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Domestic Worker Contract: 1 Day Per Week
A char who comes in every Thursday is the most common domestic arrangement in South Africa — and the one most likely to run on nothing but a verbal agreement. Legally she is your employee from day one, with a right to written terms, the minimum wage and pro-rated leave. This page gives you a contract built specifically for a one-day-a-week worker, and settles the two questions employers always ask: is she a 'casual', and does UIF apply?
Last reviewed June 2026 · wage figures from 1 March 2026
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT: DOMESTIC WORKER — ONE DAY 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 / GARDENER] for one day per week.
3.2 Duties: [LIST MAIN DUTIES, e.g. general cleaning, laundry, ironing] and reasonable related tasks.
4. WORKING DAY AND HOURS
4.1 The Employee works one day per week, on [DAY OF WEEK], from [START TIME] to [END TIME] ([NUMBER] hours).
4.2 If the Employee works on any day she/he is paid for at least four hours, even if fewer hours are worked.
4.3 The working day may be moved to another day in a given week by mutual agreement. If the Employer cancels the day without agreeing a swap, the Employee is still paid for that day.
4.4 If the day includes more than five continuous hours of work, the Employee receives an unpaid meal break of [30 MINUTES / 1 HOUR].
5. WAGE
5.1 The wage is R[AMOUNT] per day worked, which equals R[HOURLY AMOUNT] per hour and is not less than the national minimum wage (R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026). The wage will be adjusted whenever the national minimum wage increases.
5.2 Payment is made [ON THE WORKING DAY / WEEKLY / MONTHLY ON THE (DATE)] by [CASH / EFT], with a payslip showing the date, hours, rate, any deductions and net pay.
5.3 The wage will be reviewed once a year on [REVIEW DATE].
6. EXTRA WORK, SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
6.1 Additional hours or days are voluntary and by prior agreement, paid at not less than the ordinary rate, and at 1.5 times the rate for overtime beyond ordinary daily hours.
6.2 Work on a Sunday (if not the ordinary working day) is paid at double the rate.
6.3 If a public holiday falls on the working day, work on that day is by agreement and is paid at double the ordinary daily rate.
7. ANNUAL LEAVE
7.1 The Employee accrues one day of paid annual leave for every 17 days worked — approximately three paid working days per year on this pattern.
7.2 Leave dates are agreed in advance and paid at the ordinary daily wage.
8. SICK LEAVE
8.1 Over each 36-month cycle the Employee is entitled to paid sick leave equal to six working 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 LEAVE
9.1 The parties record that 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.
10. MATERNITY LEAVE
10.1 The Employee is entitled to up to four consecutive months of maternity leave, unpaid unless otherwise agreed. UIF maternity benefits may be claimed if the Employee is registered.
11. UIF
11.1 The parties record that the Employee's hours are approximately [MONTHLY HOURS] per month (working hours per day x 4.33).
11.2 If this is 24 hours or more per month, the Employer will register with the Unemployment Insurance Fund, deduct 1% of the wage, add the Employer's own 1%, and pay both over monthly. UIF reference number (once registered): [UIF NUMBER].
11.3 If it is fewer than 24 hours per month, no UIF contributions are payable; if the hours later increase past the threshold, the Employer will register within the month this happens.
12. COMPENSATION FOR INJURIES (COIDA)
12.1 The Employer will register with the Compensation Fund and submit the annual Return of Earnings so that the Employee is covered for injuries arising from the work.
12.2 The Employee must report any injury at work to the Employer immediately.
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 the notice 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. DEDUCTIONS
14.1 No deductions are made from the wage except the Employee's 1% UIF contribution (if applicable), deductions required by law, or deductions agreed in writing.
15. GENERAL
15.1 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.
15.2 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]
The 'casual worker' myth
Many households believe a once-a-week cleaner is a 'casual' who falls outside labour law. That is not how South African law works. Sectoral Determination 7 covers domestic workers regardless of how few days they work, and the BCEA's core protections apply alongside it. Your once-a-week char is entitled to at least the national minimum wage of R30.23 per hour (from 1 March 2026), a payslip, pro-rated paid leave, and proper notice if you end the arrangement.
What is true is that some obligations scale with hours — most importantly UIF, which has a 24-hours-per-month threshold. That is a calculation, not a blanket exemption, and a full working day once a week actually crosses it (more below). Putting the terms in writing costs you ten minutes and protects you at the CCMA far better than 'but she was just a casual' ever will.
What one day's work must cost you
Two rules set the floor. The minimum wage of R30.23/hour applies to every hour, and the BCEA's section 9A four-hour rule means that any day on which she works must be paid as at least four hours — R120.92 — even if she only does a two-hour flat clean. Transport money, lunch or old clothes cannot be counted as part of the wage. Here are the minimums per day length, with the monthly equivalent using the 4.33 weeks-per-month factor:
| Hours on the day | Minimum for the day | Monthly equivalent (x4.33) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 hours | R120.92 (4-hour minimum) | R523.58 |
| 5 hours | R151.15 | R654.48 |
| 6 hours | R181.38 | R785.38 |
| 8 hours | R241.84 | R1,047.17 |
| 9 hours | R272.07 | R1,178.06 |
Does UIF apply? Do the 24-hour sum
UIF registration is compulsory once a domestic worker works 24 hours or more in a month for you. With one day a week (about 4.33 working days a month), the answer depends entirely on how long her day is: a half-day char of four or five hours stays under 24 hours a month and no UIF registration is required; a six-hour day comes to about 26 hours a month and a full eight-hour day to about 34.6 — both over the line, so UIF applies.
If she is over the threshold, register via uFiling or forms UI-8 and UI-19, deduct 1% of her wage, add your own 1%, and pay the 2% to the Fund by the 7th of the following month — late payments attract a 10% penalty plus interest. If she works for several households, each employer does this separately for the hours she works for them. And note that COIDA has no hours threshold at all: even a once-a-week worker must be covered, which for a household means registering with the Compensation Fund (around R130 a year at the minimum assessment).
Leave for a one-day-a-week worker
Leave pro-rates cleanly. Annual leave accrues at one paid day per 17 days worked; at roughly 52 working days a year that is three paid leave days per year — in effect, three of her working days off on full pay, equivalent to the full-timer's three weeks. Sick leave over each 36-month cycle equals the days she would normally work in six weeks: six paid sick days per cycle for a one-day worker (accruing at one day per 26 days worked during the first six months — slowly, on this pattern). She does not qualify for family responsibility leave, which requires at least four working days a week.
If a public holiday lands on her regular day, work on that day is by agreement and must be paid at double her rate if she does come in. Spell out in the contract what happens if you skip a week or she cannot come — clause 4 of the template below handles swaps by mutual agreement.
Ending a one-day arrangement
Notice rules do not shrink with the working week: one week's written notice if she has worked for you for six months or less, four weeks' notice after six months — or payment instead of notice. 'Six months' here means six months on the books, not six months of accumulated days, so a long-standing Thursday char is almost certainly in the four-week bracket. A dismissal still needs a fair reason and a fair procedure, and on termination you owe outstanding wages, accrued leave pay and a certificate of service.
If your needs grow beyond one day, rather sign a fresh contract than stretch this one — see the two-days-a-week and three-days-a-week versions, or the general part-time contract hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is a once-a-week cleaner a casual worker with no rights?
No. There is no rights-free 'casual' category in domestic employment. From her first Thursday she is covered by Sectoral Determination 7 and the BCEA: minimum wage, the four-hour pay rule, a payslip, pro-rated leave and notice on termination all apply.
Do I need to register a one-day-a-week worker for UIF?
Only if she works 24 hours or more a month for you. A four- or five-hour day once a week stays under the threshold; a six-hour day (about 26 hours a month) or a full eight-hour day (about 34.6 hours) goes over it, and then registration and the 1% + 1% contributions are compulsory.
What is the minimum I can pay for one day's cleaning?
At least R30.23 per hour (from 1 March 2026), and never less than four hours' pay for any day worked — so R120.92 is the absolute floor, even for a short visit. An eight-hour day costs at least R241.84.
How much leave does a one-day-a-week worker get?
About three paid leave days a year (one day per 17 days worked) plus six paid sick days over each 36-month cycle. She does not qualify for family responsibility leave, which requires working at least four days a week.
How much notice must I give to end the arrangement?
One week's written notice in her first six months, four weeks' notice after that — based on how long she has been employed, not how many days she has accumulated. You may pay her for the notice period instead of having her work it.
She works for five other houses too. Whose problem is UIF?
Each household is a separate employer and applies the 24-hour test to its own hours only. If she crosses the threshold with you, you register and contribute for your portion regardless of what her other employers do.