The Montgomery County Council voted Tuesday to require residents to provide written contracts for nannies, housekeepers and others who do household work, but excluded the elderly and those with disabilities from the landmark legislation.
County leaders heralded the measure as the first of its kind in the country. Bill sponsors Councilmen Marc Elrich and George Leventhal said the move is necessary to protect some of the county’s most vulnerable workers, often including immigrants.
But other council members expressed trepidation at being the first to explore this territory.
“I am concerned about the reputation of our institutions, whether we would be considered to be the nanny government of all time,” Councilman RogerBerliner said, but he announced his support for the bill, saying it “ensures that our most vulnerable workers, many of whom are women, will be protected.”
Much of the debate, though, centered on who not to protect.
The bill applies to domestic workers who work more than 20 hours each week for a period of 30 days or more, but excludes registered and licensed practical nurses, certified nurse’s aides, and family members who care for their loved ones in addition to those who care for the elderly and disabled who do not work for an agency.
Councilman Phil Andrews successfully amended the measure to exclude those who care for the elderly and disabled, citing fears that the original bill would make it even harder to coordinate in-home care for those groups.
County Executive Ike Leggett’s spokesman Patrick Lacefield said Leggett would sign the bill into law.
The new policy, however, is not scheduled to take effect for six months.
The County’s Office of Consumer Protection is charged with creating model contracts, which will be available at its office and online, and doing public outreach to notify residents of the new policy.
Complaints also will be handled by the Office of Consumer Protection, which can fine people upto $1,000 for violation of the law.
Employers are required to offer contracts. Employees may decline, but must sign waivers.
The measure also requires employers to provide a separate bedroom with a locked door and reasonable access to kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities for domestic employees who live where they work.
