Someone in servitude feels they cannot stop working or leave their place of work. Their freedom is very restricted. For example, they may be told when they can eat, sleep and shower. They may be told who they can see and talk to.
Servitude can happen in any type of job. It could be in building, farming, manufacturing, cleaning, retail, hospitality, a family business or an office.
Someone can be in domestic servitude in a home (for example, as a housekeeper, nanny or au pair). They may be made to cook, clean and care for others, including children, without ever getting a break. They may think they can’t leave.
Servitude can also include sexual servitude, and may take place in a brothel.
Someone can be in servitude even if escape is physically possible.
What servitude looks like
In addition to general warning signs of modern slavery, there are other signs that someone might be in domestic or sexual servitude:
Servitude, including domestic servitude
Living conditions
Someone in domestic servitude may:
- live with a family
- not eat with the family
- have no private space
- sleep in a shared or inappropriate space
- have few or no personal possessions or inappropriate clothing for the environment.
Control and isolation
They may:
- never or rarely leave the house for social reasons
- never leave the house without their employer or guardian
- be nervous about speaking with people outside the household
- be made to do free or low-paid domestic or other labour.
Abuse
They may:
- experience insults, abuse, threats or violence
- show signs of domestic or family violence
- make excuses for their physical injuries
- have experienced sexual assault with a partner or others
- be forced to take drugs or alcohol to allow for greater control.
Sexual servitude
Restricted movement and control
Someone in sexual servitude may:
- be moved from one brothel to the next or work in various locations
- be escorted to and from work and other activities
- sleep where they work
- live or travel in a group, sometimes with other women who do not speak the same language
- be with groups of women who are under the control of others.
Exploitation and abuse
They may:
- be unable to refuse unprotected and/or violent sex
- have injuries from unprotected and/or violent sex
- show evidence they have been bought and sold
- be coerced into decisions regarding their sexual or reproductive health, such as undergoing an abortion.
Financial and personal restrictions
Someone in sexual servitude may:
- have no cash of their own or control of their wages
- have very few items of clothing or not own ‘seasonal’ clothing
- appear in advertisements for brothels or similar places offering the services of women from a particular ethnicity or nationality. They may provide services to customers of a particular ethnicity or nationality.
Servitude is a serious crime
In Australia, it is against the law to force someone to work and deny other personal freedoms.
Under Australia’s Criminal Code, the penalty for servitude includes jail for up to 20 years.
Case study: Servitude in a home
Adeline was 27 and came to Australia to work as a cleaner. She was recruited through an overseas agency and was offered a job as a cleaner in someone’s home. She was told she would be making good money.
Adeline did not speak English and had never been to Australia before.
Her new boss met her at the airport in Australia.
Soon after, her boss took away her passport. Adeline worked very long hours, 7 days a week. She never had time off. She was expected to cook, clean and look after her boss’s grandchildren without pay.
She was not allowed to leave the house. Her boss said she would get into trouble with the police because her passport had expired and she was not allowed to work on her visa.
Adeline was not allowed to see a doctor or dentist, even when she was sick. She did not have a phone. And her boss controlled her contact with her family.
She was not paid for any of this work. Her boss said she had to work to repay the debt she owed him for bringing her to Australia.
Eventually, Adeline managed to leave the house and contact the police. She received casework, financial support and help accessing accommodation and counselling under the Support for Trafficked People program.
Watch the Australian Red Cross’ video on domestic servitude, a form of modern slavery that happens in Australia. The video is available in English, Dari and Hindi.
Find out more about how to get help for yourself, support someone else or report suspected modern slavery.
Need urgent help? If you or someone you know is not safe, or it is an emergency, phone Triple Zero (000) and ask to speak to the police. You can ask for an interpreter if you need one.
Poor working conditions and underpayment are serious, even if they are not servitude or another type of modern slavery. Find out more about workplace rights on the Australian Government Fair Work Ombudsman website.
You can find more information, including information specifically for migrant workers, at the Australian Red Cross' Work Right Hub or by emailing national_stpp@redcross.org.au for help. You can also search the Work Right Hub’s National services directory.