Domestic Care Work in Italy: The Work of Family Carers Between Irregularity and Exploitation

This article examines the regulation of domestic care work in Italy; focusing on three key dimensions: the extensive deregulation of the ordinary labour law framework; the widespread incidence of irregular employment; and the presence of labour exploitation. The first part analyses the legal framework governing domestic care workers assisting non-self-sufficient persons; highlighting the reduced protection deriving from the “subtractive” legislative technique and discussing critical issues concerning health and safety and working time. The second part explores the socio-economic context of the sector and investigates the causes and consequences of irregular employment and labour exploitation affecting family assistants. The study ultimately reflects on the need to recalibrate the regulatory framework in order to ensure more adequate protection for domestic care workers.