According to the Department of Labour, all domestic workers who work for 24hrs a month have to be registered with the Domestic Workers Employment Compliance. The employer has to make sure that this is done, and that the employee is registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) as well as the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).
UIF for a person working as a house helper or child a minder is obligatory. SkillsPortal shares that the Unemployment Insurance Act 63 of 2001 defines a domestic worker as an employee who works in the home of his or her employer. This includes gardeners, drivers of motor vehicles, people who are caregivers and cleaners. Domestic Employees do not include farmworkers.
Employers are supposed to register their employees, this can be done via any of these methods:
- Telephonically at 012 337 1680.
- Send an e-mail to domestic@uif.gov.za.
- Send physical mail to: The UIF, Pretoria, 0052.
Alternatively, you can visit your nearest Labour Centre in order to register your employee.
To complete the registration process, the following documents will be needed:
- The employer’s 13 Digit South African ID.
- The employee’s valid 13 Digit South African ID number.
- The employee’s employment details.
- Your e-mail address, which will be used for all correspondence.
- Your banking details, as well as a valid branch code. These bank details will be used for the payment of the UIF contributions.
How do UIF benefits work for domestic workers?
The employer is responsible for deducting 1% from his/her pocket for every worker they employ, as well as an additional 1% from the domestic worker’s payment, thus bringing the total contribution made to UIF to 2%. This 2% payment has to be made every month until the employee leaves her/his employer. If payment is regularly made by the employer, it should not be a problem for the employee to claim in the event they lose job and need to.
Also see: All about the government subsidy for first time home buyers
