+
 
For the best experience, open
m.thewire.in
on your mobile browser or Download our App.

Domestic Workers Already Face Wage Insecurity, Gigification Could Make It Worse

labour
Far from improving their working conditions, Urban company's Insta Help could further marginalise an already vulnerable workforce.
Domestic workers are organising themselves. Credit: National Platform for Domestic Workers Flickr/IDWF CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Support Free & Independent Journalism

Good afternoon, we need your help!

Since 2015, The Wire has fearlessly delivered independent journalism, holding truth to power.

Despite lawsuits and intimidation tactics, we persist with your support. Contribute as little as ₹ 200 a month and become a champion of free press in India.

Last month, Urban Company introduced ‘Insta Maid’, later renamed to Insta Help, a new service that provides domestic help on their platform.

In urban India, the concept of hiring domestic workers is not new. Official statistics report 4.75 million domestic workers in India but estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO) suggest that the number could be between 20-80 million. Despite their large presence, domestic workers have been excluded from basic social protection. 

With the launch of Urban Company’s new service, questions have arisen on whether it will improve their working conditions or if it will further marginalise an already vulnerable workforce.

Legal ramifications and wages

Insta Help threatens wage security of domestic workers. The platform advertises a rate of Rs 49 per hour, significantly lower than the wages domestic workers typically negotiate through informal networks.

In many areas, domestic workers collectively determine task-based wages, ensuring that no one works below a certain rate. While they may not have formal unions, these informal networks offer a degree of wage protection. By bypassing this system, Insta Help risks undermining local bargaining power.

Legally, India lacks a country-wide law which sets minimum wages for domestic workers, although the states of Andhra Pradesh,  Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Rajasthan, Haryana,  Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Tripura have included domestic workers under their respective Minimum Wages Acts. If Insta-Help operates in these states, legal challenges may arise over its wage structure. This may be one of the reasons why the service was rebranded as Insta Help.

Caste, class and gender dynamics in domestic work

Domestic work in India has long been shaped by caste and class hierarchies. Since this work takes place in private homes, everyday interactions between domestic workers and their employers often reflect caste and religious discrimination. The employer-employee relationship is not a professional one; it is deeply unequal and largely controlled by the employer.

This dynamic can range from acts of kindness, like financial help in times of need, to discriminatory practices such as maintaining separate utensils for domestic workers or not allowing them sit on the house furniture.While platform-based services promise efficiency, they risk embedding these biases into a modern, digital model rather than dismantling them.

Moreover, hiring through digital platforms introduces new forms of exclusion. Unlike traditional domestic work, where hiring is based on word-of-mouth and social networks, platforms often impose selection criteria such as English proficiency or professional etiquette. This could exclude many existing workers while favouring second-generation domestic workers with some formal education.

The platform’s training may rebrand domestic work as a professional service, similar to hotel housekeeping, creating a misleading image that these workers are not “unprofessional maids” but rather skilled professionals like butlers or hospitality staff. While this may boost workers’ confidence and sense of dignity during training, it comes at the cost of fair wages and social protection.

Challenging the stigma around domestic work is essential, but without improving wages or job security, the real beneficiary is the platform, not the workers.

Gender dynamics are also at play. Insta Help seems to be hiring women for domestic tasks, while men are typically recruited for higher-paying, machinery-based jobs like deep cleaning. Though the aim of the task is similar, there is a difference in gender and pay. If this division continues, the platform may reinforce existing wage disparities between men and women.

Future implications

Given Urban Company’s existing pricing models, Insta Help may eventually transition into a subscription-based service. While this could provide more consistent work for some, it may also erode domestic workers’ bargaining power, making them replaceable at lower wages. Labour unions have long fought for fair wages and social security for domestic workers, and a low-cost, on-demand model could undermine these efforts.

In Delhi and other urban centres, domestic workers have fought for recognition, fair wages, and dignity in their work which can only be achieved through a comprehensive legislation. 

A 2019 draft National Policy for Domestic workers by the Ministry of Labour and Employment remains pending but gigification of domestic work without protective measures risks undoing years of advocacy.

The way forward

There is nothing inherently wrong with using technology to streamline employment. However, this must be done with safeguards in place to ensure fair wages, social protection and safe workplaces.

A critical step forward would be the release of a database of the number of domestic workers in our country and their working conditions. This survey was undertaken by the labour bureau and a report is due. This data could be valuable in drafting social protections for domestic workers with sound information.

If Urban Company truly seeks to transform domestic work, it must go beyond efficiency and cost-cutting. Ethical labour practices, wage security and anti-discrimination measures should be central to any such initiative. Otherwise, Insta Help will not empower domestic workers but merely digitise old hierarchies. As the platform rolls out the service, the real test will be whether it uplifts workers or deepens their economic vulnerabilities.

Shipra is a research analyst at ISST. Harshil Sharma holds a PhD in Labour Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

facebook twitter