It is commonplace for employers to reduce the working hours / days of domestic workers. This may be for the employers own financial reasons or a change in circumstances (e.g. where children have left the house and a full-time domestic worker is no longer required).

The best way to achieve a change to terms and conditions of employment is to reach agreement with your domestic worker. An informal discussion should take place regarding the intended change to working hours. In exchange for an agreement to such a reduction the employer may wish to offer an increased hourly wage rate or some other benefit (but there is no obligation for the employer to do so).

Where a domestic worker refuses the change, then a formal retrenchment process as set out above should be followed. The employer should offer as an alternative to the retrenchment a reduction in working hours (subject to the domestic worker agreeing).

Where a domestic worker agrees, then he/she is will not be retrenched and will be employed on new terms and conditions of employment. This must be recorded in writing. Where a domestic worker refuses, then following the retrenchment consultation process he/she should be dismissed and paid the statutory retrenchment payments referred to above.