Most families in India hire a maid on a verbal understanding. It works fine until it doesn't — a dispute over leave, an argument about what was included in the salary, or someone leaving without notice during a month you badly needed help.
A written agreement takes twenty minutes to set up and prevents nearly all of it. Below is a free format you can use, plus the legal points every employer should know before signing anything.
A note before we start: this is a general template for everyday household use, not legal advice. For a live-in arrangement, a long-term contract, or anything involving a dispute, have it reviewed by a lawyer. Rules also vary by state, so check what applies in yours.
No. There is no law in India that forces a household to sign a written contract with domestic help. Most arrangements are verbal and perfectly legal.
But a written agreement does three useful things:
| ✓ | Prevents disputes — most maid-employer conflicts come from unclear expectations, not bad intentions. |
| ✓ | Creates a record — who was working in your home, from when, on what terms. |
| ✓ | Protects both sides — the worker knows her pay and leave are fixed; you know your notice period is agreed. |
India's four labour codes came into force in November 2025, and the wage rules followed in May 2026. The Code on Wages replaced the old Minimum Wages Act and is written to apply far more broadly than the earlier law, which only covered "scheduled employments" — a list that left most domestic work out in most states.
In practice this means minimum-wage protection is now being read as extending to domestic workers in a way it previously did not. Implementation runs through state notifications, so check what your state has notified before fixing a salary — and in any case, pay the going local rate rather than the legal floor.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 explicitly includes domestic workers. Since a household has no Internal Complaints Committee, a domestic worker can take a complaint to the Local Complaints Committee in her district. This applies to every household employing a woman, however informal the arrangement.
Under the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008, domestic workers can register on the e-Shram portal to access welfare schemes. It costs nothing and takes an Aadhaar card. Telling your maid about it is a small thing that genuinely helps her.
Confining a worker, withholding wages, taking her identity documents, or any form of assault are criminal offences regardless of what any agreement says. No clause can override this, and no agreement should ever hold a worker's original documents.
A good household agreement is short and specific. These are the clauses that actually prevent arguments:
Copy this, fill in the blanks, print two copies, and both sides sign and keep one. Plain paper is fine for everyday household use.
DOMESTIC HELP EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This agreement is made on ______________ (date) between:
Employer: ______________________________
Address: ______________________________
Phone: ______________________________
Domestic Worker: ______________________________
Permanent Address: ______________________________
Current Address: ______________________________
Phone: ______________________________
Aadhaar No. (last 4 digits only): ______________
1. Start Date
Work will begin from ______________.
2. Duties
The following tasks are agreed:
☐ Sweeping and mopping ☐ Dusting ☐ Dishes
☐ Laundry ☐ Ironing ☐ Cooking (______ meals/day)
☐ Bathroom cleaning ☐ Childcare support ☐ Elderly support
Other: ______________________________
Tasks not listed above are not part of this arrangement unless agreed separately.
3. Working Hours
From ______ to ______, ______ days a week.
Weekly off: ______________
4. Salary
₹______________ per month, payable on the ______ of each month by cash / bank transfer / UPI.
5. Leave
______ paid leave days per month/year, in addition to the weekly off.
Leave to be informed at least ______ day(s) in advance where possible.
6. Festival Bonus
A bonus of ₹______________ / ______ days' salary will be paid at ______________.
7. Salary Review
Salary will be reviewed after ______ months.
8. Extra Work
If additional work is required beyond the duties above, it will be discussed and compensated separately.
9. Notice Period
Either party will give ______ days' notice before ending this arrangement.
10. Privacy and Conduct
Both parties agree to treat each other with respect. The worker will not discuss the household's private matters outside. The employer will not withhold wages or retain the worker's original documents.
11. Emergency Contact
Worker's emergency contact: ______________________________
Relationship: ______________ Phone: ______________
12. Agreement
Both parties have read and understood the above and agree to it voluntarily.
Employer signature: ______________________ Date: __________
Worker signature / thumb impression: ______________________ Date: __________
Witness (optional): ______________________ Phone: ______________
| 1 | Read it aloud together. Many domestic workers cannot read English, and a signature on something unread is worth nothing. Go through each point in the language she speaks. |
| 2 | Give her a copy. Both sides keep one. A one-sided document is not an agreement. |
| 3 | Keep a photocopy of her Aadhaar, not the original. Holding anyone's original identity document is wrong and legally risky. |
| 4 | Revise it when things change. If duties grow or salary is revised, update the agreement rather than letting it drift. |
| ✕ | Holding original documents as security — this is unlawful, not a safeguard |
| ✕ | Restricting when she can leave the house — especially for live-in staff |
| ✕ | Withholding salary as a penalty — deductions of this kind are not permitted |
| ✕ | Any clause waiving her legal rights — such clauses have no effect in law |
| ✕ | Open-ended duties — "any other household work" causes more disputes than it prevents |
No. There is no law requiring a written contract between a household and domestic help. Most arrangements are verbal and legal. A written agreement is still worth having because it prevents disputes and creates a record of the terms both sides agreed to.
For an everyday household arrangement, plain paper signed by both parties is generally sufficient. Stamp paper and notarisation are usually considered for longer-term or higher-value contracts. If the arrangement is significant or you anticipate a dispute, take legal advice on the right format for your state.
No. Keep a photocopy for your records, never the original. Retaining someone's identity documents is unlawful and can amount to a criminal offence, regardless of what any agreement says.
Fifteen to thirty days is the common practice for both sides. Whatever you choose, make it the same for the employer and the worker — a one-sided notice clause is unfair and unlikely to hold up if challenged.
Yes. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 includes domestic workers. Because households do not have an Internal Complaints Committee, a complaint goes to the Local Complaints Committee in the district.
Read every clause aloud in a language she understands before she signs or gives a thumb impression, and give her a copy to keep. A signature on an unread document carries little weight and is unfair in any case.
We place background-verified house maids, cooks and full-time domestic help across Dehradun, with terms agreed in writing before anyone starts — and a free replacement if the fit isn't right.
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