TY - JOUR
T1 - Picture This
T2 - Social Distance and the Mistreatment of Migrant Workers
AU - Barsbai, Toman
AU - Bartos, Vojtech
AU - Licuanan, Victoria
AU - Steinmayr, Andreas
AU - Tiongson, Erwin
AU - Yang, Dean
N1 - This paper was accepted on 8 May 2024. We thank Anna Jennifer Umlas for excellent project management and Jakob Beuschlein and Yasar Ersan for superb research assistance
PY - 2024/5/8
Y1 - 2024/5/8
N2 - We experimentally study an intervention to reduce mistreatment of Filipino overseas domestic workers (DWs) by their employers. Encouraging DWs to show their employers a family photo while providing a small gift when starting employment reduced DW mistreatment, increased their job satisfaction, and increased the likelihood of contract extension. While generally unaware of the intervention, treated DWs’ families who remained in the Philippines came to view international labor migration more positively. An online experiment with potential employers suggests that the effect operates through a reduction in employers’ perceived social distance from their employees.
AB - We experimentally study an intervention to reduce mistreatment of Filipino overseas domestic workers (DWs) by their employers. Encouraging DWs to show their employers a family photo while providing a small gift when starting employment reduced DW mistreatment, increased their job satisfaction, and increased the likelihood of contract extension. While generally unaware of the intervention, treated DWs’ families who remained in the Philippines came to view international labor migration more positively. An online experiment with potential employers suggests that the effect operates through a reduction in employers’ perceived social distance from their employees.
U2 - 10.2139/ssrn.4316004
DO - 10.2139/ssrn.4316004
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
JO - Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics
JF - Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics
ER -