1. It is unwise to give a domestic worker a weekly day off - she may run away or get pregnant.

FALSE
- Domestic workers have a vested interest in keeping their jobs and most will avoid trouble.

- Every person needs a full day of rest. How would you feel if you could never leave your workplace, spend time with friends, and speak your language?

More information about the practice of employers prohibiting domestic workers from taking a weekly rest day.

2. Employers should pay domestic workers in full each month.

TRUE
- Domestic workers are in Lebanon because their families are in dire need of money. What would you do if your boss made you work for months without pay?

- An employer who cannot afford to pay a domestic worker each month should not hire one.

More information about how employers often deduct money from a worker’s wages for small "mistakes" in her work or delay payment for months at a time.

3. Keeping the passport of a domestic worker is a legal measure to prevent her from running away.

FALSE
- A passport is the legal property of the country issuing it and the person to whom it belongs.

- Respecting a domestic worker's right to hold her own passport shows trust and builds a positive working relationship.

More information about how many employers take migrant domestic workers’ passports, making it difficult for them to escape abusive conditions and exposing them to immigration penalties if caught without documents.

4. Slapping a domestic worker is not a good approach towards improving her work.

TRUE
- Slapping - light or hard - is hurtful, humiliating, and a form of domestic violence.

- A domestic worker does not need to be "disciplined." You too could have broken that plate or let the laundry out in the rain. It is a worker's right to learn with dignity and respect

More information about physical abuse against domestic workers.

5. Calling a domestic worker names is not abuse, since it is something we all do in our daily lives.

FALSE
- Calling somebody names such as "donkey" or "idiot" can be as painful as physical abuse. A few nice words can go a long way towards making a domestic worker happier and contribute to a more productive working relationship.

- Just as you are trying to adjust to a live-in domestic worker, she is also trying her best to accommodate to a new culture and many work demands.

More information about psychological and verbal abuse against domestic workers.

6. Eating a varied diet and a sufficient amount of food keeps a domestic worker healthier.

TRUE
- Employers should provide domestic workers with nutritious and adequate amounts of food each day.

- Some migrants prefer to eat food to which they are accustomed. Some of this can be shared and you will enjoy tasting new types of food!

More information about denial of food to domestic workers.

7. It is okay to lock a domestic worker in the house for her own safety.

FALSE
- Locking up a domestic worker puts her in danger and violates her right to move around freely.

- If you are afraid that she might open the door to strangers, you can solve this through simple communication.

More information about employers restricting domestic workers’ freedom of movement and physically confining them at home.