Employers of domestic workers in South Africa, whether part-time or full-time, are now required to register themselves and their employees with the Compensation Fund.
This follows a Constitutional Court ruling in November last year that said domestic workers should be included in the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).
Compensation Fund gazettes new regulation
Subsequently, the Compensation Fund gazetted regulations that introduce cover for domestic workers in March.
“This means that domestic employees will now be entitled for compensation in the event they are injured or contract diseases while they are on duty,” the gazette notice states.
Registration is therefore important because it enables a domestic worker to claim compensation from the Fund in case an injury or illness puts them out of work.
Claims include temporary or permanent disability, funeral expenses/benefits (claimed by dependants of employee in case of death), orthotics and rehabilitation, and medical benefits.
How to register your domestic worker
To register yourself and your domestic worker, download the Fund’s gazette notice, which is available on the Government Printing Works website here.
Next, scroll down to page 12 where you will find the CF-1E form – Application for the private domestic worker employer registration.
The form is four pages long and ends on page 16 of the gazette notice. Print it and fill in your particulars as well as those of your domestic employee.
In addition to the filled CF-1E form, you need to prepare the following documents:
- A copy of your ID, passport or work permit;
- Proof of your residential address;
- A copy of your employee’s ID, passport or work permit;
- A copy of the employment contract.
Once you have all the required documents, email them to RegistrationCF@labour.gov.za or CFCallcentre@labour.gov.za.
Once the Fund confirms registration, employers will need to provide a Return of Earnings for their domestic worker. This is done between 1 April and 31 May every year to confirm the worker’s income and other benefits the previous year.
The Fund will use this information to calculate the annual fee due from the employer. Once invoiced, employers should settle this fee within 30 days to avoid penalties.
National minimum wage for domestic workers in 2021
As announced by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi in February, the national minimum wage for domestic workers in 2021 is R19.09 per hour.
This baseline is useful for compiling the annual Return of Earnings for your domestic worker.
1 Comment
It is impossible to download the CF-IE form for the registration of domestic workers .