Minimum Wage For Domestic Workers? Karnataka Plans 5% Welfare Cess

It was only recently that the Karnataka Labour department brought in a bill to provide social security to gig workers in Karnataka, close on the heels of that, now a bill for social security of domestic workers in its planning stages.

NDTV has accessed a draft of the Karnataka Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, which seeks to extend right-based contributory social security and welfare to thousands of domestic workers in the state, including house helps, caretakers, housekeeping staff, and home nurses.

The draft mandates written agreements between employers and domestic workers, covering wages, working hours, benefits, and welfare contributions. It also makes registration compulsory for all domestic workers, employers, and service providers - including digital platforms through a government portal.

The state plans to set up a Karnataka State Domestic Workers Social Security and Welfare Board to frame welfare schemes, monitor funds, and provide skill training. The Board will include representatives from the government, workers' unions, employers, service providers, and resident welfare associations.

To fund these schemes, the draft proposes either a welfare fee of up to 5% of workers' wages paid by employers/service providers or a 1% levy on property tax collected by municipal bodies.

Violations attract strict penalties: unregistered employers or agencies may face up to three months' jail and 20,000 rupees in fines, with harsher punishment for repeat offenders.

Employers paying below minimum wages could face up to six months' imprisonment.

The draft bill is still in its preliminary stage and will be opened for scrutiny, stakeholder consultations, and public objections before being introduced in the cabinet and eventually in the state assembly.