PUNJAB DOMESTIC WORKERS ACT 2019

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PUNJAB DOMESTIC WORKERS ACT, 2019 
(II of 2019) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Prohibition on employment 
4. Rights and entitlements of domestic workers 
5. Employment on work 
6. Leave and holidays 
7. Wages during leave or holiday period 
8. Minimum wage 
9. Maternity benefits 
10. Accommodation 
11. Medical examination, vaccination and inoculation 
12. Notice of certain accident 
13. Termination of employment 
14. Restoration of possession of property to domestic worker 
15. Relinquishing of right 
16. Recommendation of minimum wages for domestic workers 
17. Power to declare minimum rates of wages 
18. Time and conditions of payment of wages 
19. Prohibition to pay below the minimum rate of wages 
20. Registration of domestic workers 
21. Registration of employers 
22. Fund 
 
 
23. Functions of the Governing Body 
24. Manner of claiming benefits 
25. Resolution of disputes 
26. Appellate Authority 
27. Powers of the Dispute Resolution Committees and Appellate Authorities 
28. Power to issue directions 
29. Power to remove difficulties 
30. Tax treatment of the income of the Fund 
31. Penalties 
32. Presumption 
33. Prosecution 
34. Trial of offence 
35. Labour Inspectors 
36. Functions and powers of Inspectors 
37. Protection of actions taken under the Act 
38. Rules 
  
 
 
TEXT 
1PUNJAB DOMESTIC WORKERS ACT, 2019 
(II of 2019) 
[25 January, 2019] 
An 
Act 
to provide for the regulation of employment of domestic workers in Province of the 
Punjab. 
It is necessary to protect the rights of the domestic workers, to regulate their 
terms of employment  and working conditions of service, to provide them social 
protection and ensure their welfare and to provide for the matters ancillary thereto; 
Be it enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows: 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This A ct may be cited as the 
Punjab Domestic workers Act 2019. 
(2) It extends to whole of the Punjab.  
(3) It shall come into force at once.  
2. Definitions.– In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or 
context: 
(a) “Act” means the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019; 
(b) “Appellate Authority” means an Authority appointed under the Act; 
(c) “beneficiary” means a domestic worker or a heir of a deceased 
domestic worker eligible to receive benefits from the Domestic Workers 
Welfare Fund; 
(d) “Board” means the Minimum Wages Board established under section 3 
of the Minimum Wages Ordinance, 1961 (XXXIX of 1961); 
(e) “Committee” means a Dispute Resolution Committee constituted under 
the Act;  
(f) “dispute” means any dispute or conflict between employers and 
domestic workers concerning employment or the terms of employment 
or the conditions of work of domestic workers; 
(g) “domestic work ” means any work which takes place within or for the 
household and includes child care, old age care, sick care or 
natal/post-natal care and the matters ancillary thereto; 
(h) “domestic worker ” is a person who provides services of a domestic 
nature in a household;  
(i) “employer” means: 
                                       
1This Act was passed by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab on 2 3 January 2019; assented to by the Governor of the 
Punjab on 25 January 2019; and, was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 25 January 2019, pp.1767 – 
1774. 
 
 
(i) in relation to a person or a group of persons registered 
under the Act and employing domestic worker s collectively 
responsible for employment of domestic workers;  
(ii) in relation to an establishment or agency, the owner(s) of 
the establishment or agency or a person registered under 
the Act and ha ving the ultimate control over the affairs of 
the establishment or agency as well as any other person to 
whom the affairs of such establishment or agency are 
entrusted whether such person is called an agent, a 
manager, an occupier or by any other name;  
(j) “family” in relation to a domestic worker , means the spouse, a child  
below the age of 18 years and includes a disabled child above the age 
of 18 years with disability of fifty percent or more; 
(k) “Fund” means Domestic Workers Welfare Fund constituted under 
section 22 of the Act; 
(l) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(m) “Governing Body” has the same meaning as in section 5 of the 
Provincial Employees Social Security Ordinance, 1965 (X of 1965); 
(n) “household” means individuals who comprise a family unit and who live 
together under the same roof; 
(o) “Inspector” means a Labour Inspector notified under section 3 5 of the 
Act; 
(p) "Labour Court" means a Labour Court established under section 44 of 
the Punjab Industrial Relations Act, 2010 (XIX of 2010); 
(q) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules; and 
(r) “wages” means all remuneration capable of being expressed in terms 
of money, which shall, if the terms and conditions  of employment, 
express or implied, are fulfilled, be payable to a person employed in 
respect of his employment or of work done in such employment, but 
does not include— 
(a) any contribution paid by the employer in respect of such 
person under any scheme of social insurance or to a 
pension fund or provident fund; 
(b) gift or anything given in kind. 
3. Prohibition on employment .– No child under the age of 15 years shall be 
allowed to work in a household in any capacity: 
Provided that no domestic worker under the age of 18 years shall be engaged 
in a domestic work except involving light work in a household. 
Explanation: “light work” means a domestic work which is part -time in nature and is 
not likely to harm health, safety and education of a domestic worker. 
4. Rights and e ntitlements of domestic workers .–  (1) A d omestic worker 
shall not be employed under the bonded  labour system or forced or partly forced 
labor system.  
 
 
(2) No domestic worker shall be discriminated in recruitment, continuance 
of employment, deciding wages, benefits a nd other rights on grounds of religion, 
race, caste, creed, sex, ethnic background, and place of birth/ residence, domicile, 
migration or any other reason. 
(3) The domestic worker shall be addressed as "d omestic worker”, not 
"servant". 
(4) No extra work may be assigned to the domestic worker without free will 
of the domestic worker and extra remuneration.  
(5) The employer shall provide dignified working conditions and 
occupational safety and health measures to the domestic worker. 
(6) The benefits for a domestic worker shall include sickness benefits and 
medical care during sickness and medical care of dependents, injury benefits, 
disablement pension and s urvivor’s pension  under the Punjab Employees Social 
Security Ordinance, 1965 (X of 1965) and the rules made thereunder. 
5. Employment on work.– (1) Every employment or appointment of a domestic 
worker shall be subject to issuance of a letter of employment in the prescribed form 
showing the terms and conditi ons of his employment including  nature of work and 
amount of wages.  
  (2) The employer shall send a copy of the letter of employment issued 
under subsection (1) to the Inspector concerned, and the employer may keep a copy 
of identification documents of a domestic worker during the course of employment. 
 (3) An employer shall, within sixty days of the commencement of the Act, 
arrange for the issuance of a letter of employment under subsection (1) to each of 
the domestic workers employed on work in a household. 
(4) No domestic worker shall be required to perform any work other than 
what is specifically mentioned in the letter of employment. 
(5) No domestic worker shall be required to work for more than eight hours 
in a day , however, a domestic worker , at free will , may work for such time duration 
and for such remuneration as may be prescribed. 
(6)  Any work by a domestic worker  in excess of forty eight hours shall 
incur over time rates as may be prescribed, and weekly working time shall not 
exceed fifty six hours. 
6. Leave and holidays.– (1) Every domestic worker engaged in domestic work 
shall be entitled to a holiday of at least one whole day in a week. 
(2) Every domestic worker shall be entitled to sick leave with full wages for 
a total period of eight days in a year and such leave, if not availed of by a domestic 
worker during that calendar year, may be carried forward, but the total accumulation 
of such leave shall not exceed sixteen days at one time. 
(3) Every domestic worker engaged in domestic work shall be entitled to 
ten days festival holidays with full wages in a year , and the days and dates for such 
festival holidays shall be agreed between the domestic worker and the employer in 
the beginning of the calendar year. 
(4) A female domestic worker engaged in domestic work shall be entitled 
to six weeks maternity leave.  
 
 
7. Wages during leave or holiday period .– (1) For each day of the leave or 
holidays allowed to a domestic worker under subsections (1), (2) and (3) of section 
6, the domestic worker  shall be paid at the rate equivalent to the daily average 
amount, which, during the three months period preceding the leave or holidays, was 
being paid  to the domestic worker. 
  (2) A domestic worker, who has been allowed leave unde r subsection (2) 
of section 6 for any period not less than four days , shall, before the leave begins, be 
paid his wages for the period of the leave allowed. 
8. Minimum wage.– (1) Every domestic worker shall be paid such wages within 
such period of time as may be provided in the letter of employment, but such wages 
must in no case be less than the wages specified by the Government under the Act. 
  (2) No employer shall pay to a domestic worker, remuneration payable, at 
the rates less favorable than those at which remuneration is paid to the domestic 
workers of the opposite sex performing same work or work of a similar nature or of 
equal value. 
9. Maternity benefit s.– A female domestic worker engaged in domestic work 
shall be entitled to maternity benefits wit h a minimum amount equivalent to six 
weeks wages in the prescribed manner but not less than the minimum wages 
notified by the Government. 
10. Accommodation.– (1) Every employer, under express terms and conditions 
of employment, shall ensure to provide for the accommodation for live -in domestic 
workers who stays at place of work at his free will. 
 (2) Every employer shall ensure decent living conditions for a live-in 
domestic worker. 
11. Medical examination, vaccination and inoculation .– Every employer, on 
yearly basis, shall ensure medical examination of a domestic worker in a household 
by a registered medical practitioner and such domestic worker shall also be 
vaccinated and inoculated against such diseases at such intervals as may be  
prescribed, and the expenses, if any, of such medical examination, vaccination and 
inoculation shall be borne by the employer. 
12. Notice of certain accident .– Where in any household, an accident occurs 
which causes death  or bodily injury whereby any dome stic worker injured is 
prevented from resuming his work in the household during the forty -eight hours after 
the accident occurred, or which is of any nature which may be prescribed in this 
behalf, the employer of the domestic worker shall send a notice thereof to such 
authorities, in such form and within such time, as may be prescribed. 
13. Termination of employment .– The termination of employment shall be 
subject to one month’s prior notice in writing e ither by the domestic worker or by the 
employer and in lieu of the notice, one month’s wages shall be paid calculated on 
the basis of average of wages earned during the preceding three months. 
14. Restoration of possession of property to domestic worker .– (1) Upon 
termination of employment , personal belongings and identification documents of a 
domestic worker or his family shall not be retained , and if any belonging or property  
of a domestic worker is not returned to him , the aggrieved domestic worker may 
 
 
apply to the Dispute Resolution Comm ittee for restoration of the possession of such 
property and the Dispute Resolution Committee may, after giving the employer a 
reasonable opportunity of being heard, direct the employer to restore to the applicant 
the possession of the said property within  such time period as may be specified in 
the award. 
 (2) Whoever, being required by the Act to restore any property to the 
domestic worker or his family, omits or fails to do so, within time specified in 
subsection (1), shall be liable, on conviction before a Magistrate, to a fine not 
exceeding ten thousand rupees and restoration to the appl icant the possession of 
the said property. 
15. Relinquishing of right .– Where a domestic worker relinquishes any right 
conferred by this Act, whether made before or after the commencement of th is Act, 
the relinquishment shall be null and void in so far as it purports to deprive him of 
such right. 
16. Recommendation of minimum wages for domestic workers .– (1) The 
Board shall, upon a reference made to it by the Government, recommend to it, after 
such enquiry as the Board thinks fit, the minimum rates of wages  for domestic 
workers employed in households. 
 (2) In its recommendations under sub-section (1), the Board shall indicate, 
whether the minimum rates of wages should be adopted uniformly throughout the 
Province or with such local variations for such localities as are specified therein. 
 (3) In pursuance of a direction under sub -section (1), the Board may 
recommend minimum rates of wages for all classes of domestic workers in any 
category or capacity and, in such recommendation, may specify — 
(a) the minimum rates of wages for — 
(i) time work; 
(ii) piece work; 
(iii) on call work; 
(iv) over time work; and 
(v) work on the weekly day of rest and for paid holidays; and 
(b) the minimum time rates for domestic workers employed on piece 
work so as to guarantee minimum wages on a time basis for 
such domestic workers. 
 (4) The time rates recommended by the Board may be on hourly, daily, 
weekly or monthly basis. 
 (5) The rates recommended under this section for overtime work and work 
on paid holidays shall not be less than the minimum rates fixed for such work under 
any other law for the time being in force. 
17. Power to declare minimum rates of wages .– Upon receipt of a 
recommendation of the Board under section 1 6 of the Act, the Government may 
proceed as per the procedure laid down under section 6 of the Minimum Wages 
Ordinance, 1961 (XXXIX of 1961).  
 
 
18. Time and conditions of payment of wages .– (1) The wages of every 
domestic worker shall be paid before the expiry of the fifth day, after the last day of 
the wage-period in respect of which the wages are payable. 
 (2) No wage period, so fixed, shall exceed one month. 
 (3) Where the employment of any domestic worker is te rminated by 
employer, the wages earned by him/her shall be paid before the expiry of the second 
working day from the day on which his employment is terminated. 
 (4) All payments of wages shall be made on a working day. 
 (5) All wages shall be paid in current coin or currency notes or in both. 
19. Prohibition to pay below the minimum rate of wages .– (1) No employer 
shall pay any domestic worker wages at a rate lower than the rate declared under 
this Act to be the minimum rate of wages for such domestic worker. 
 (2) Any employer who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be 
liable, on conviction before a Magistrate of the first class, to a fine not exceeding ten 
thousand rupees, and if the court trying such contravention by order so directs, shall 
also pay to the domestic worker concerned such sum as may be specified in the 
order to represent the difference between the amount actually paid to such domestic 
worker and the amount which would h ave been paid to him had there been no such 
contravention. 
 (3) All claims of a domestic worker relating to wages or claims arising out 
of deductions from wages against the employer, as the case may be, shall be settled 
and recovered in the same manner as is provided in the Minimum Wages 
Ordinance, 1961 (XXXIX of 1961). 
  (4) If the Authority hearing any application under this section is satisfied 
that no amount to be paid as wages is due from the employer to the applicant, it 
shall reject the application; and if the application, in the opinion of the Authority, is 
malicious or vexatious, the Authority when rejecting it, may direct the applicant to 
pay a penalty not exceeding five thousand rupees to the employer. 
(5)  An appeal against a direction made under  sub-section (3) or 
subsection (4) under this section may be preferred, within thirty days of the date on 
which the direction was made, before the Labour Court constituted under the Punjab 
Industrial Relations Act, 2010 (XIX of 2010) , within whose jurisdic tion the cause of 
action to which the appeal relates arose — 
(a) by the employer, if the total sum directed to be paid by way of 
wages exceeds twenty thousand rupees: 
Provided that no appeal under this clause shall lie unless the memorandum of 
appeal is accompanied by a certificate of the authority to the effect that the appellant 
has deposited with the authority the amount payable under the direction appealed  
against. 
(b) by the applicant directed under subsection (4) of this section to 
pay a penalty. 
  (6) The decision of appeal shall be final and shall not in any manner be 
questioned by any person in any court or before any authority.  
 
 
20. Registration of domestic workers .– Every domestic worker, in order to 
benefit from the fund, shall make an applicat ion for registration in a manner as 
prescribed by the Governing Body , and  every such domestic worker shall be 
provided by the Governing Body with a security number and identity card, which 
shall be renewable after completion of every three years: 
Provided that none of the domestic workers shall be eligible to get more than 
one security number and identity card. 
21. Registration of employers .– Every employer shall make an application for 
registration in a manner as prescribed by the Governing Body , and  every such 
employer shall be provided with a registration number, which shall be renewable 
after completion of every three years. 
22. Fund.– (1) To provide social protection, safety and welfare measures to 
domestic workers, the Government shall establish a fund to be called “Domestic 
Workers Welfare Fund".  
(2) The Fund shall consist of: 
(a) all grants and loans as may be made to the Fund by the 
Government;  
(b) all sums received by the Fund from other sources as may be 
decoded upon by the Government and all voluntary 
contributions from the philanthropists; 
(c) income from the investments made and properties and assets 
acquired from the Fund; and  
(d) proceeds of loans raised by the Governing Body. 
(3) The Fund shall be applied to: 
(a) financing of measures including education, training and skill 
development; 
(b) benefits for domestic workers provided in subsection (6) of 
section 4 of the Act;  
(c) any money in aid of any scheme for the welfare of the domestic 
workers; and  
(d) meet the expenditures in respect of the cost of management and 
administration of the Fund. 
23. Functions of the Governing Body .– The functions of the Governing Body 
shall be the same as laid down under the Provincial Employees’ Social Security 
Ordinance, 1965 (X of 1965) and the rules made thereunder. 
24. Manner of claiming benefits.– (1) All claims for benefits under th is Act shall 
be made within such times as may be prescribed, and in such form and manner, and 
shall be accompanied by such documents, information and evidence as to 
entitlement, as may be provided in the regulations laid down by the Governing Body. 
 (2) The payment in respect of benefits shall be made in such manner, and 
at such time and place as may be provided in the regulations. 
 
 
 (3) The payment in respect of benefits under the Act , shall be made from 
the Fund in the prescribed manner. 
25. Resolution of d isputes.– (1)The Government may, by notification in the 
official Gazette, constitute a Committee at the lowest tier of the local government to 
be called the Dispute Resolution Committee for the effective enforcement of the Act. 
 (2) The Dispute Resolution Committee, having such number of members 
and composition as may be prescribed, shall be headed by the head of the lowest 
tier of the local government concerned or such other officer as may be notified by the 
Government.  
 (3) All disputes or complaints ari sing out of and in connection with 
enforcement under the Act shall be heard and resolved through an award by Dispute 
Resolution Committee: 
Provided that every such dispute shall be presented within 30 days from the 
date on which the dispute arises. 
(4) Any party aggrieved of the award made under subsection (3), may, 
within 30 days of the date on which the award was made, prefer an appeal before 
the Appellate Authority.  
26. Appellate Authority .– (1) The Government shall appoint an Appellate 
Authority in each District to hear and decide the appeals preferred against the award 
of a Dispute Resolution Committee.  
(2) The Appellate Authority may confirm, modify or reverse the award of a 
Dispute Resolution Committee. 
27. Powers of the Dispute Resolution Committees and Appellate 
Authorities.– Every Dispute Resolution Committee and Appellate Authority shall, 
while holding an enquiry regarding a dispute or complaint under th is Act or the rules 
made thereunder, have same powers as are vested in a Civil Court under the Code 
of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Act V of 1908), in respect of the following matters, namely:  
(a) enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;  
(b) compelling the production of documents and material objects;  
(c) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses; and  
(d) such other matters as may be prescribed.  
28. Power to issue directions .– The Government may, from time to time, issue 
such directions to employers as may be necessary for the effective enforcement  of 
the provisions of the Act.  
29. Power to remove difficulties .– If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the 
provisions of th e Act, the Government may, by order published in the official 
Gazette, make such provisions , not inconsistent with the provi sions of the Act , as 
appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removal of the difficulty. 
30. Tax treatment of the income of the Fund .– The income of the Fund 
including capital gains shall be exempt from Income Tax within the meaning of the 
Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. 
 
 
31. Penalties.– (1) An employer who fails to comply with  or contravenes any 
provisions of the Act other than section 3, shall, on conviction, be punishable with fine 
which for the first offence may extend to five thousand rupees, and for a second or 
subsequent offence with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees. 
 (2) Whoever knowingly contravenes the provisions of section 3, shall be 
liable to punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month if 
he employs a child under the age of 12 years and in case of a child under 15 years 
by fine which may extend to Rs fifty thousand but which shall not be less than ten 
thousand rupees. 
(3) Any employer or any such person who willfully obstructs an Inspector 
in the exercise of any power in compliance of section 3 7, or fails to produce on 
demand thereunder any evidence, statement or other document, shall be punishable 
with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees. 
32. Presumption.– A child present in a househ old along with one or both of his 
parents who are employed therein shall not be presumed to be in employment within 
the meaning of the Act unless proved. 
33. Prosecution.– No prosecution under th e Act or any rules made there under 
shall be instituted except  by or with the previous sanc tion of the Dispute Resolution 
Committee. 
34. Trial of offence .– No Court, inferior to that of a Magistrate of the first class , 
shall try any offence under the Act or the rules made thereunder. 
35. Labour Inspectors .– (1) The Government may notify Labour Inspectors of 
the respective areas of jurisdiction for the purposes of ensuring compliance with the 
provisions of the Act. 
  (2) An Inspector notified under subsection (1) shall be deemed to be a 
public servant within the meaning of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (XLV of 1860). 
36. Functions and powers of Inspectors.– (1) No household shall be subjected 
to inspection except on receipt of a complaint and on direction of a Dispute 
Resolution Committee.  
(2) An Inspector on direction of Dispute Resolution Committee may, for the 
discharge of any functions under the Act or the rules made thereunder— 
(a) file a case through the public prosecutor in the Court of competent 
jurisdiction; and 
(b) exercise such other powers conferred upon him as may be 
necessary for carrying out the purposes of the Act. 
37. Protection of action s taken under the Act .– No suit, prosecution or other 
proceedings shall lie against any person for anything which is in good faith d one or 
intended to be done in pursuance of the Act or rules made thereunder. 
38. Rules.– The Government may make rules for carrying out the purposes of the 
Act.