Domestic worker employment records and UIF in South Africa: what employers should keep

If you employ a domestic worker in South Africa, the simplest way to protect both of you is a clear, shared record: hours, pay, leave and UIF. This guide is a plain-language checklist, not legal advice — rules and thresholds change, so confirm the current position with the Department of Employment and Labour or a labour-law professional.

What a good record contains

1. A written agreement that sets out the job, hours, pay, leave and notice period, signed by both of you.
2. Hours worked. A simple daily log of start and finish times, including overtime and public-holiday work.
3. Payslips for every pay period, showing what was paid and what was deducted.
4. Leave taken and leave owing, including annual and sick leave.
5. UIF registration and contributions, kept up to date and receipted.
6. Any other deductions or advances, with the worker’s agreement in writing.

Keeping these in one place means that if there is ever a dispute — about hours, pay or leave — you both have the same facts.

Why it often goes wrong

The usual problem is not bad faith; it is paperwork. Hours are remembered, not recorded. Payslips are skipped because they feel like a hassle. Leave balances live in someone’s head. Both sides then carry a risk: the worker can’t prove what they are owed, and the employer can’t prove what was paid.

One shared record, two apps

Domestic Dynamo is a pair of Android apps built for exactly this. The employer and the person they employ each use the matching app, and the record stays in sync between them:

• Worker app (free): clock in and out from your phone, view and download your payslips, and see your UIF and leave balance.
• Employer app (paid): generate compliant payslips, track hours, leave and UIF, and keep a complete, UIF-ready employment record without the paperwork.

Both work offline — built for South African connectivity — and data is only shared between the two of you.

Domestic Dynamo is in closed beta. Request early access and tell us whether you are an employer or a worker.

A note on legal advice

This post summarises good record-keeping practice. It is not legal advice and does not replace the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act or advice from a labour-law professional.