The investigation shows that these women are severely exploited. The wages they receive are far below the Belgian minimum wage, if they are paid at all. It is also common for the women to work long hours with far too little rest. There are also cases of outright harassment by the entrepreneurs behind the company.
The investigation also reveals how the owners manage to largely evade supervision and legal liability by splitting their business across national borders into several legal entities.
Finally, the journalists note that while this type of care is particularly popular with the elderly and has the potential to be a win-win situation for both clients and carers, there is a lack of an appropriate legal framework with adequate safeguards to protect the rights of the carers themselves.
The research received a lot of attention and inspired parliamentary questions in both the Flemish and Dutch parliaments.
This project (VTM) has been nominated for the Belfius Prize 2019.
