Your terms of work

Domestic Workers · Know your rights

Working in someone's home is real work. You should know your terms clearly.

What you should get

• Your terms explained in a way you can check and understand — preferably a written contract (ILO C189, Art. 7).
• The terms should cover: employer's name and address, workplace address, start date and length, type of work, pay and how often, normal hours, paid leave and rest, food and accommodation if any, trial period, repatriation if any, and how the job can end (C189, Art. 7).
• If you are recruited in one country to work in another: a written job offer or contract, enforceable where you will work, before you cross the border (C189, Art. 8).

Check for

• Your duties are written down — what you will and will not do
• Your pay, hours and day off are written down

What you can do

• Ask for your terms in writing, even a simple signed letter. Keep a photo of it.

Sources: ILO C189 Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (NORMLEX)

This card is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by country. Information checked 2 October 2026. For help, see piowr.org/domestic-workers and piowr.org/tools/find-help.

Pacific Institute of Workplace Relations · Fair Conditions At Work · piowr.org