Home › Contract Templates › Domestic Worker Contract: 2 Days Per Week
Domestic Worker Contract: 2 Days Per Week
Two days a week — typically a Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday split — is the point where a domestic arrangement stops feeling occasional and starts behaving like a real job, because legally it is one. UIF is almost always compulsory at this level, leave accrues meaningfully, and disagreements about swapped days and December pay are common. This page gives you a contract drafted for exactly this pattern, plus a worked example of how her leave actually adds up.
Last reviewed June 2026 · wage figures from 1 March 2026
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT: DOMESTIC WORKER — TWO DAYS PER WEEK
(Complies with Sectoral Determination 7: Domestic Worker Sector and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997)
1. PARTIES
1.1 Employer: [FULL NAME OF EMPLOYER], ID number [EMPLOYER ID NUMBER], of [EMPLOYER ADDRESS] ("the Employer").
1.2 Employee: [FULL NAME OF EMPLOYEE], ID/passport number [EMPLOYEE ID NUMBER], of [EMPLOYEE ADDRESS] ("the Employee").
2. COMMENCEMENT AND PLACE OF WORK
2.1 Employment begins on [START DATE] and continues until terminated in terms of clause 13.
2.2 The place of work is the Employer's home at [WORK ADDRESS].
3. JOB DESCRIPTION
3.1 The Employee is employed as a [DOMESTIC WORKER / HOUSEKEEPER / NANNY / GARDENER] for two days per week.
3.2 Duties: [LIST MAIN DUTIES] and reasonable related tasks.
4. WORKING DAYS AND HOURS
4.1 The Employee works two days per week, on [DAY 1] and [DAY 2], from [START TIME] to [END TIME] each day ([NUMBER] hours per day; approximately [NUMBER x 2] hours per week).
4.2 A working day may be swapped for another day in the same week by mutual agreement; a swap is once-off unless recorded in writing as permanent.
4.3 If the Employer cancels a working day without agreeing a swap, the Employee is still paid for that day.
4.4 If the Employee works on any day she/he is paid for at least four hours, even if fewer hours are worked.
4.5 The Employee receives an unpaid meal break of [30 MINUTES / 1 HOUR] after five continuous hours of work.
5. WAGE
5.1 The wage is R[AMOUNT] per [DAY / WEEK / MONTH], equal to R[HOURLY AMOUNT] per hour, which is not less than the national minimum wage (R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026) and will be adjusted whenever the national minimum wage increases.
5.2 Payment is made [WEEKLY ON (DAY) / MONTHLY ON THE (DATE)] by [CASH / EFT], with a payslip showing the period, days and hours worked, rate, deductions and net pay.
5.3 The wage will be reviewed once a year on [REVIEW DATE].
6. OVERTIME, SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
6.1 Extra hours or extra days are voluntary and by prior agreement. Overtime beyond ordinary daily hours is paid at 1.5 times the hourly rate.
6.2 Work on a Sunday that is not an ordinary working day is paid at double the rate (1.5 times if Sunday is an ordinary working day).
6.3 If a public holiday falls on a working day, work on it is by agreement and paid at double the ordinary daily rate. Alternatively the parties may agree to swap to another day that week at normal pay.
7. ANNUAL LEAVE
7.1 The Employee accrues one day of paid annual leave for every 17 days worked — approximately six paid working days per year on this pattern.
7.2 Leave dates are agreed in advance, and leave days are paid at the ordinary daily wage.
7.3 If the Employer's household closes (e.g. over December), accrued annual leave is used first; any agreed additional days are handled as recorded in writing at the time.
8. SICK LEAVE
8.1 Over each 36-month cycle the Employee is entitled to twelve paid sick days (the days normally worked in a six-week period on this pattern).
8.2 During the first six months of employment, sick leave accrues at one day for every 26 days worked.
8.3 A medical certificate may be required for absence of more than two consecutive working days or a second absence within eight weeks.
9. FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY AND MATERNITY LEAVE
9.1 Paid family responsibility leave applies by law only to employees working at least four days per week and therefore does not apply to this contract; unpaid compassionate time off may be agreed when needed.
9.2 The Employee is entitled to up to four consecutive months of maternity leave, unpaid unless otherwise agreed; UIF maternity benefits may be claimed if registered.
10. UIF
10.1 The Employee's hours exceed 24 per month. The Employer will register with the Unemployment Insurance Fund, deduct 1% of the wage from the Employee, add the Employer's own 1%, and pay both over to the Fund monthly by the 7th of the following month.
10.2 UIF reference number: [UIF NUMBER].
11. COMPENSATION FOR INJURIES (COIDA)
11.1 The Employer will register with the Compensation Fund and submit the annual Return of Earnings so that the Employee is covered for injuries or diseases arising from the work.
11.2 The Employee must report any injury at work to the Employer immediately.
12. DEDUCTIONS
12.1 No deductions are made from the wage except the Employee's 1% UIF contribution, deductions required by law, or deductions agreed in writing. Breakages may not be deducted without the Employee's written agreement.
13. TERMINATION
13.1 Either party may terminate this contract in writing with one week's notice during the first six months of employment, or four weeks' notice after six months.
13.2 The Employer may pay the wage for the notice period instead of requiring it to be worked.
13.3 Dismissal requires a fair reason and a fair procedure. On termination the Employer pays outstanding wages and accrued leave and provides a certificate of service.
14. GENERAL
14.1 Where this contract is silent, or the law is more favourable to the Employee, Sectoral Determination 7 and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act apply.
14.2 Changes are valid only in writing, signed by both parties. Each party receives a signed copy.
SIGNED at [PLACE] on [DATE].
_________________________ EMPLOYER: [FULL NAME]
_________________________ EMPLOYEE: [FULL NAME]
_________________________ WITNESS: [FULL NAME]
Why two-day arrangements go wrong without paper
The classic two-day dispute is not about money — it is about days. She asks to swap Thursday for Wednesday, then the swap becomes permanent by accident; you go away for three weeks in December and assume unpaid time, she assumes paid leave; a public holiday eats one of her two days and nobody knows what is owed. None of these are hard questions if the contract answers them in advance, which is why the template below fixes the two named working days, requires swaps to be agreed, and sets out leave in her units — working days, not 'weeks'.
Remember the basics scale up unchanged: she must get a payslip every payday, the agreed terms must be in writing, and you must keep wage records for three years.
What two days a week must cost in 2026
From 1 March 2026 the minimum is R30.23 per hour, and every working day must be paid as at least four hours (R120.92) under the BCEA's four-hour rule. Converting to a monthly wage uses the 4.33 weeks-per-month factor — never 4, which silently underpays her over a year. Minimums for common day lengths:
| Hours per day | Per day | Per week (2 days) | Per month (x4.33) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | R120.92 | R241.84 | R1,047.17 |
| 5 hours | R151.15 | R302.30 | R1,308.96 |
| 6 hours | R181.38 | R362.76 | R1,570.75 |
| 8 hours | R241.84 | R483.68 | R2,094.33 |
| 9 hours | R272.07 | R544.14 | R2,356.13 |
Her leave, worked through properly
Annual leave under Sectoral Determination 7 accrues at one paid day for every 17 days worked. A two-day-a-week worker clocks about 104 working days a year; divide by 17 and she has earned roughly six paid leave days per year. That is the exact pro-rata of a full-timer's three weeks: three of her two-day working weeks. Each leave day is paid at her normal daily wage, so six days at an 8-hour rate costs you 6 x R241.84 = R1,451.04 per year — budget for it rather than discovering it in December.
A practical December example: you close for three weeks over the holidays, which covers six of her working days. If she has her six accrued days available, those days are simply paid annual leave and her pay continues as normal. If you want her days off at a particular time, agree leave dates in advance in terms of the contract — do not just stop paying and call it 'unpaid holiday'.
Sick leave: over each 36-month cycle she gets paid sick days equal to what she would normally work in six weeks — twelve days for a two-day worker — accruing at one day per 26 days worked during her first six months. You may ask for a medical certificate if she is off for more than two consecutive working days or twice within eight weeks. She does not qualify for family responsibility leave (that needs four or more days a week), so the template says so honestly instead of promising leave the law does not require.
Public holidays and Sundays on a two-day pattern
With two fixed days a week, several public holidays a year will land on her days. If she works the public holiday — by agreement only — she must be paid double her daily rate. If you ask her to come on a different day that week instead, that is a simple swap at normal pay, agreed under clause 4. Sunday work, if it is not one of her ordinary days, is paid at double the rate (1.5 times if Sundays are part of her normal pattern). Put your preferred default in the contract so each holiday is not a fresh negotiation.
UIF and COIDA: at two days a week, assume yes
The UIF threshold is 24 hours a month. Two days a week is about 8.66 working days a month, so even short four-hour days total roughly 35 hours — comfortably over. Register via uFiling or forms UI-8 and UI-19, deduct 1% from her wage, add your 1%, and pay the Fund by the 7th of each following month; arrears attract a 10% penalty plus interest. COIDA applies regardless of hours: register with the Compensation Fund at cfportal.labour.gov.za and file the annual Return of Earnings (1 April – 31 May window; for domestic work the assessment is about R0.39 per R100 of annual earnings, minimum around R130).
Working fewer hours than this, or more? See the one-day-a-week contract (where UIF can genuinely fall away), the three-days-a-week contract, or the general part-time contract hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much annual leave does a 2-day-a-week domestic worker get?
About six paid working days a year: she works roughly 104 days annually, and leave accrues at one day per 17 days worked. That equals three of her working weeks — the exact pro-rata of a full-timer's three weeks — each day paid at her normal daily wage.
Must I register a two-day-a-week worker for UIF?
Almost certainly yes. Two days a week is about 8.66 days a month, so even four-hour days total around 35 hours — over the 24-hour monthly threshold. Deduct 1%, add your 1%, and pay it to the Fund by the 7th of the following month.
What is the minimum monthly wage for two 8-hour days a week?
R2,094.33 from 1 March 2026: R30.23/hour x 8 hours x 2 days x 4.33 weeks per month. Always convert with 4.33, not 4 — using 4 underpays by about a month's worth of days over a year.
A public holiday falls on her Thursday. What do I owe?
If she works it (by agreement), double her daily rate. Many households instead agree to swap to another day that week at normal pay — put your default arrangement in the contract so it is settled in advance.
Can we swap her days when something comes up?
Yes, by mutual agreement — the template allows once-off swaps and requires a written note for a permanent change. If you cancel a day without arranging a swap, you still owe her pay for that day.
Does she get family responsibility leave?
No. Paid family responsibility leave requires working at least four days a week (and four months' service), so a two-day worker does not qualify. You can of course agree to unpaid or goodwill time off for emergencies.