Elfenworks Center for Employment Justice

The Elfenworks Center for Employment Justice (ECEJ), a program of WERC, is dedicated to improving the rights of household domestic workers and caregivers in residential facilities. ECEJ provides legal representation, technical legal assistance to community-based organizations and legal advocates, and trainings for both domestic workers and caregivers.

INDIVIDIUAL REPRESENTATION

Clinic students have successfully represented individual domestic workers and caregivers, recovering minimum wage and overtime, and successfully challenging denial of meal and rest breaks.

Highlights of WERC-ECEJ's domestic worker and caregiver advocacy:

Filipino Caregivers Win Settlement Against Employers Photo by Cindy Charles

• In collaboration with the Filipino Community Center and National Alliance for Filipino Concerns in Northern California (NAFCON-NorCal), WERC won a settlement for Victoria Aquino and Lourdes Torres, two caregivers who worked in a group home. They worked alone, on 24 hour shifts, caring for six elderly patients. They will be paid over $70,000 in unpaid wages and penalties. This case marks a major victory for workers' rights in the growing caregiver industry.

• WERC-ECEJ students successfully settled wage and hour claims on behalf of four Filipino caregivers who worked at a group facility in Sonoma County. The caregivers came to WERC-ECEJ for representation, after working 16-17 hours a day but being paid for only 8 hours of work.

• In collaboration with the Filipino Community Center, WERC-ECEJ won a $90,000 back wage settlement for group home caregiver Nelly Gonzales who worked alone, seven days a week, caring for six elderly patients.

• A home care agency ordered to pay $31,568.83 in back wages and penalties, along with $22,250 in penalties to the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement to a live-in personal attendant. Because the caregiver had to be available to work at any time during her round-the-clock shift, she was entitled to 24 hours of pay even if not required to work each and every hour. Read the Hearing Officer and final agency decisions here.

Technical Assistance/Education

WERC-ECEJ has developed an expertise in the complex laws governing domestic workers and caregivers. ECEJ has provided technical assistance to numerous community-based organizations and legal advocates throughout California. If you need assistance, please contact the Clinic.

ECEJ provides community education and worker trainings on the rights of domestic workers and caregivers. To schedule a training, please contact the Clinic.

Please support WERC-ECEJ by donating here.