Under SB 1350, effective July 1, 2025, some domestic workers are now covered by Cal/OSHA employee protections.
Previously, California’s Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 excluded domestic workers from the health and safety protections afforded to workers generally. Now, however, employment “includes household domestic service performed on a permanent or temporary basis,” subject to three major exceptions:
- Individuals who engage a domestic worker “to perform for the benefit of such individuals what are commonly regarded as ordinary domestic household tasks, including housecleaning, cooking, and caregiving.”
- The employees of a family daycare home.
- Publicly funded domestic service.
Cal/OSHA has put out FAQs to answer the many questions this new law raises. These include examples of covered workers, such as employees of homecare agencies and housecleaning companies, painters, pool servicers, roofers, and home construction workers.
Take-Away:
If a business employer supplies persons for domestic work, such as cooking, caregiving and cleaning, or if anyone, including a homeowner, hires providers of such services as domestic construction and other home maintenance and repair activities, then they need to check into and implement any Cal/OSHA requirements that apply.
For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
See also:
- PEE-UW! Cal/OSHA Fines Two Plumbing Companies for Safety Violations and Worker Injury (February 28, 2025)
- Not So Safeway? Cal/OSHA Cites Supermart for Serious Hazardous Conditions in Warehouse (February 14, 2025)
- Maul Wake-Up Call: Cal/OSHA Fines LA Animal Shelter for Overcrowding, Staff Injuries (January 3, 2025)
Helena Kobrin
July 11, 2025