Domestic Worker Contract (Pakistan)

A Domestic Worker Contract in Pakistan defines what each party must do under the deal and the consequences of failing to perform.

The Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019, enacted by the Punjab Assembly and administered by the Punjab Labour Department, is the most thorough provincial domestic worker statute in Pakistan. Section 3 of the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 requires every employer of a domestic worker to register with the Labour Department within 30 days of employing the domestic worker, providing details of the worker's identity, wages, and duties. Section 5 specifies minimum entitlements: a rest period of at least 8 consecutive hours per day; a weekly rest day of at least one day; paid annual leave of 14 days after 12 months of continuous employment; sick leave of 10 days per year with half pay; and maternity leave of 12 weeks for female domestic workers under the Maternity Benefits Act 1958 (applicable in Punjab) and the Sindh Maternity Benefits Act 2018 (in Sindh).

The Sindh Domestic Workers Act 2018, enacted by the Sindh Assembly and administered by the Sindh Labour Department, provides similar minimum protections. Section 7 of the Sindh Domestic Workers Act 2018 requires a written contract of employment to be provided to the domestic worker within 30 days of commencement of employment. The Sindh Act also establishes the Sindh Domestic Workers Registration Authority (SDWRA) to maintain a registry of domestic workers in the province.

Prior to the enactment of provincial domestic worker legislation, domestic workers in Pakistan were entirely outside the formal labour law framework — the Industrial Relations Act 2012, the Factories Act 1934, the Employment of Children Act 1991, and the Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) Ordinance 1968 all excluded domestic workers from their coverage. The provincial domestic worker statutes have brought millions of domestic workers — the majority of whom are women, children (regulated separately under the Employment of Children Act 1991 which prohibits employment of children under 14 in domestic service), and internal migrants from rural areas — within the protection of minimum labour standards for the first time.

The Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) Human Trafficking Wing and the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) monitor compliance with domestic worker protections, particularly the prohibition on child domestic labour under the Employment of Children Act 1991 (Section 3) and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992, which prohibits the system of peshgi (advance payment binding a worker to service) that has historically been used to exploit domestic workers in Pakistan.

For domestic workers employed through domestic staffing agencies — a growing sector in major Pakistani cities including Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad — the agency acts as an intermediary and may have tri-party agreements covering the household employer, the agency, and the domestic worker. The standard agency commission ranges from one to two months' salary of the domestic worker.

A Domestic Worker Contract in Pakistan is required whenever a household employer engages a domestic worker — whether a cook, housekeeper, driver, nanny, gardener, or security guard — to perform services in a private home on a paid, ongoing basis.

A Domestic Worker Contract is needed when a family in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, or any other Pakistani city employs a live-in domestic worker who resides in the employer's home. A written contract for live-in domestic workers is particularly important because the employment relationship involves accommodation and meals in addition to wages, and the terms of accommodation (who pays utility bills, what privacy is afforded, and whether accommodation is deducted from wages) must be clearly documented to avoid disputes.

A Domestic Worker Contract is required when a household employs a live-out domestic worker who commutes to the household for work — such as a daily cleaning assistant or part-time cook. Even for part-time domestic workers, the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 requires registration and a written agreement if the worker is employed for more than a specified minimum number of hours per week.

A Domestic Worker Contract is needed when a family employs a foreign domestic worker — for example, a domestic helper from Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or another country working in Pakistan on a valid work visa. Foreign domestic workers are entitled to the same protections as Pakistani domestic workers under provincial legislation, and the employment contract must comply with the sending country's requirements (e.g. the Overseas Employment Corporation's standard contract for Filipino workers) in addition to Pakistani provincial law.

A Domestic Worker Contract is required when a domestic worker is employed to provide childcare (ayah or nanny) or eldercare services. Childcare workers have responsibilities that create additional liability considerations — a clear contract specifying the duties of care, the employer's expectations regarding the worker's conduct with children, and the employer's obligations regarding the worker's own welfare and safety is essential.

A Domestic Worker Contract is needed when a domestic staffing agency places a worker with a household employer — the tri-party arrangement must be documented to make clear whether the agency or the household employer is the legal employer responsible for wages, EOBI contributions under the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Act 1976, and compliance with provincial domestic worker legislation.

A valid Domestic Worker Contract in Pakistan under the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019, the Sindh Domestic Workers Act 2018, and applicable provincial legislation must contain the following essential elements to be legally compliant and to protect both the employer and the domestic worker.

Parties Identification: Full legal names and CNIC numbers (13-digit NADRA format) of both the household employer and the domestic worker. For live-in workers, the employer's residential address (place of employment) must be stated. For foreign domestic workers, the worker's passport number, nationality, country of origin, and work visa details must be recorded. The Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 requires the employer to register with the Labour Department using these particulars within 30 days of employment.

Job Description and Duties: A clear description of the domestic worker's specific duties — whether cooking, cleaning, childcare, eldercare, driving, gardening, security, or a combination — and the location(s) where the duties will be performed. The contract must not require the domestic worker to perform duties fundamentally different from those described without the worker's agreement, and must not require duties that are unsafe or illegal.

Working Hours and Rest Periods: The daily working hours (maximum 8 hours per day under the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 for residential domestic workers), the start and end times, the rest break entitlements, and the weekly rest day. For live-in workers, the distinction between working time and the worker's personal time must be clearly stated to prevent the expectation of 24-hour availability that constitutes exploitation.

Wages and Payment Terms: The agreed monthly salary in Pakistani Rupees (PKR), the payment date (must be within 7 days of the end of each calendar month under the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 to comply with minimum wage and timely payment requirements), and any additional allowances including accommodation allowance, food allowance, or transport allowance. The provincial minimum wage applicable to domestic workers — set by the provincial Minimum Wages Board — must be complied with; employers cannot pay domestic workers below the notified minimum wage.

Leave Entitlements: Annual leave (minimum 14 days with pay after 12 months under the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019), sick leave (minimum 10 days per year with half pay), and public holidays as notified by the provincial government. For female domestic workers, maternity leave (12 weeks under the Maternity Benefits Act 1958 applicable in Punjab and Sindh) must be stated.

Accommodation and Food: For live-in domestic workers, a description of the accommodation provided (room, sharing arrangements, access to bathroom facilities), whether food is provided by the employer or whether a food allowance is paid in lieu, and which utility costs (electricity, gas, water) are covered by the employer. The value of accommodation and food must not be counted against the cash wage to bring it below the minimum wage threshold.

Termination and Notice: The notice period required for termination by either party — the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 requires a minimum of one month's notice or one month's wages in lieu of notice for termination by the employer. Summary dismissal without notice is only permissible for serious misconduct. The domestic worker must also give one month's notice before resigning. The contract should state the process for issuing a service certificate (employment reference letter) to the domestic worker upon termination.

Forms-legal.com provides this Domestic Worker Contract (Pakistan) template as a practical starting point for household employers. Employers in Punjab should register with the Punjab Labour Department's Domestic Workers Registration portal and confirm their contract meets the minimum standards prescribed by the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019. Employers in Sindh should comply with the Sindh Domestic Workers Act 2018 and register with the Sindh Domestic Workers Registration Authority (SDWRA).