DOMESTIC SERVICE WAGES COUNCIL 
WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.40 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.40
DOMESTIC SERVICE WAGES COUNCIL 
WAGE REGULATION ORDER
1st February, 1976
LEGAL NOTICE 7 of 1976, as amended by Legal Notices 65 of 1976, 76
and 108 of 1977, 36 of 1978, 2, 25 and 66 of 1979, 30 of 1980, 33 of 1981
and 122 of 1989.
Title.
Wage Regulation Order.
Application of 
Order.
2. The provisions set out in the Schedule to this Order shall
apply to all employees in respect of whom the Domestic Service
Wages Council operates.
Amended by:
L.N. 65 of 1976;
L.N. 76 of 1977;
L.N.108 of 1977;
L.N. 36 of 1978;
L.N. 2 of 1979;
L.N. 25 of 1979;
L.N. 66 of 1979; 
L.N. 30 of 1980; 
L.N. 33 of 1981;
L.N. 122 of 1989.  
SCHEDULE
(Article 2)
Interpretation.
Cap. 252.
1. In this Schedule unless the context otherwise requires - 
"customary holidays" means the days (other than Sundays)
declared for the time being to be public holidays by or under the
National Holidays and other Public Holidays Act;
"day" means the time of twenty-four consecutive hours;
"double pay" means double the minimum day’s pay applicable to
an employee;
"hours of work" means the time on any day during which
employees are at the disposal of the employer, exclusive of the
intervals allowed for meals and rest;
"meals" means morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and supper;
"part-time employee" means an employee who is not a whole-
time employee;
"remuneration" means wages or earnings, payable in money by
an employer to an employee;
"time-and-a-half" and "double-time" means respectively one-
and-a-half times and twice the minimum time rate applicable to the
employee;
"week" means a calendar week;
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"whole-time employee" means an employee who works for more
than twenty-four hours spread over a period of not less than four
days in any one week with the same employer.
Main groups of 
domestic workers.
2. For the purposes of this Wage Regulation Order, there shall
be six groups of workers in domestic service, as follows:
GROUP 1  shall consist of those workers engaged by the
month who sleep in their employer’s house on not
less than seventeen nights in any month;
GROUP 2 shall consist of those workers engaged by the
month who sleep in their employer’s house on less
than seventeen nights a month or not at all;
GROUP 3 shall consist of these workers engaged by the week
who sleep in their employer’s house on not less
than four nights in any week;
GROUP 4 shall consist of those workers engaged by the week
who sleep in their employer’s house on less than
four nights a week or not at all;
GROUP 5 shall consist of those workers who are engaged by
the day;
GROUP 6 shall consist of those workers who are engaged by
the hour.
Hours of work. 3. The hours of work of workers in Groups 1 and 3 on those
days when they do not sleep in their employer’s house, of workers
in Groups 2 and 4 on those days when they do not sleep in their
employer’s house, and of workers in Group 5, shall be not more
than eight in any day but not more than forty-four hours in any
week, this being up to the 28th February, 1990 and forty hours
thereafter, exclusive of breaks for meals and rest.
Minimum 
remuneration.
4. ( a ) The minimum remuneration of maids and other
female workers who are not referred to in sub-paragraph ( b ) of this
paragraph shall be as follows :
Whole-Timers
Female workers in Group 1  ..................... Lm119.14,0 per month
Female workers in Group 2  ..................... Lm117.14,0 per month
Female workers in Group 3  ...................... Lm 27.48,0 per week
Female workers in Group 4 ....................... Lm 26.88,0 per week
Part-Timers
Female workers in Group 5  ....................... Lm4.98,0 per day 
Female workers in Group 6 ................................... 66c per hour:
Provided that for employment exceeding four hours in any
one day payment shall in no case be less than the equivalent of a
day’s work:
Provided further that any part-time worker who qualifies as
a whole-time employee in accordance with paragraph 1 of this
Schedule shall be entitled to the full weekly wage applicable under
this sub-paragraph notwithstanding that she works for less than six
DOMESTIC SERVICE WAGES COUNCIL 
WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.40 3
days.
( b ) The minimum remuneration of any female worker
being a housekeeper, a nannie, a cook, a baby-sitter or a nurse-maid
shall be as follows :
Whole-Timers
Female workers in Group 1 ..................... Lm123.50,0 per month
Female workers in Group 2  .................... Lm121.50,0 per month
Female workers in Group 3  ..................... Lm 28.48,0 per week
Female workers in Group 4 ...................... Lm 27.88,0 per week
Part-Timers
Female workers in Group 5 ........................ Lm 5.15,0 per day
Female workers in Group 6 68c per hour:
Provided that for employment exceeding four hours in any
one day payment shall in no case be less than the equivalent of a
day’s work:
Provided further that any part-time worker who qualifies as
a whole-time employee in accordance with paragraph 1 of this
Schedule shall be entitled to the full weekly wage applicable under
this sub-paragraph notwithstanding that she works for less than six
days.
( c ) The minimum remuneration of male workers shall be
as follows:
Whole-Timers
Male workers in Group 1 ......................... Lm125.99,0 per month
Male workers in Group 2  ........................ Lm123.99,0 per month
Male workers in Group 3  ......................... Lm 29.l3,0 per week
Male workers in Group 4  ......................... Lm 28.38,0 per week
Part-Timers
Male workers in Group 5 ............................ Lm 5.23,0 per day
Male workers in Group 6  ....................................... 71c per hour:
Provided that for employment exceeding four hours in any
one day payment shall in no case be less than the equivalent of a
day’s work:
Provided further that any part-time worker who qualifies as
a whole-time employee in accordance with paragraph 1 of this
Schedule shall be entitled to the full weekly wage applicable under
this sub-paragraph notwithstanding that he works for less than six
days.
( d ) The wage payable to any female worker shall not be
less than the wage payable to any male worker in the same class or
category.
Minimum overtime 
remuneration.
5. (1) Workers in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 on those days when
they do not sleep in their employer’s house and workers in Group 5
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shall be entitled for payment at time-and-a-half for all time worked
over eight hours in normal days and for all time worked over forty-
four hours in any one week, this being up to 28th February, 1990
and for all time worked over forty hours after the 28th February,
1990.
(2) Workers who work on a customary holiday shall be entitled
to double pay for one day’s work and payment at double time for
all time worked over eight hours.
(3) Workers who work on their weekly day of rest shall be
entitled to payment at double-time for all time worked.
Meals. 6. ( a ) Workers in Groups 1 and 3 on those days when they
sleep in their employer’s house, and workers in Groups
2 and 4 on those days whey they sleep in their
employer’s house shall be entitled to all meals, and on
those days whey they do not sleep in their employer’s
house they shall be entitled to all means except supper.
( b ) Workers in Group 5 shall be entitled to all meals
except supper.
( c ) Workers in Group 6 shall be entitled to coffee or tea
after working for not less than two hours and shall be
further entitled to lunch or supper, as the case may be,
after working in the aggregate for not less than five
hours.
( d ) Workers in Groups 1 and 3 on those days when they do
not sleep in their employer’s house, workers in Groups
2 and 4 on those days when they do not sleep in their
employer’s house and workers in Group 5, shall be
entitled to supper when their hours of work in excess
of eight in any day exceed three:
Provided that workers in Groups 1 and 2 shall
have twenty liri amd seventy-six cents deducted
monthly from their minimum remuneration, workers in
Groups 3 and 4 shall have four liri and seventy-nine
cents deducted weekly from their minimum
remuneration, and workers in Group 5 shall have
eighty cents deducted daily from their minimum
remuneration, as compensation for meals to which they
shall be entitled as aforesaid:
Provided that workers in Group 6 shall have no
deduction from their minimum remuneration as
compensation for meals to which they may be entitled
as long as they are not entitled to a day’s pay in which
case they shall have sixty-nine cents deducted from
their minimum remuneration; and:
Provided further that should workers not avail
themselves of their right to any meals as aforesaid,
they shall not be entitled to any pecuniary
compensation in substitution therefor.
Minimum daily 
rest. 
7. ( a ) Workers in Groups l and 3 on those days when they
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WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.40 5
sleep in their employer’s house, and workers in Groups
2 and 4 on those days when they sleep in their
employer’s house, shall be entitled to a minimum daily
rest of three hours in the aggregate in every day, the
time or times of rest to be fixed by the employer after
consultation with the employee.
( b ) Workers in Groups 1 and 3 on those days when they do
not sleep in their employer’s house and workers in
Groups 2 and 4 on those days when they do not sleep in
their employer’s house, and workers in Group 5, shall
be allowed. in any one day intervals of not less, in the
aggregate, than forty-five minutes for meals and rest.
Minimum weekly 
rest.
8. Workers in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall be entitled to a day’s
rest in every week, such day of rest being fixed by the employer
after consultation with the employee:
Provided that in special cases with the consent of both
employer and employee the worker shall be entitled to a holiday of
a number of days equivalent to the number of weekly days of rest
of which he does not avail himself up to but not exceeding seven.
Vacation leave.
whole-time employees may be entitled under paragraph 8, whole-
time employees shall be entitled to the national holidays and to all
public holidays with full pay, and to the following vacation leave
not being less than:
( a ) four working weeks and one working day during the
calendar years 1988 and 1989;
( b ) four working weeks and two working days during the
calendar year 1990;
( c ) four working weeks and three working days during the
calendar year 1991;
( d ) four working weeks and four working days during the
calendar year 1992 and during any calendar year
thereafter:
Provided that when a whole-time employee is in
employment for less than twelve months during any calendar year,
he shall be entitled to such part of the said vacation leave as is in
proportion to the number of months in employment.
(2) For the purposes of this paragraph "vacation leave" means
leave with pay which may be availed of on days agreed upon
between the employer and the emplyee, provided that one day
vacation leave during 1988 ard 1989, two days vacation leave
during 1990, three days vacation leave during 1991, and four days
vacation leave during 1992 and during any calendar year thereafter
shall not form part of any shutdown and shall be granted by the
employer as optional leave in addition to any optional leave the
employee may have been entitled to on the 9th November, 1988.
Sick leave.
Cap. 318.
10. After the completion of six months continuous service,
workers in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall be entitled to fourteen days
paid sick leave in every calendar year less any sickness benefit to
which they may be entitled under the Social Security Act:
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Provided that a medical certificate certifying incapacity for
work covering the whole period of absence is produced to the
employer.
Injury leave.
Cap. 318.
11. A whole-time employee shall be entitled to a maximum of
one year injury leave on full pay, less the full amount of any injury
benefit to which such employee may be entitled in terms of the
Social Security Act, if he is injured during the actual discharge of
his duty and such injury is not due to any contributory negligence
on his part or to the contravention by him of any safety rules laid
down by the management.
Bereavement 
leave.
12. Employees in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall be entitled to two
days paid leave on the occasion of the death of any of the following
relations: the wife or husband, the mother or father, the daughter or
son, and the sister or brother.
Marriage leave. 13. Employees falling under Groups 1, 2, 3 or 4 shall be
entitled to three working days leave on full pay on the occasion of
their marriage.
Birth leave. 14. A male worker in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall be entitled to
two days leave with pay on the occasion of the birth of a child to
his lawful wife.
Jury service. 15. Employees falling under Groups 1, 2, 3 or 4 called for jury
service shall be allowed all necessary time off on full pay to enable
them to attend to such services in Court.
Retiring age. 16. In cases where the retiring age of a male employee is
expected at the age of sixty years, such employee shall be given the
opportunity by his employer to retain his employment beyond this
age at least until the age of sixty-one years, provided that the
employee in question shall still be allowed, if he so wishes, to retire
at the age of sixty years.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order but it is intended to indicate its
applicability).
The above Order applies to employees employed in private
households, engaged in domestic duties, such as servants, maids,
housekeepers, cooks, butlers, valets, handymen, cleaners,
charwomen, washerwomen, baby-sitters, nursemaids, and other
persons employed in related work, including chauffeurs, gardeners
and similar occupations connected with the household.
In this paragraph ''private households'' includes charitable
institutions, monasteries and convents but does not include any
hospital, clinic, nursing home, institute of medico-surgical
treatment, maternity home or hydropathic establishment, home for
aged persons or schools run by any such households.
