Kasambahay Law: Wages, Benefits and Rest Days
Department of Labor and Employment · employment
Quick answer
Batas Kasambahay sets a written contract, a minimum age of 15, 8 hours daily rest and 24 consecutive hours weekly rest. Current monthly minimum wages run from ₱5,500 in BARMM to ₱7,800 in NCR. The employer shoulders SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG premiums.
Every figure on this page is from official published documents: LawPhil Project and National Wages and Productivity Commission.
Last verified 2 sources, listed below
LawPhil Project | Republic Act No. 10361, the Domestic Workers Act (Batas Kasambahay)1 · National Wages and Productivity Commission | Current Monthly Minimum Wage For Domestic Workers, July 9, 20262. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with DOLE.
Republic Act No. 10361, the Domestic Workers Act or Batas Kasambahay, approved 18 January 2013, put household work on the same footing as other employment: a written contract, a wage floor, mandatory social insurance, rest days and leave.
One thing about it is widely misquoted. The Act’s own minimum wage figures, of ₱2,500.00 for NCR and ₱1,500.00 elsewhere, are not current. Section 24 provides that the wage boards review and adjust them, and they have, many times over. The current rates are below.
Current monthly minimum wage
From the NWPC summary dated 9 July 2026. Where one figure is shown it applies to both categories; only Regions VIII and IX publish two different rates.
| Region | Wage order | In force since | Cities and 1st class municipalities | Other municipalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCR | NCR-DW-06 | 7 February 2026 | ₱7,800 | ₱7,800 |
| CAR | CAR-DW-07 | 30 December 2025 | ₱6,600 | ₱6,600 |
| I | RB 1-DW-06 | 19 November 2025 | ₱6,700 | ₱6,700 |
| II | 02-DW-07 | 5 November 2025 | ₱6,500 | ₱6,500 |
| III | RBIII-DW-05 | 30 October 2025 | ₱6,500 | ₱6,500 |
| IV-A | RB-IVA-DW-05 | 7 March 2025 | ₱6,750 | ₱6,750 |
| IV-B | RB-MIMAROPA-DW-06 | 1 January 2026 | ₱7,000 | ₱7,000 |
| V | RBV-DW-04 | 5 April 2025 | ₱6,000 | ₱6,000 |
| VI | RBVI-DW-07 | 19 November 2025 | ₱6,500 | ₱6,500 |
| VII | ROVII-DW-05 | 4 October 2025 | ₱7,000 | ₱7,000 |
| VIII | RBVIII-DW-06 | 8 December 2025 | ₱6,400 | ₱5,800 |
| IX | RIX-DW-06 | 20 May 2026 | ₱6,000 | ₱5,500 |
| X | RBX-DW-06 | 16 January 2026 | ₱6,500 | ₱6,500 |
| XI | RB XI-DW-04 | 13 March 2026 | ₱6,500 | ₱6,500 |
| XII | RB XII-DW-05 | 2 November 2025 | ₱6,000 | ₱6,000 |
| XIII | RXIII-DW-06 | 3 January 2026 | ₱6,500 | ₱6,500 |
| BARMM | BARMM-DW-02 | 8 January 2026 | ₱5,500 | ₱5,500 |
NCR’s ₱7,800 against BARMM’s ₱5,500 is a spread of ₱2,300 a month, so the highest rate is about 1.42 times the lowest. That division is arithmetic on the board’s figures, not one the NWPC prints.
What the increases were
| Region | Increase granted |
|---|---|
| NCR | ₱800 |
| CAR | ₱600 |
| I | ₱700 |
| II, III, IV-B, VI, X, XIII, BARMM | ₱500 |
| IV-A | ₱750 cities, ₱1,750 other municipalities |
| V | ₱1,000 |
| VII | ₱1,000 cities, ₱2,000 other municipalities |
| VIII | ₱400 cities, ₱300 other municipalities |
| IX | ₱500 to ₱1,000 cities, ₱500 other municipalities |
| XI | ₱500 cities, ₱1,500 other municipalities |
| XII | ₱1,000 cities, ₱1,500 other municipalities |
Social benefits, and the ₱5,000 line
Section 30 covers a domestic worker who has rendered at least 1 month of service under SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.
Premium payments or contributions shall be shouldered by the employer. However, if the domestic worker is receiving a wage of ₱5,000.00 and above per month, the domestic worker shall pay the proportionate share.
Every current regional minimum is above ₱5,000.00, the lowest being BARMM’s ₱5,500.00. So on today’s wage orders a kasambahay paid the legal minimum is in the proportionate-share band everywhere in the country, and the full-employer rule now applies mainly to part-time or below-minimum arrangements.
Hours, rest and leave
| Entitlement | Amount | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Daily rest | Aggregate 8 hours per day | 20 |
| Weekly rest | At least 24 consecutive hours | 21 |
| Service incentive leave | 5 days paid, after 1 year of service | 29 |
| Minimum age | 15 years | 16 |
The weekly rest day is agreed in writing, and Section 21 requires the employer to respect the domestic worker’s preference. Unused leave is not cumulative, not carried over, and not convertible to cash.
Thirteenth month pay applies as provided by law. The 13th month pay guide covers how it is computed.
Wages: how they must be paid
| Rule | Section |
|---|---|
| Paid in cash, directly to the worker, at least once a month, on time | 25 |
| No deductions other than those mandated by law, unless the worker consents in writing | 25 |
| A pay slip every pay day showing the amount and any deductions | 26 |
| Pay slips kept by the employer for 3 years | 26 |
| The employer may not interfere with how wages are spent, or require purchases from the employer | 27 |
| Withholding wages is unlawful, directly or indirectly | 28 |
Section 28 carries one clause that runs the other way: if the domestic worker leaves without justifiable reason, unpaid salary for a period not exceeding 15 days is forfeited.
Before employment starts
Section 11 requires a written employment contract executed before service begins, in a language or dialect both parties understand, with a copy given to the worker.
Section 12 lets the employer require, before signing: a medical or health certificate from a local government health officer, barangay and police clearance, an NBI clearance, and a duly authenticated birth certificate or other proof of age.
Section 17 then requires the employer to register the worker in the Registry of Domestic Workers at the barangay where the employer lives.
The barangay clearance guide, the police clearance guide and the NBI clearance guide cover three of those documents.
Ending the employment
Neither side may end the contract early except on the statutory grounds.
| Situation | Consequence | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Unjust dismissal | Compensation already earned plus 15 days work as indemnity | 32 |
| Worker leaves without just cause | Unpaid salary up to 15 days forfeited | 28, 32 |
| Worker may end it for verbal or emotional abuse, or inhuman treatment including physical abuse | At any time | 33 |
| Employer may end it for misconduct, wilful disobedience of a lawful order, or gross or habitual neglect | At any time | 34 |
On severance, Section 35 requires the employer to issue a certificate of employment within 5 days of a request, stating the nature and duration of service and work performance.
Abuse, and the penalty
Section 31 provides that any abused or exploited domestic worker shall be immediately rescued by a municipal or city social welfare officer, or a DSWD social welfare officer, in coordination with barangay officials.
Section 40 sets the penalty for any unlawful violation of the Act at a fine of ₱10,000.00 to ₱40,000.00, without prejudice to a separate civil or criminal action by the aggrieved party.
The barangay protection order guide covers the same-day order available where the abuse is by a member of the household.
What this page does not cover
The Act leaves the wage rates to the regional boards, so the figures above will move; check the NWPC summary’s own date before relying on them. This page also does not cover the DOLE implementing rules, the licensing of private employment agencies under Section 36, or the SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG contribution amounts themselves, which have their own schedules.
Related
The certificate of employment guide compares the 5-day kasambahay rule with the 3 days an ordinary employee gets.
The minimum wage guide covers the separate rates for ordinary employment, the SSS contribution table and the PhilHealth contribution table cover the premiums an employer shoulders here.
The Hong Kong domestic helper guide covers the Minimum Allowable Wage that applies to the same work abroad.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is the minimum wage for a kasambahay?
- It is set by regional wage order, not by the Act. As of the NWPC summary dated 9 July 2026 it runs from ₱5,500.00 a month in BARMM to ₱7,800.00 in NCR. The ₱2,500.00 figure written into the 2013 statute has long been superseded.
- Who pays the SSS and PhilHealth contributions?
- The employer, in full, once the domestic worker has rendered at least 1 month of service. The one exception is in Section 30: if the worker earns ₱5,000.00 a month or more, they pay the proportionate share of the premiums.
- How much rest is a kasambahay entitled to?
- An aggregate daily rest period of 8 hours, under Section 20, and at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in a week under Section 21. The weekly rest day is agreed in writing, and the employer must respect the worker's preference.
- Is there leave?
- Yes. After 1 year of service, 5 days of paid annual service incentive leave. Section 29 says unused leave is not cumulative, is not carried over, and is not convertible to cash.
- What is the minimum age?
- 15. Section 16 makes it unlawful to employ anyone below 15 years of age as a domestic worker.
- Can an employer hold back wages?
- No. Section 28 makes withholding wages unlawful, directly or indirectly. The single exception cuts the other way: if the worker leaves without justifiable reason, unpaid salary for a period not exceeding 15 days is forfeited.
- What if the kasambahay is dismissed unfairly?
- Section 32 gives the compensation already earned plus the equivalent of 15 days work as indemnity. Neither side may end the contract early except on the grounds in Sections 33 and 34.
- What is the penalty for breaking this law?
- A fine of ₱10,000.00 to ₱40,000.00 under Section 40, without prejudice to any civil or criminal action the aggrieved party files separately.