Setting up a legal Jamaican nanny contract — free template included

DOMESTIC WORKER EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

This Agreement is made on the [DATE] day of [MONTH], [YEAR]

BETWEEN:

[EMPLOYER FULL NAME], of [ADDRESS, PARISH], holder of TRN [TRN] (“the Employer”)

AND

[EMPLOYEE FULL NAME], of [ADDRESS, PARISH], holder of TRN [TRN] and JCF Police Certificate dated [DATE] (“the Employee”).

1. POSITION + DUTIES

The Employee is hired as [POSITION: e.g. Nanny / Helper / Live-in Caregiver], with the following primary duties:

• [e.g. childcare for [child name(s)] aged [ages]]
• [e.g. school pickup from [school] at [time]]
• [e.g. light meal preparation for the children]
• [e.g. tidying of children's spaces and laundry]
• [etc.]

The Employee shall not be required to perform tasks substantially outside the scope of these duties without mutual written agreement.

2. START DATE + PROBATION

Employment begins [START DATE]. The first [30 / 60 / 90] days are a probationary period during which either party may terminate the contract on [7] days' notice.

3. HOURS + DAYS OF WORK

Regular working hours are [e.g. 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM] from [Monday] to [Friday], totaling [45] hours per week. The Employee's rest day is [Sunday].

Any hours beyond the agreed weekly total shall be compensated at 1.5× the regular hourly rate on weekdays and 2× the regular hourly rate on Sundays and public holidays, in accordance with the Holidays with Pay Act.

4. WAGES + PAYMENT

The Employer shall pay the Employee at the rate of JMD $[RATE] per hour (or JMD $[WEEKLY AMOUNT] per week), payable [weekly / fortnightly] on [day of week], by [bank transfer / Lynk / cash].

The agreed wage meets or exceeds the National Minimum Wage as set by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (JMD $17,000 per 40-hour week as of July 1, 2026).

5. STATUTORY DEDUCTIONS + CONTRIBUTIONS

The Employer shall register the Employee with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the National Housing Trust (NHT) and remit contributions monthly:

• NIS: 3% employer contribution + 3% employee contribution (deducted from wages)
• NHT: 3% employer contribution + 2% employee contribution (deducted from wages)

If the Employee's annual earnings exceed the income tax threshold (currently JMD $1.7 million), PAYE income tax shall be deducted at the applicable rate.

6. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The Employee is entitled to the eleven (11) gazetted Jamaican public holidays as paid days off. If the Employee works on a public holiday, she/he shall receive either time-off-in-lieu or double pay, at the Employer's discretion.

7. VACATION LEAVE

After completion of one (1) year of continuous service, the Employee is entitled to two (2) weeks of paid vacation per year. After five (5) years of continuous service, this increases to three (3) weeks per year, in accordance with the Holidays with Pay Act.

8. SICK LEAVE

After 110 days of continuous employment, the Employee is entitled to ten (10) paid sick days per year. A medical certificate is required for absences of two (2) consecutive days or more.

9. MATERNITY LEAVE

A female Employee with at least 12 months of continuous service is entitled to twelve (12) weeks of maternity leave under the Maternity Leave Act, eight (8) of which shall be paid at full wages.

10. CONFIDENTIALITY

The Employee agrees to maintain confidentiality regarding the Employer's family, household affairs, and any information learned in the course of employment, both during and after employment. This includes refraining from posting photos, videos, or details of the household or its children on social media without express written consent.

11. CHILD PROTECTION

The Employee acknowledges the obligations of any caregiver under the Child Care and Protection Act, 2004, including the prohibition of corporal punishment, the duty of care toward each child in their charge, and the obligation to report suspected abuse.

12. TERMINATION

After the probationary period, either party may terminate this contract on:

• Two (2) weeks' notice during the first year of service
• One (1) week of notice for each completed year thereafter, minimum two (2) weeks

In the event of redundancy, the Employee is entitled to redundancy pay calculated under the Employment (Termination and Redundancy Payments) Act: two (2) weeks' pay per year of service for the first ten (10) years, and three (3) weeks' pay per year thereafter.

Summary dismissal without notice or redundancy pay is permitted only for serious misconduct, including theft, abuse, persistent absence without leave, or breach of the Child Protection clause above.

13. GOVERNING LAW

This contract is governed by the laws of Jamaica. Any dispute that cannot be resolved between the parties may be referred to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal or the courts of Jamaica.

SIGNED

EMPLOYER

_______________________   Date: _______________

[Print name]

EMPLOYEE

_______________________   Date: _______________

[Print name]

WITNESS

_______________________   Date: _______________

[Print name + relationship]