UN Calls NYC Home Care Workers' 24-Hour Shifts Forced Labor
Elderly immigrant women in New York City have worked 24-hour shifts for years — lifting patients, losing sleep, and suffering permanent injuries. When lawmakers refused to act, these workers turned to the United Nations. Now the UN is calling their working conditions a possible form of forced labor.
UN Sends Formal Letter to the US Government
On April 22, 2026, the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls sent a formal letter to the US Department of State. The letter urged the federal government to eliminate 24-hour home care shifts in New York City. The UN said these shifts show "several indicators of forced labour" and may violate international human rights law.
The letter pointed to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) — a set of international rules endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011. Under these rules, countries must protect people inside their borders from human rights abuses by businesses. The UN said the US is also a party to several international treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention. The letter reminded the US of its obligations under these agreements.
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Years of Struggle, a Hunger Strike, and a Stalled Bill
Immigrant women home care workers have been fighting to pass the "No More 24 Act" since at least 2020. In December 2025, City Council member Christopher Marte introduced a city-level version of the bill. It would have split overnight shifts into two separate shifts and capped total weekly hours at 56. But the bill stalled in the city council in April 2026 after opposition from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Governor Kathy Hochul, and a coalition of labor unions and disability advocates. More than a dozen elderly immigrant workers launched a week-long hunger strike to force a vote. The strike ended without the bill passing.
One worker named in the UN letter, Lai Yee Chan, 71, worked 24-hour shifts for over 20 years. She says she developed severe insomnia and permanent arm and shoulder injuries from lifting patients. "Many of us home care worker sisters are very happy that the UN has heard our call," she said in a statement. The UN letter was written together with four other independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. It was made public 60 days after it was sent. As of the time of publication, neither the UN nor the US Department of State responded to requests for comment.
What to Do
- If you are a home care worker and believe your employer is violating your labor rights — including wage theft or forcing you to work unsafe hours — you can file a complaint with the New York State Department of Labor. Lawyers recommend documenting your hours and any injuries in writing.
- If you have faced retaliation from your employer for speaking up about working conditions, immigration lawyers note that certain visa protections and labor laws may apply to you regardless of your immigration status. In these situations, people usually consult both a labor attorney and an immigration attorney.
- If you are an immigrant worker and are worried that reporting labor violations could affect your immigration case, lawyers recommend speaking with an immigration attorney before contacting any government agency.
- To support or follow the No More 24 Act campaign, you can contact local advocacy groups such as the Ain't I a Woman?! Campaign or the National Mobilization Against Sweatshops.
Fishkin Law Firm, New York
Immigrant workers in the US have labor rights regardless of their immigration status — that includes the right to be paid for all hours worked and protection from retaliation for reporting violations. If your employer is forcing you to work unsafe hours or stealing your wages, you can file a complaint with the New York State Department of Labor without triggering an immigration investigation. That said, if you are in removal proceedings (the formal process to deport someone) or have an open immigration case, you should speak with an immigration attorney before taking any formal legal steps.