Here’s the deal
- A full written employment contract is not required by law. But you do have to give your domestic helper the key terms of the job in writing, even for a mini-job. That is set out in the Nachweisgesetz (Employment Conditions Act).
- A proper contract covers both at once: it meets the disclosure duty and prevents disputes over pay, holiday, and notice.
- What belongs in it: names and addresses, start date, the work, place of work, pay and when it is due, working hours and breaks, holiday, and notice periods.
- Since 1 January 2025, text form is enough, so a PDF by email will do. Failing to hand over the terms at all can cost a fine of up to 2,000 €.
- The minimum wage in 2026 is 13.90 €/hour. That is the floor for the pay you set out in the contract.
"You don't need a contract for a cleaner." You hear that a lot, and it is half right. A signed employment contract really is not required. What many people miss: you still have to put the key terms of the job in writing and hand them over, otherwise you risk a fine and a dispute with no proof. A proper contract is usually the simpler route, because it takes care of that duty in one go. Here is what applies and what belongs in it.
Is a written employment contract mandatory?
No, a signed employment contract is not required by law. An employment relationship also comes into being verbally, the moment someone works for you in return for pay. But there is a duty of a different kind: under the Nachweisgesetz (Employment Conditions Act) you must put the key terms of employment in writing and give them to your helper.
Since 2022 that covers noticeably more items than before, including rules on overtime, notice procedures, and working hours. What is new is the form: since 1 January 2025 text form is enough, so a PDF by email will do and a handwritten signature is no longer needed. Failing to hand over the terms at all is a regulatory offence that can be fined up to 2,000 €. There is one important exception. If you want to fix a term for the employment, the fixed-term agreement still has to be signed on paper under § 14 (4) TzBfG.
Why is an employment contract still worth it?
Because it handles the disclosure duty and the clarity in one document. Instead of drawing up a separate list of the terms, you set everything out once in the contract, sign it, and both sides are on the same page.
The second reason is the more important one: a contract saves you trouble. Without anything in writing, every disagreement comes down to one word against another, whether it is about holiday, the notice period, or the question of what was actually agreed on pay. With a contract you simply look it up. And since a job like this often runs for years, that clarity pays off.
What has to go into a domestic helper's contract?
In short, all the points the Nachweisgesetz requires. For a private household, the core ones are:
- your name and address and those of your domestic helper
- the start of the employment, and the end date if it is fixed-term
- the place of work, usually your home
- a description of the work (cleaning, childcare, gardening, and so on)
- the amount and make-up of the pay, when it is due, and how it is paid
- the agreed working hours and the breaks
- the length of annual holiday
- notice periods and the procedure for terminating the job
- if agreed: a rule on overtime
- recommended although not required: a clause requiring your help to tell you about other jobs
That last point is not fine print in a private household. If your household help also works for other households, the wages are added together. If the total exceeds 603 € a month, your employment also becomes fully insurable, in some cases retroactively. So the contract should state that she informs you about additional jobs.
For the pay, the statutory minimum wage of 13.90 €/hour (2026) is the floor; you may not agree on less. Set the pay out as a gross wage and arrange payment by bank transfer, because that is the only way to secure the tax rebate later.
Does this also apply to a mini-job?
Yes, without exception. The Nachweisgesetz draws no distinction by pay or hours, it applies to every job. Even someone working only a few hours a month as a mini-job is entitled to the written terms of employment. So the widespread assumption that a mini-job needs "nothing in writing" is simply wrong.
Whether your helper's job runs as a mini-job or becomes subject to social security depends on the monthly wage. Where the threshold lies and what it means for contributions is covered in the blog post Mini-job or midi-job?. The contract itself does not change with the type of job: the mandatory details are the same either way.
Where do I get a template?
A template should cover all the mandatory details of the Nachweisgesetz, otherwise it does not do its job. Plenty of ready-made samples circulate online; make sure they really contain all the points above and that the pay is not below the minimum wage.
The easiest option is for the contract to be created right when you register the job, rather than you piecing it together separately.
What does quitt take care of for me?
quitt is an app-based service that handles the employment of your domestic helper for you. You enter the key details, that is who works for you, at what pay, and for how many hours. From that, quitt draws up a proper, legally valid employment contract with all the mandatory details, and at the same time takes care of registration, payroll, and insurance. You no longer have to think about the disclosure duty, it is met with the contract.
You stay the employer throughout and decide whom you hire and what you pay. quitt does the work behind it.
Found a household helper? Start the registration and quitt draws up the contract along with it. You can see what the service costs on the pricing page.
We draw up the contract along with it
You enter the pay and working hours, quitt creates the legally valid employment contract and takes care of registration, payroll, and insurance. You stay the employer, we do the rest.
