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December 2021

Housekeeper washing the dishes wearing protective mask
LA County, Partners Announce “Your Home is Someone’s Workplace” Campaign to Help Protect Domestic Workers 1024 645 Tenny Minassian

LA County, Partners Announce “Your Home is Someone’s Workplace” Campaign to Help Protect Domestic Workers

The Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA), in the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) hosted a media forum to promote a new campaign: “Your Home Is Someone’s Workplace: Domestic Work in Los Angeles County” to raise awareness of how LA County can help protect and advance the well-being of domestic workers.

“Your Home is Someone’s Workplace” highlights how domestic workers have contributed to the County’s economic survival during the pandemic, how private-household and other employers can provide fair and responsible workplaces, and how the media can help the County’s efforts to support all workers in LA County, including domestic workers.

The media forum coincided with this week’s approval by the Board of Supervisors to create the Office of Labor Equity within DCBA. The new office will target enforcement on key industries, including the domestic work industry. The Office of Labor Equity will build on the successful track record of DCBA’s Wage Enforcement program, which has investigated complaints of minimum wage violations in unincorporated Los Angeles County and helped put millions of dollars in back wages and fines back into the pockets of for workers. DCBA also helped to implement the innovative worker protections the Board put into place during the pandemic, including paid vaccine leave, Hero Pay for grocery store workers, and health and safety anti-retaliation ordinances.

Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who authored the motion to create the new Office of Labor Equity, co-hosted the forum with OIA. They were joined by the California Domestic Workers Coalition, and Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network.

“People are leaving the workforce because they don’t feel valued, and how can employees feel valued if their employers put employee health at risk by failing to enforce vaccination or mask mandates, don’t pay a minimum wage, or fail to pay overtime?,” said Kuehl. “Employers need to understand the root causes of The Great Attrition, and step up to provide a high level of workplace safety, wage compliance, and flexibility to their workers. LA County‘s recovery will not go well if workers continue to leave our local economy.”

“The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs is committed to protecting LA County workers by enforcing several worker protection ordinances and securing back wages owed to workers,” said DCBA Director Rafael Carbajal. “The new Office of Labor Equity will be equipped to expand our efforts to ensure workers, including domestic workers, are treated equitably throughout the county.”

“The majority of domestic workers are immigrant women of color. This media forum underscores the importance of applying the immigrant lens to understand the unique experiences of immigrant workers in the County,” said Rigo Reyes, OIA Executive Director.

“The California Domestic Workers Coalition is honored to be part of this event. Media forums like these and initiatives such as the creation of the Office of Labor Equity are how we will continue to create a path that centers, uplifts and makes visible the stories of the thousands of domestic workers that are caring for our families every day, but also seeking dignity at their workplaces,” offered Kimberly Alvarenga, Director of the California Domestic Workers Coalition.

“There are 2 million households in California that hire for childcare, housecleaning or homecare. Due to the invisibility of this work, most of these households don’t realize they are considered employers with responsibilities. Today’s L.A. County forum on domestic work is an incredible opportunity to invite journalists to be partners in educating domestic employers about how to follow the law and treat their employees fairly,” said Stacy Kono, Executive Director of Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network.

This forum was moderated by Annabelle Sodano, Emmy Award-winning journalist and Univision anchor and reporter. You can watch a recording of the forum here and watch a short video announcement here.

Click here for more information about “Your Home Is Someone Else’s Workplace” campaign on domestic workers.

Click here for information about the County’s wage enforcement program in unincorporated areas.

Father Hugging Son Sitting On Steps Outside Home
Together again: One family reunited in Los Angeles County 1024 683 Tenny Minassian

Together again: One family reunited in Los Angeles County

Earlier this year, as thousands of migrant children crossed into the United States without parents or guardians, the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs, part of the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), joined with other County agencies and the federal government for a unique humanitarian mission to care for these vulnerable children.

When the mission was over, more than 8,000 children were reunited with their loved ones and sponsors.
We invite you to meet one family reunited in Los Angeles County.

Juntos de nuevo: Una familia reunida en el Condado de Los Ángeles

A principios de este año, cuando miles de niños migrantes cruzaron a los Estados Unidos sin padres o tutores, la Oficina de Asuntos de Inmigrantes del Condado de Los Ángeles, parte del Departamento de Servicios para Consumidores y Negocios (DCBA), se unió a otras agencias del Condado y al gobierno federal para una misión humanitaria única para cuidar a estos niños vulnerables.
Cuando terminó la misión, más de 8.000 niños fueron reunidos con sus seres queridos y patrocinadores.
Conozca a una familia reunida en el Condado de Los Ángeles.

Juntas de nuevo: Una familia reunida en el Condado de Los Ángeles | Together again: One family reunited in Los Angeles County from Los Angeles County Newsroom on Vimeo.

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