiches for that time. Hearing this makes my blood boil.

One of our nanny's friends is currently working for a family in my neighbourhood, Bloor West Village, who expects this woman to work from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with no overtime pay. And sometimes her pay is late. This nanny feels like there's nothing she can do until she gets her open work permit.

Thanks to the Star investigation, these women can now call a nanny hotline to report bad agencies and employers. The number is 1-866-372-3247. I just texted this number to our caregiver and I'd encourage you to do the same. If you employ a nanny, sadly chances are quite good that she knows someone who needs to call.

There's something else you can do, too. When you're on the playground and you hear someone speaking about their nanny as if they're some kind of second-class citizen who should be grateful to have a job at all, call them on it. Share your opinion that just because we were fortunate enough to be born in a country with a robust economy and stable political system, it doesn't entitle us to treat those who were not like second-class citizens, or worse, slaves.

If you hear about someone making their nanny work for little or sporadic pay, or limiting their caregiver's freedom to move around by withholding a passport or threatening their work visa, pass that nanny the hot-line number. Out the abusers on the school yard or put a copy of the Employment Standards Act in their mailbox. Use your connections to help the abused nanny find work with a family who will appreciate her.

When we all act to make it clear that this behaviour is abhorrent, that's when we'll know we've done our bit.

Comments

[Kate]

For years, I have wondered why no one is studying the effects of the caregiver programs on families admitted to Canada following participation in the live-in caregiver program compared to families who entered Canada under other immigration programs.

What bothers me particularly is that women who work in the caregiver program have to leave their families behind for three years. Three years of seperation from one's children. It must have far-reaching long term consequences.

At the same time, people who are approved for immigration under other programs because their skills are in demand, can bring their spouses and children with them regardless of whether they have jobs or not.

This means that, according to policy, a truck driver has more rights than a nurse's aid caring for the elderly.

If we need live in caregivers, they should be admitted to Canada with exactly the same rights and freedoms afforded other professionals.

[Helen Serneo]

I came in Canada 30 years ago, and I can't imagine how underpaid and maltreated the Nannies today. In my time we don't pay to get employed especially if your inside Canada. In 1985, I was already paid $400 biweekly plus $30 for meals on my day off.

We have left the system taken advantage by the agencies making money through poor working women.

I expect the Liberal Party to fix this problem about Nannies hired through agencies. Hey,guys remember Prime Minister Trudeau, he initiate not for money making agencies but to help these people who taker of our kids, clean our house, cook our meals, and so on while we work to earn our living. It is our responsibilities to keep them healthy physically and mentally. If they left us, to educationally upgrade themself, wish them luck, because most of them will work with you again to change diaper but not babies' diaper, it's your diaper. And we are lack of them.

[ala]

Sorry to hear not much has changed since I worked for a weekly newspaper and wrote about nannies organizing over such mistreatment. That was over 15 years ago.

I have never had occasion to use a nanny, and know no-one who does. I find it deplorable that women have been freed to pursue careers, but must find other women to do their housework and raise their children because men will not work less and take a full role in those tasks. I also find it disgusting that corporations do not have to have daycare for their working parents.

I do know of nannies who hire themselves out to clean other houses on their days off, and pocket that money under the table. They would not want that arrangement to be stopped.

[Sophie H.]

There is a solution.

We legalize a class of immigration for these same women called immigrant or refugee caregivers with a loan repayment program as we do with other immigration classes. We continue to admit these professional women with the same educational criteria (doctors, teachers, nurses) from the same countries and provide them with the same rights as other newcomers. We provide them with a living allowance and a decent housing allowance and permit them to bring THEIR CHILDREN AND ELDERS.

We allow this class of caregivers with small children to provide child care in their homes through home child care programs which are licensed across Canada through governed, publically funded agencies. We allow them to provide elder home care on a rotational four and eight hour shift basis as was done by agencies like Visiting Homemakers and VON in the 80s and 90s.

Doing so will address multiple challenges:

1. we will see reduced exploitation of vulnerable caregivers;
2. we increase the wellness of this group of newcomers by providing a decent wage, family and community supports, Canadian employment experience and training;
3. we fill a gap in care for children and elders in our community;
4. we acknowledge the tremendous pool of education and professional and personal abilities of this class of newcomers;
5. we demonstrate compassion as a society and impart acceptance and cultural curiosity as a value to our children and elders.

Caregivers who are cared for and supported are better providers to the vulnerable. Newcomer professionals are superior caregivers and the structured Canadian experience provides them with an employment foundation upon which they can build Canadian accreditation -- perhaps not as doctors -- but as nurses, teachers, early childhood educators and community workers.

[Linda Castelino]

With two daughters now in university, I had nannies and never took advantage of them. As a home owner with university post graduate qualifications I have to do many tasks in the house. In Canada, at present we are catering to minimal skill development. How come working, successful professional canadian women do not have the ability to have their grieviances made so public?
What are the job descriptions for a housekeeper? nursing aide?

[sazzy]

Canada is a beautiful country but sadly behind the times compared to Europe as far as Human Rights go. It is a country where Work and Money are God.
Kindness seems a little on the thin side....
Canada also pays lip service to being neutral and cosmopolitan but having lived there as an Immigrant myself I have seen the abusive attitudes, overt racism and staggering chauvanism..... foreign women are just treated like disposable trash. Politely but nevertheless plainly used and abused.
Its great this scandal has finally come to light but a complete overhaul of the LCG scheme is needed altogether. Drop-In centres and email addresses one can write in to as well as a Hotline. And obviously some kind of official monitoring system so these women are not overworked and underpaid. And clearly they should be allowed to bring their families with them. Christ what kind of country is it that treats Filipinos like Dogs ? I heard the way wealthy privelidged white people spoke about these Fillipino girls. It was disgusting. Made me ashamed to be a white person.
I have some great friends in Canada and I would not want to tar the whole nation with the same brush but it has to be said there is for sure room for improvement AS FAR AS BEING SIMPLY MORE HUMANE AND KIND goes in Canada.

[Philip Pines]

This is great but what about trying to protect Canadian families from being exploited for visa purposes by foreign workers to get to the country. This so called abuse is not one sided. I do feel that not all Canadian employers are bad and abusive just as how the media has distorted the facts.
I feel that it would be fair to report the other side of story abuse foreign workers coming to Canada on the promise that they will work for you and once in Canada they leave just like that. Or foreign workers that shout abuse just so to justify their reasons for quitting.
You have reported other women being abused but never have I heard of these employers being investigated by Star. IS it because they are not as popular as Dhalla?
When one cries for abuse, the threshold is high. One can cry abuse because the person does not like his or her work. Abuse is a very sensitive issue and most people tend to side the victim, even though the facts are not yet confirmed.
The Star should investigate how many Canadians are being exploited by foreign workers under this program.
What if a Canadian employer has been exploited by a foreign worker just to get into Canada, where is the hotline for them? How many women under this program are really being abused? If women came from countries such as Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and they never complained abuse and here in Canada they complain abuse. How do you describe abuse? Is it abuse if you ask your foreign worker to clean your washroom? Or ask them to vacuum? What are they supposed to do then at home?
A food counter attendant is McDonald cleans the floor, sweeping and mopping, takes out garbages, cleans the washrooms, wipes the tables and chairs for minimum wage. What number can they call to complain their abusive employer. They are food counter attendants and they should not be asked to do menial tasks except make sandwich.
What is wrong with earning minimum wage? If all Canadians are concerned about these foreign workers earning minimum wage, then what about our fellow Canadians that earn minimum wage? Who protects them? Where is their hotline?

[Alberta]

Wow. So many people posting comments about how the worker is abusing Canadian families. I do home daycare, am a born Canadian and home daycare costs only 80% of a nanny's salary. But all I hear are how home daycare providers are only in it for the money. So, if you don't like Nannies and you don't like daycare, then WHAT is good enough for these priviledged white women who are responding here? My God! You have yourselves convinced that someone WILL hurt your children, so EVERYONE out there is bad. A Nanny is someone who cares for your children and cleans up after meal-time, but the job is the CHILDREN, NOT your dusting, vaccuming, laundry and making YOUR beds and IRONING YOUR clothing. Nannies are paid roughly $1,200 a month, minus meals and room and board. You people have no idea how to treat someone. If you want to be a career woman, then DON'T have children if you're not willing to put THEM and not your job first. People who have Nannies are not single mothers making $50K a year. They are spoiled little princesses who can't stand the thought of cleaning their own toilet and think they're entitled to do whatever they want. Black women don't use nannies. Chinese women don't use nannies. East Indian women don't use nannies. Only white Canada uses nannies... er, I mean, slaves.

[AZ]

I have news for you Alberta, its not just white women who have nannies. That is absolute BS! I know lots of minority prof. women, including Chinese and East Indian friends who have live in caregivers. Mothers have every right to be careful and exercise concern over who they leave their child with. Personally, I would never dream of denying food or exploiting someone who is living and working in my home. I am happy these reforms are coming in to offer some protection.

I used to hire nannies on the weekends to help clean my home, as many were willing to do it for extra cash. Most of the nannies I have met live a subsistence living in their employers homes on a tiny salary with very little personal freedom and almost no personal space. Its also clearly a hardship for them to be away from their families and to only speak on the phone with their children in villages every few weeks. Its ridiculous they have to pretty much be indentured servants for that long until they can claim residency. I think the time line should be shortened to 2 yrs.

[Ontario]

I think agencies are the tip of the iceberg. Why don't you start interviewing nannies currently employed about their working hours, day offs, per diems when the employer takes them to different cities or to their cottage to look after their kids. Cottage.... they take the nannies, so they do not have to look after their own kids even in the cottage. Many of the employers are big advocates of "saving Canadian jobs" but have no problem to import nannies in, so they can pay minimum wage and deduct expenses even from that. If they would hire a Canadian, they could not find comparable quality for the same money they are truly willing to pay, who looks after their children. At the same time the same employers are lobbying to build their careers so they can make more money... I know and meet some of the exceptions, but they are exception. Until there is a program in place that guarantees that whistle-blower nannies will be protected from loosing their status in Canada, you will not find to many nannies to come forward. You want whistle-blowers? If an employer find guilty of exploitation, they should flip the cost on making sure the nanny, and the government will not be paying any extras until the nanny finds reasonable employment.

[rip]

Wow...all I have to add is friends of ours hired a young Filipino nanny who sexually abused and exploited two of their young children (under 3) and had others into the home to sexual abuse them while video taping it for a profit. All I can say is, if you have a nanny in your home - for the love of GOD and these children, PLS get nanny cams! PLS!!

[feral]

Alberta,
I'm wondering what the heck is wrong with having a person who lives in your home or out for that matter, that you hire to watch your children while your at work...or doing things you can't possibly get done with children hanging on to your leg. Is it wrong to want someone to play with your children while you can't instead of putting them all in front of the tv? And if wifes/husbands/teenagers are expected to do laundry, clean, wash toilets - wtf is wrong with someone who is getting paid to do it? Is it beneath anyone? Not everyone is out to hurt children but I find its the women like you that are so concerned with other parents who are protective that you spend all of your time bickering and complaining about the other Canadian women and "spoiled princesses" that you don't recognize whats going on with your own children. All these women are saying is be careful, don't trust anyone 100% with your children. Do you know the percentage of children who will be sexual abused in thier lifetime..both boys and girls? Pls investigate and spend time protecting your children rather than slaming other mothers who care.

[Maria Bolton]

www.liveincaregiverprogram.net

Check out this website, it has a blog, forum and a guestbook.

Is it all about the live-in caregiver program.

[Lily]

Interesting about what a Nannie's role is suppose to be, and that is mainly taking care of the children and their needs, education,clothing and what not. I have actually seen advertisements by some of the top domestic staffing agencies, where employers want a Nanny to work 24/7+, and much more, like, do the adult laundry, wardrobe,ironing for the adults as well as the children,prepare not only the meals for the children, but also the rest of the family, and the house keeping, assisting at parties, and on and on. Some employers from these agencies not only want the nannies to do all this, but only give them one day off a week, or a more like a 1/2 day once a week, and they want the nannies to be at the ready to give up their own needs, or day offs, and be at the ready to jump, any second of any minute, if the employer should on a whim, decide to be spontaneous. Within reason this is fine, but how much is too much! When I read some of the requirements for Nannies from some of these top agencies, I think to myself, my goodness, Nannies/domestic staff are not robots that the employer winds up, only to come out of the closet any second they are needed for any little whim. What I mean is, they are humans who need their physical and emotional rest. Are their no regulations and set law guidelines for nannies/domestic staff, so they are not made to do things outside of the scope of their own job description.It's fine to be flexible and assist the employer with a variety of things when needed, but it is clear many employers are sure taking advantage of their domestic staff. Sometimes I think employers want to pay one person to do the job of several domestic staff to avoid paying more by having to procure other staff? I have seen this in retirement homes.

[ying]

I am a live-in caregiver , I tried so hard not to change employers , as changing employers would waste some months to get a new work permit , in another word , I would delay my applying for my permanent residence , because I have a daughter , I am so sad to leave her behind so far away . My former employer changed nannies a lot before I came here , she was very nice to me at the beginning as she was worried I would leave her ,but since she knew I tried to apply for pr as soon as possible , she treated me worse and worse , she refused to pay me check , no schedule , no slips , I used to work more than 13 hours per day and on holidays , but never get paid on overtime or statutory holidays, and did not deduct my tax and EI properly . I worked for her for more than one year , but I have no any correct paper for my appliction of PR . I had to quit , for more than half a year , I feel I am in a circle running around Revenue Canada , Service Canada ,Immigration , Employment Standards , I don't think the government really want to punish the bad employers . till now I have nothing of immigration papers from her .

And now , I heard the PR processing time for Live-in caregiver that has changed into 26 months , after finish the two year live-in program and submit our applications , we will still have to work 11 months as a live-in caregiver and another 15 months to see our families . I don't know what I can say now . All of live-in caregivers who I know are in the desperation , because most of us are MOTHERs . Please help us and tell us where we can ask for help .