As richer, ageing societies face growing shortages of care and domestic services, they are becoming more reliant on migrant workers from countries such as the Philippines, India, North Africa and Eastern Europe. However, many migrants experience exploitation, abuse and poor working conditions, which are often hidden inside private homes where labour protections are difficult to enforce. This gives rise to serious human rights concerns and tensions in the countries of origin of those working abroad.
A new Policy Brief shows that even small, low-cost interventions can help. Evidence from a large randomised trial involving Filipino domestic workers found that simple actions such as sharing a family photograph or offering a small gift helped to reduce social distance and significantly lowered the likelihood of mistreatment by employers.
