Domestic Worker Contract Chile (Casa Particular)

A Domestic Worker Contract Chile (Contrato de Trabajo Casa Particular) is a formal employment agreement governed by Código del Trabajo Articles 146–152 (DFL No. 1/2003) that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for workers who perform household services for a natural person or family within a private home. The Código del Trabajo defines trabajadores de casa particular as those who perform domestic tasks in a private household, including nannies (nanas), cooks (cocineras), cleaning staff (asesoras del hogar), gardeners (jardineros), chauffeurs (choferes particulares), and caregivers for children or elderly persons (cuidadores).

Article 146 of the Código del Trabajo classifies domestic workers as a distinct employment category subject to special rules in Title II of Book I, which modify the general employment provisions. Despite this special classification, domestic workers have full constitutional labor rights guaranteed by Article 19 No. 16 of the Constitución Política de la República and are entitled to mandatory social security coverage — AFP pension contributions under DL 3.500, FONASA or ISAPRE health contributions under Ley 18.469 and Ley 18.933, unemployment insurance (Seguro de Cesantía AFC) under Ley 19.728, and occupational accident and disease insurance under Ley 16.744 administered by mutual associations (mutualidades) such as ACHS, IST, and Mutual de Seguridad.

The Dirección del Trabajo (DT) supervises compliance with domestic worker employment rules through its regional Inspecciones del Trabajo, and employers who fail to register domestic workers in the social security system face penalties under Article 477 of the Código del Trabajo and administrative fines imposed by the DT. The Subsecretaría de Previsión Social and the Superintendencia de Seguridad Social (SUSESO) provide oversight for pension and health contributions respectively.

Chilean law distinguishes two regimes for domestic workers based on residence arrangements. Trabajadores puertas adentro (live-in workers) reside in the employer's home and are subject to a maximum workday of 12 hours with a mandatory rest period of at least 1 hour per day under Article 149. Trabajadores puertas afuera (live-out workers) commute to the employer's home daily and are subject to the general maximum workday of 45 hours per week distributed across no more than 6 days under Article 28 of the Código del Trabajo, reduced to 40 hours per week from April 2024 under Ley 21.561.

The minimum wage (ingreso mínimo mensual) for domestic workers is set by Ley de Reajuste del Ingreso Mínimo, currently CLP 500,000 per month (2024), and employers must pay at least this amount regardless of the nature of household tasks performed. Article 151 of the Código del Trabajo grants domestic workers the right to an annual paid vacation (feriado anual) of 15 working days after one year of continuous service — the same as general workers. The right to gratificación legal under Articles 47–52 of the Código del Trabajo applies if the employer is an enterprise with commercial or industrial activities, but most household employers are not subject to the gratificación obligation.

The contract must be written in duplicate (one copy for the employer and one for the worker) and registered with the Dirección del Trabajo within 15 days of the start of employment under Article 9 of the Código del Trabajo. The Dirección del Trabajo provides free contract registration through its online portal (www.dt.gob.cl), and failure to formalize the contract within this period creates a legal presumption that the contract terms are those declared by the worker, per Article 9 inciso 3.

A Domestic Worker Contract Chile is required whenever a person or family employs household staff for domestic tasks in a private residence, regardless of whether the arrangement is full-time, part-time, live-in, or live-out.

The contract is needed when hiring a nanny (nana) or childcare provider to care for children in the home. Article 146 of the Código del Trabajo applies from the first day of service, and the contract must be formalized within 15 days under Article 9 to avoid the legal presumption of terms favorable to the worker.

The document is required when employing a cleaning assistant (asesora del hogar) for regular housework, whether the worker visits one or multiple days per week. Even part-time domestic workers with reduced hours are entitled to proportional remuneration and social security contributions under the special rules of Articles 146–152.

A Domestic Worker Contract is needed when engaging a live-in cook (cocinera puertas adentro) who resides on the employer's premises. The contract must specify the live-in regime, the applicable 12-hour maximum workday under Article 149, the mandatory rest day schedule, and provisions for room and board which may be partially offset against remuneration under DT Ordinance No. 3.468/2016.

The contract is necessary when hiring a personal driver (chofer particular) for household transportation services. Chilean courts and the Dirección del Trabajo have consistently classified personal drivers as trabajadores de casa particular under Article 146 when their services are exclusively for a natural person or family.

The document is required when employing a caregiver (cuidador) for an elderly family member or person with disabilities in the home. The Dirección del Trabajo has issued multiple Dictámenes confirming that in-home caregivers fall under the domestic worker statutes regardless of their professional background, unless the employer is a healthcare institution subject to different rules.

Any employer of domestic workers in Chile must register contributions monthly with their AFP, FONASA/ISAPRE, and the AFC through the Previred platform. Failure to do so triggers nulidad del despido liability under Article 162 inciso 5 of the Código del Trabajo and personal liability under Article 477.

A valid Domestic Worker Contract Chile under Código del Trabajo Articles 146–152 must contain specific provisions addressing the unique characteristics of household employment.

Party Identification: Full legal name, RUT, and domicile of the employer (natural person or family representative) and the worker. The worker's cédula de identidad number (Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación), AFP affiliation, and FONASA or ISAPRE health fund must be recorded. Foreign workers must present a valid residency visa authorizing work under DL 1.094/1975 and the Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Ley 21.325/2021).

Description of Services: A clear description of the domestic tasks the worker will perform — cleaning, cooking, childcare, elder care, driving, gardening, or a combination thereof. The Dirección del Trabajo requires sufficient specificity to determine the applicable rules under Articles 146–152.

Residence Regime: Specification of whether the worker is puertas adentro (live-in, residing at the employer's home) or puertas afuera (live-out, commuting daily). This classification determines the applicable maximum workday: 12 hours for live-in workers under Article 149; 40 hours per week for live-out workers from April 2024 under Ley 21.561.

Remuneration: The agreed monthly wage, which must equal or exceed the ingreso mínimo mensual established by Ley de Reajuste del Ingreso Mínimo (CLP 500,000 in 2024). The contract must specify the payment method (bank transfer, cash, cheque) and payment date. For live-in workers, Article 151 allows room and board to be valued and acknowledged but not deducted below the legal minimum wage.

Work Schedule: Daily start and end times, weekly rest day (descanso semanal) as required by Article 150 — live-in workers are entitled to one full day off per week plus one half-day, or two consecutive days off per two-week period. Under Article 150, the weekly rest day for live-in workers cannot be denied even when work is interrupted.

Annual Leave: Confirmation of the right to 15 working days of paid annual vacation (feriado anual) after one year of continuous employment under Article 151, consistent with Article 67 of the Código del Trabajo applicable to all workers.

Social Security Obligations: Employer's obligation to register the worker and pay monthly AFP pension contributions (DL 3.500), FONASA or ISAPRE health contributions (Ley 18.469/Ley 18.933), AFC Seguro de Cesantía contributions (Ley 19.728), and occupational accident insurance premiums (Ley 16.744) through Previred. The AFP contribution rate is 10% of taxable remuneration for the worker's account plus employer commission.

Notice and Termination: Provisions for termination under the applicable Código del Trabajo rules — Article 159 (mutual agreement, resignation, expiry of fixed term), Article 160 (dismissal for cause), or Article 161 (employer necessity or desahucio). Article 161 entitles the worker to indemnización por años de servicio (one month per year under Article 163) and indemnización sustitutiva del aviso previo (one additional month under Article 162).

Live-in Accommodations: For puertas adentro workers, the contract should describe or reference the accommodation provided — a private room with adequate ventilation and lock under hygiene regulations enforced by the Ministerio de Salud and Dirección del Trabajo.

Forms-legal.com provides this Domestic Worker Contract Chile template as a reference for household employers and workers. Each contract should be reviewed by a licensed Abogado and registered with the Dirección del Trabajo within 15 days of the start of services under Article 9 of the Código del Trabajo. Los usuarios de forms-legal.com pueden descargar este documento de forma gratuita en formato PDF o DOCX, completar los campos del formulario guiado y obtener un documento listo para firma.