Karnataka proposes law to fix minimum wage, work hours for domestic workers

Karnataka has proposed the Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, which aims to set minimum wages and regulate working hours for domestic workers across urban areas in the state. The bill mandates written employment agreements specifying wages, work hours, benefits, and welfare contributions. It caps working hours to 48 hours per week and includes provisions for overtime pay, weekly holidays, annual paid leave, and maternity benefits. Employers, placement agencies, and digital platforms must register domestic workers, and a welfare fee of up to 5% of wages will be levied to fund social security schemes. A dedicated state board will oversee implementation, welfare schemes, and grievance redressal. Violations of the law, such as paying below minimum wages, can lead to penalties and imprisonment.

Key Provisions of Karnataka Domestic Workers Bill 2025

• Mandatory registration of domestic workers, employers, and agencies on a state portal.

• Minimum wages with a task-based “rate card” to determine pay.

• Work hours capped at 48 per week with overtime compensation.

• Written agreements to detail wages, work hours, and benefits.

• Weekly holidays, annual leave, maternity leave, and training programs.

• A 5% welfare fee on wages, collected from employers or service providers, for social security schemes including healthcare, pensions, education support for children, and injury compensation.

• Establishment of a Karnataka State Domestic Workers Social Security and Welfare Board representing government, workers, employers, and service providers.

• Penalties for non-compliance, including imprisonment up to six months for paying below minimum wages.

The draft bill is in the final stages before cabinet approval and aims to bring formal labor protections to domestic workers, addressing longstanding issues of wage disparity, lack of social security, and exploitative conditions in metropolitan Karnataka.