Domestic Worker Rights in Kuwait

Law No. 68 of 2015 was Kuwait's first dedicated domestic worker statute, passed under Emir's assent and entering force in 2016. Before 2015, domestic workers had no statutory labour rights at all. The law created a baseline — but its protections remain weaker than those in the main Labour Law No. 6/2010, and enforcement gaps are severe.

• Who is covered. Housemaids, cooks, drivers, nannies, gardeners, personal security guards, and similar household workers.
• Working hours. Maximum 12 hours per day with unspecified rest periods inside that span — this is weaker than the 8-hour/day standard under Labour Law 6/2010.
• Rest day. 1 day per week is mandatory.
• Annual leave. 30 days of paid annual leave per year.
• End-of-service gratuity. 1 full month's wages per year of service at contract end — simpler and, for short-service workers, more generous than the Article 51 tiered formula.
• Minimum wage. KD 60/month set by the Ministry of Interior implementing regulations (2016–2017). Many workers earn more under bilateral agreements — the Philippines, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka maintain higher embassy-level floors.
• Overtime. Implementing regulations require overtime pay; the specific rate is not set in the main law but is fixed by ministerial regulation.
• Age limits. Workers must be between 21 and 60 years old (implementing regulations).
• Late wage penalty. KD 10 per month of delay per worker, payable in addition to the unpaid wages themselves. This is a unique Kuwait provision — the main Labour Law has no equivalent statutory late-payment rate.
• Passport confiscation is prohibited under the law — but, critically, no specific criminal penalty attaches to the violation.
• Contract. Must be certified by the Domestic Workers Department (under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour since 2018). It specifies salary, type of work, and contract duration.
• Employer obligations. Adequate housing, food, and medical treatment; prohibition on deploying the worker outside Kuwait without the worker's consent; prohibition on assigning the worker to any household other than the sponsor's.
• Known gaps (as of 2024). No mandatory labour inspections of private households; no criminal penalties for passport confiscation; no right to form unions; and overall protections remain weaker than Labour Law 6/2010.

Worked example. Maria, a Filipino domestic worker, is owed 3 months of wages at KD 200/month, and her passport has been confiscated. She has 2 years of service. Step 1: she goes to the Domestic Workers Department with her contract copy and WhatsApp messages confirming wage amounts. Step 2: she files an unpaid-wages complaint — she is owed KD 600 in wages plus KD 10 × 3 = KD 30 in late-payment penalty, totalling KD 630. Step 3: a separate passport-confiscation complaint — a clear violation, but because the law sets no specific penalty, the Department pressures the employer rather than prosecuting. Step 4: on termination she is entitled to 2 months' wages = KD 400 in gratuity (1 month × 2 years).