Navigating Precarity: Focus on Paid Domestic Cleaning Workers’ Trajectories

Speaker: André Borges - PhD Candidate at the Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

After studying political science and psychology, André Borges obtained a master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of Lausanne. Through his training and practice, he had the opportunity to work as a career counselor for young and adult clients. His doctoral project (from 2021 to 2026) studies the precarious work experiences and trajectories of paid domestic cleaning workers in Switzerland. In addition, he is involved in research projects and associated activities about the topics of precarity, dignity at work, school-to-work transitions, involuntary career changes, and people whose careers are subject to vulnerabilities.

This research presentation will include an overview of a doctoral project investigating precarious work in the Swiss context, with a particular emphasis on paid domestic cleaning workers. It will explore the career development and decisional strategies utilized by the participant group, who have encountered persistent precarity and social inequalities throughout their working lives. Findings highlight how participants chose paid domestic cleaning by prioritizing survival, weighing available options, and postponing career aspirations.

André’s trip to Manchester is funded through the EU-funded COST Action ‘Critical Perspectives on Career and Career Guidance’, and he is happy to discuss opportunities that the audience might be interested in about this unique research and knowledge exchange scheme. https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23112/#tabs+Name:Description

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/andré-borges-83633b351

Host or Publisher Decent Work & Productivity