The article discusses the exploitation faced by a Filipino woman who came to San Jose in 2016 as a caretaker, forced to work without pay and facing abuse. She represents countless others in residential care facilities across Santa Clara County, where a 2021 study found significant wage theft affecting thousands of workers. In response, the county is moving to prosecute negligent homeowners and has established an advisory council to ensure better working conditions and accountability in the industry.
"I (didn't) know where to go and who to ask (for help)," she told the San José Spotlight. "He (took) advantage of me."
"We think it's really important to have an advisory council with oversight," said lawyer and San José Spotlight columnist Ruth Silver-Taube.
"(Workers) can bring problems (to the advisory council), and they can brainstorm with stakeholders about how to make the care homes more responsive."
A 2021 Santa Clara County Wage Theft Coalition study revealed 1,628 wage theft cases in the county's residential care industry affecting 3,474 employees.
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