The Atlantic

When Will the Economy Start Caring About Home-Care Work?

One of the fastest-growing occupations has meager pay and benefits—a problem that might become more urgent as the population continues to age.
Source: Joe Raedle / Getty

For six weeks, LaTanya Thomas, a personal-care assistant in Minneapolis, worked without pay, helping to clean, dress, and feed her client. She and her colleagues asked their boss where their paychecks were. They spoke with the bank. They accepted five- or 10-dollar bills as a little something to tide them over, she said, rolling their eyes when their boss promised that their checks would be cleared by Monday and when she told them to go sign up for food stamps. They threatened to quit.. (Its lawyers did not respond to requests for comment.)

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