Bengaluru (Karnataka): The Karnataka Labour Department has prepared the Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Draft Bill, aiming to regulate domestic employment, ensure minimum wages, and safeguard workers’ rights across the state. The draft bill, published on Wednesday, prohibits employment of domestic workers without a written agreement and provides citizens a month to give suggestions or raise objections.

Key provisions of the draft bill

The draft bill lays down detailed guidelines to formalise domestic work in Karnataka:

  • Written agreements mandatory: No domestic worker shall be employed without a formal agreement specifying the worker’s name, nature of work, hours, wages, benefits, welfare fees, and other contributions. The agreement must adhere to minimum labour standards outlined in the model employment agreement.
  • Working hours and leave: Overall working hours cannot exceed 48 hours per week, with one full day holiday or two half-day holidays allowed weekly. Workers are entitled to reasonable working hours, rest periods, annual paid leave, and maternity benefits.
  • Minimum wages: The state government will fix and periodically revise the minimum rate of wages, ensuring no discrimination between men, women, or adolescent workers.
  • Registration: Domestic workers, employers, and service providers—including placement agencies and digital platforms—must register. Illiterate and migrant workers must be registered within one month of commencing employment. Employers must register within one month of hiring a worker, while service providers must register within a month of the Act’s commencement. Workers must notify authorities of employment changes or migration within 30 days.

Social Security and Welfare Board

The bill proposes the creation of the Karnataka State Domestic Workers Social Security and Welfare Board, responsible for:

  • Administering and monitoring the Domestic Workers Social Security and Welfare Fund
  • Advising the government on implementation of the Act and Rules
  • Collecting registration fees from domestic workers, employers, service providers, and platforms, along with up to 5% of welfare fees periodically

The Board will have equal representation from domestic workers, employers, service providers, placement agencies, and government authorities.

Penal provisions

The draft bill includes stringent penalties to prevent exploitation:

  • General violations: Employers or service providers contravening the Act may face up to three months’ imprisonment and fines.
  • Severe misconduct: Those sending girls or women for immoral purposes, abusing or illegally confining domestic workers, or providing child domestic workers may face 3–7 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

Definitions under the draft

  • Domestic worker: Any person employed to perform domestic work directly, indirectly, through a contract, or via a digital platform—part-time, full-time, live-in, casual, temporary, piecework, or gig work. Migrant workers are also included.
  • Employer: Any individual who engages domestic workers directly or through agencies or platforms, including heads of households or anyone exercising ultimate control over household operations.

Significance of the draft bill

Experts have hailed the draft as a significant step toward formalising domestic employment, providing workers with legal protection, social security, and fair compensation. The proposed legislation aligns with national labour standards and addresses long-standing issues of exploitation in the sector.

The draft bill’s publication invites public consultation, and the state government has encouraged citizens, employers, and stakeholders to provide feedback over the next month before finalisation.

Once implemented, the Karnataka Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act will provide structured legal safeguards, regulate employment practices, and ensure domestic workers receive fair wages and social security benefits.