Beyond Decriminalization: Sex-work, Human Rights and a New ...

PIVOT LEGAL SOCIETY84A. I think that it would be good to work for somebody, who is a good employer, whohas health issues, all the proper things and security for the girls that are workingfor them. I think that it would be good to work for somebody that has – that wouldprotect them.Q. What are some of the qualities that you would look for in an employer?A. They’re caring about health issues, about security. And the conditions of where youare working. And, understanding.A. Yeah, I would – I would like to add. If I had the option of being by myself, which isgood but if you worked for an employer they might have things like CCP and pensionplans. God knows we’ve never had a pension plan, things like CCP . . . .Q. So what are – what do you think some of the conditions, you would look for, beforeaccepting to work for someone else?A. . . . how much money that you are going to make.A. I would make sure that I was in a place that was, like, clean, and that it was licensedbefore jumping up and going ahead and being employed by them.- female street-level sex workersSome sex workers felt that working for an employer would be beneficial if it meant that workers wereprovided access to benefits:A. Yeah I would pay into [benefits] . . . that’s the only reason that I would go to a houseversus working by myself would be to get that kind of protection, would be to get apension. You have to pull into account, hey they want this legalized, they wanna helpus out, they want to make this a legal thing? The government wants a piece of thepie? Fine. Tax us. Pension us. Everything else like a regular job . . . . It also gives youmaternity leave, it also gives you paid leave, workers’ compensation, in case you gethurt on the job.- female off-street out-call sex workerSeveral sex workers felt that working in a larger business with other employees would create asituation where a variety of services could be offered without each worker having to provide everytype of service.Some sex workers stated that they would only work for an employer if the workers were able tomaintain control over how they conducted business:Q. Yeah. Okay. So, if you would work for an employer, like, we’re trying to think ofan ideal world where the criminal laws are repealed. So if you would work for anemployer, under what conditions would you do that or would you not do that nomatter what the conditions were? Or what sort of qualities would you want in anemployer?A. I think that basically want to, you know, be able to control how I conduct my business.I don’t want to be told I have to pay all sorts of money to work there. I don’t mind to,you know, pay a certain fee for the room rental, whatever, as long as it’s not, you know,astronomical. I don’t want to have to perform sexual services for the owner becausefrequently in a lot of places, that’s what they do. You can’t get a job there unless you dothem. What else? You know, you can pick and choose your time and hours of when youwant, you can do your own advertising, you can basically set up your own client baseand if they’re portable, you can take them with you, have your own cell phone, makeyour own arrangements. Basically I guess it would be a space to use, a safe space touse. Somebody might be on the premises that would just sort of be there for your safety