Millions of Pakistanis employ domestic workers and almost none think of themselves as employers. The legal position has moved considerably in recent years, and the basic obligations - a written record of terms, lawful wages, rest, and above all age limits - are not onerous once you know they apply to you.
The legal framework
- Labour legislation in Pakistan is largely provincial, and domestic work is legislated province by province.
- Provinces have enacted specific domestic workers legislation in recent years.
- Provisions differ between Punjab, Sindh, KP, Balochistan and ICT.
- The household is the employer for these purposes.
- Child labour restrictions apply and are the most important single element.
- Confirm the current position for your province before relying on figures.
This article deliberately does not state ages, wage figures or hour limits as though they were uniform. They differ by province and are revised by notification, and this is a subject where getting a specific number wrong has real consequences. Check with the Punjab or Sindh labour department, or the equivalent for your province.
Age limits come first
Of everything in this article, this matters most and admits least flexibility.
- Minimum age requirements apply to domestic work under provincial legislation.
- Hazardous work carries higher age thresholds and prohibitions.
- Verify age with documents - Form B or CNIC - not by appearance or assertion.
- Do not rely on what a parent or agent says about a child's age.
- Penalties apply to employers who breach the restrictions.
- Check the current position for your province before engaging anyone young.
Verify age from a document, every time. Households engage a young worker on an agent's or relative's assurance and are then in breach without having intended to be - and the consequences fall on the employer. If you cannot see a document establishing age, do not proceed. See child labour laws.
Written terms
A short written record protects both sides and is increasingly what the legislation expects.
| Record | Why |
|---|---|
| Name, CNIC and address of the worker | Identity and contact |
| Start date | Establishes the period of service |
| Duties | Avoids disputes about scope |
| Wage and payment date | The commonest source of dispute |
| Hours and rest | Including a weekly rest day |
| Leave entitlement | Annual, sick, and any others |
| Accommodation and meals | Where provided as part of the arrangement |
| Notice on either side | How the arrangement ends |
None of this needs to be a formal contract. A single page, signed and dated, with a copy given to the worker, does the job and prevents most disputes.
Wages and payment
- Pay at least the applicable minimum for your province, as notified.
- Pay on the agreed date, consistently.
- Keep a record of payments made, signed where possible.
- Do not make deductions beyond what is lawful and agreed.
- Do not withhold wages as a disciplinary measure.
- Pay for overtime where the legislation provides for it.
- Settle dues fully when the arrangement ends.
Withholding wages, or holding a worker's identity documents, is the practice most likely to convert an employment situation into something considerably more serious. Never retain a worker's CNIC or other documents - there is no legitimate reason to hold them, and doing so is a serious matter.
Hours, rest and conditions
- Observe working hour limits under the applicable provincial law.
- Provide a weekly rest day.
- Provide rest breaks during the working day.
- Provide leave as the legislation requires.
- Provide decent accommodation where it forms part of the arrangement.
- Allow contact with family and freedom of movement.
- Provide a safe environment, free from harassment and abuse.
Live-in arrangements need particular attention to points six and seven. A worker who cannot leave the premises or contact their family is in a situation the law treats very seriously indeed.
Social security and benefits
Where the legislation brings domestic workers within social protection schemes, obligations may follow.
- Check whether registration with provincial social security applies.
- Check whether EOBI obligations arise in your province and circumstances.
- Check whether the worker is already registered through other employment.
- Provide access to medical care where the scheme covers it.
- Take advice where you employ several workers.
See provincial social security and the EOBI position. Confirm what applies in your province rather than assuming domestic work sits outside these schemes entirely.
If you are a domestic worker
- Ask for the terms in writing, even a single page.
- Keep your own CNIC - never hand it over to be retained.
- Keep a record of wages received and dates.
- Tell family where you are working, with an address.
- Keep a phone and contact details for someone outside the household.
- Approach the provincial labour department where wages are withheld.
- Contact the police immediately where you are confined, harmed or threatened.
If you are being prevented from leaving, your documents are being held, or you are being harmed, that is not an employment dispute - it is a matter for the police, urgently. See protection orders and our support page.
Ending the arrangement properly
Most disputes over domestic employment arise at the end rather than during it, and almost all of them are about money owed or belongings.
| Step | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Give the agreed notice | Or pay in lieu, as recorded in the terms |
| Calculate and pay all dues | Wages to date, and any accrued leave |
| Obtain a signed receipt | Protects both sides on what was paid |
| Return all personal belongings | Including anything stored at the premises |
| Return any documents held | Which should never have been retained in the first place |
| Provide a service certificate | Fixes the dates of service for future employment |
| Allow reasonable time to leave | Where accommodation formed part of the arrangement |
The last row needs thought in live-in arrangements. Where a worker's accommodation is tied to the job, ending the employment also ends their housing - and a reasonable period to make arrangements is both fair and avoids a situation escalating.
Settle the money and get a signed receipt. Almost every domestic employment dispute that reaches a labour department is about unpaid wages at the end of the arrangement, and a receipt recording what was paid on what date resolves it before it starts - for the household as much as the worker.
A short checklist for households
- Verify age from a document before engaging anyone.
- Record the terms on one page, signed, with a copy to the worker.
- Pay at least the applicable minimum, on time, and record it.
- Provide the weekly rest day and leave.
- Never retain identity documents.
- Never withhold wages as punishment.
- Check the social protection position for your province.
- Take advice if unsure - the obligations are modest but real.
Almost every household employing domestic help can comply with all of this in an afternoon, and most of the difficulties that arise later come from never having written anything down at the start.
Frequently asked questions
Are domestic workers covered by labour law in Pakistan?
Yes. Domestic work has been brought within provincial labour legislation, with provinces legislating on minimum age, written terms, wages, hours, rest and leave. Provisions differ by province and are amended.
Who is the employer?
The household. Most people employing domestic help do not think of themselves as employers, but the obligations under the provincial legislation fall on them.
What is the most important obligation?
The minimum age requirements. Verify age from a document such as Form B or a CNIC rather than by appearance or on an agent's or relative's assurance, and do not proceed if you cannot see one.
Do I need a written contract?
A short written record of terms is what the legislation increasingly expects and it prevents most disputes. One signed and dated page covering duties, wages, hours, rest, leave and notice, with a copy to the worker, is sufficient.
Can I hold a worker's CNIC?
No. There is no legitimate reason to retain a worker's identity documents, and doing so is a serious matter that can convert an employment situation into something considerably graver.
Can wages be withheld as a disciplinary measure?
No. Pay on the agreed date, keep a record of payments, make no deductions beyond what is lawful and agreed, and settle all dues fully when the arrangement ends.
Do social security obligations apply?
Check the position for your province rather than assuming domestic work sits outside these schemes. Provincial social security and EOBI obligations may arise depending on the province and circumstances.
What should a worker do if wages are withheld or they are confined?
Approach the provincial labour department where wages are withheld. If you are being prevented from leaving, your documents are held, or you are being harmed, contact the police immediately - that is not an employment dispute.
How should a domestic employment arrangement end?
Give the agreed notice or pay in lieu, calculate and pay all dues including accrued leave, obtain a signed receipt, return all belongings and any documents held, provide a service certificate, and allow reasonable time to leave where accommodation was provided.
What causes most domestic employment disputes?
Unpaid wages at the end of the arrangement. A signed receipt recording what was paid and when resolves it before it starts, and protects the household as much as the worker.
Sources & official references
- Punjab Labour Department - labour law administration in Punjab
- Sindh Labour Department - labour law administration in Sindh
- ILO Pakistan - international labour standards and country programmes