Karnataka moves to formalize domestic work with mandatory contracts and registration

A new draft Bill seeks to regulate Bengaluru’s largely informal domestic workforce by introducing written contracts, compulsory registration and structured benefits.

The Karnataka government is preparing for a major shift in how domestic workers are employed and protected, with its new Draft Domestic Workers Bill aiming to bring an informal, largely unregulated sector under formal oversight. Bengaluru, where thousands of households rely on maids, cooks, drivers and gardeners, is expected to see the biggest impact.

At present, hiring happens almost entirely outside formal channels. In apartment complexes, residents share vacancy messages on WhatsApp groups, while domestic workers often arrive with their friends for informal interviews. Wage negotiations can get heated, and background checks usually depend on word-of-mouth reviews or apartment management apps. The new draft Bill seeks to replace this informal ecosystem with a structured framework.

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Under the proposal, every employer will be required to sign a written employment contract with the domestic worker. The document must clearly outline work hours, job responsibilities, leave eligibility and welfare benefits. Both the household and the worker must register with the Labour Department within 30 days of hiring, with a dedicated digital portal planned to streamline the process.

Labour officials and worker unions view registration as the keystone of the reform. Accurate records, they say, will help the government deliver welfare schemes more efficiently. According to the Labour Department, nearly 60-70% of domestic workers in urban Karnataka have already been identified through preliminary surveys, and plans are under way to build an app that will give workers direct access to welfare services.

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The draft also specifies minimum wage standards for 2025, placing kitchen-related work at ₹20,112.75 per month (₹773.57 per day) and other household tasks, including cleaning, washing and childcare, at ₹18,209.42 per month (₹700.36 per day). The Bill caps the work week at 48 hours, ensures weekly offs, and allows wages for short-duration work to be derived proportionately. For instance, one hour of kitchen work per day would translate to roughly ₹2,500 per month. The government is also proposing overtime pay, annual paid leave, maternity benefits and access to social security schemes.

The section on penalties, however, has drawn mixed reactions from the public. Employing a domestic worker without a written contract could lead to up to three months’ imprisonment and a fine for first-time violations. Several residents fear that such penalties may discourage households from hiring workers, undermining the Bill’s welfare intent. Authorities maintain that the enforcement framework is designed only to curb unfair practices, not harass law-abiding employers.