RA 10361, the Batas Kasambahay, gives household workers a minimum wage, a written contract, payslips, 13th month pay, leave and social insurance. The household is the employer and carries these duties, even when a placement agency found the worker. Here is what employers must do.
- Minimum wage: ₱7,800.00 a month in Metro Manila from 7 February 2026. Other regions differ.
- Contract: written, on DOLE Form BK-1, in a language both understand.
- Payslip: DOLE Form BK-2 every payday, with copies kept for three years.
- Contributions: below ₱5,000 a month the employer pays everything; at ₱5,000 or more the usual split applies.
- Board, lodging and medical attendance are free and never deducted.
Who is covered
The law covers household workers who work in a home on an occupational basis: general househelp, yaya, cook, gardener and laundry person. It does not cover family drivers, service providers such as cleaning-company staff, children under foster care, or people who work only occasionally. Workers sent to homes by a company that employs them directly are ordinary employees under the Labor Code.
Wage and payment
Each regional wage board sets a monthly minimum for kasambahay. In Metro Manila it is ₱7,800.00 from 7 February 2026, up from ₱7,000. Wages must be paid at least once a month, in cash and directly to the worker. Pay by bank transfer is common when the kasambahay agrees. Vouchers, promissory notes and payment in kind are not allowed.
Only deductions required by law, or ones the kasambahay agreed to in writing, may be made. Loan repayments are limited to 20% of the monthly wage, and deposits for loss or damage are prohibited.
SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG
A kasambahay who has worked at least one month must be registered with all three. Who pays the employee share depends on the wage:
| Monthly contributions | Wage ₱4,500.00: employer pays | Wage ₱7,800.00: employer pays | Wage ₱7,800.00: kasambahay pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSS | ₱760.00 | ₱810.00 | ₱400.00 |
| PhilHealth | ₱500.00 | ₱250.00 | ₱250.00 |
| Pag-IBIG | ₱180.00 | ₱156.00 | ₱156.00 |
| Total | ₱1,440.00 | ₱1,216.00 | ₱806.00 |
Household employers register as such with each agency and pay through the agencies' online channels. See the PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG tables and the SSS contribution table for other wage levels.
Benefits
- 13th month pay after one month of service, by 24 December. Use the 13th month pay calculator.
- Five days of paid leave a year after one year of service. Unlike Labor Code service incentive leave, unused days do not accumulate and are not paid in cash.
- Daily rest of at least eight hours in total.
- Weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, on a day agreed with the employer.
- Free board, lodging and medical attendance, and humane treatment.
Kasambahay wages are below the ₱250,000 yearly income tax threshold, so no withholding tax applies.
Contract, payslips and registration
| Document | What it is |
|---|---|
| BK-1 | The employment contract, in three copies: one for the kasambahay, one for the employer, one for the barangay |
| BK-2 | The payslip, given every payday and kept for three years |
| BK-3 | The certificate of employment, issued within five days of the kasambahay's request |
| Kasambahay registry | Registration with the barangay where the employer lives |
Ending the employment
Either side may end an employment with no fixed term by giving five days' notice. An employer who dismisses a kasambahay without just cause must pay the earned wages plus fifteen days' wages as indemnity. A kasambahay who leaves without just cause forfeits up to fifteen days of unpaid wages. Pregnancy and marriage are never grounds for dismissal.