Violence, Work with no rest and harsh living condition – a new report exposes employment conditions of caregivers from east Europe in Israel

Work with no rest or overtime pay; harsh living condition and violent acts committed by family members: a new report exposes employment conditions of caregivers from east Europe in Israel.

81,329 migrant workers are currently legally employed in Israel. Over half of them, 47,488 people, work in the caregiving sector. 80% of migrant caregivers are women. New report, written by the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants and Kav La’Oved focuses, for the first time, in caregivers from east Europe. In 2014 migrant workers from Eastern Europe made 19.4% of the migrant workers population in Israel. The social networks of these workers seems to be significantly weaker compared to those of workers from East Asia. Workers from East Europe are more isolated and thus more vulnerable.

The report includes interviews with 36 caregivers, mostly from Moldova but also from the Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Romania taken place during the months of November and December 2016.

The report indicates Payment of exorbitantly high recruitment fees, Violence and Inappropriate Behavior of Patients or their Relatives, Difficult Living Conditions, Extremely long work days without overtime pay, Denial of a Weekly Day Off and Lack of Information and Supervision to Ensure Rights are Upheld.