Here’s the deal
- A timesheet records when and how long your domestic helper worked: start, end, breaks, and the daily total.
- In a private household, the statutory recording obligation under § 17 of the Minimum Wage Act does not apply, unlike in businesses or sectors such as hospitality and construction.
- A timesheet is still worth it: as proof that the minimum wage of €13.90/hour is met, and as the basis for the payslip when hours vary.
- What to include: date, start, end, breaks, and the daily total, signed by both parties at the end of the month.
- You should keep it for at least two years.
In a business, timesheets are mandatory for mini-jobbers, and in the hospitality industry, they are even audited by customs. Many households apply this to their cleaners, assuming they must document every hour without gaps. That is not entirely accurate: employment in a private household is explicitly exempt. Here is why keeping a timesheet is still worthwhile and what it should include.
What is a timesheet?
A timesheet is a simple record of working hours. For each workday, it notes when your domestic helper started, when they finished, any breaks taken, and the total number of hours worked. This can be a sheet of paper, a spreadsheet, or an app.
The purpose is documentation: at the end of the month, both you and your helper can see in black and white how many hours were worked and how the pay is calculated accordingly.
Am I required to keep a timesheet in a private household?
No. For mini-jobs in a private household, there is no statutory requirement to record working hours. The recording obligation is set out in Section 17 of the Minimum Wage Act, and employment in private households (under Section 8a of the Fourth Social Code) is explicitly exempted. In businesses and specific sectors such as construction, hospitality, or logistics, the obligation is strict, with fines of up to €30,000 for violations. These rules, which the customs authority enforces, therefore do not apply to you as a private household.
That applies to mini-jobs. Even for jobs subject to social security contributions in a household, there is no specific timesheet obligation like there is in a business. In both cases, however, keeping a record is advisable for practical reasons.
Why is it still worth keeping a timesheet?
Because if it ever comes down to it, it provides the proof you would otherwise lack. Three reasons:
- Proving the minimum wage. You must pay at least the minimum wage of €13.90/hour (2026). The timesheet demonstrates that the pay and hours worked align and that the minimum threshold is met.
- Accurate payroll. If hours vary from month to month, the timesheet serves as the basis for calculating pay correctly. If you pay a fixed monthly wage, you need it less.
- Avoiding disputes. If the question comes up whether a particular week had more or fewer hours, both sides simply look it up instead of relying on memory.
With a mini-job and its €603 monthly threshold, the overview also helps ensure you don't accidentally exceed the limit.
What belongs in a timesheet?
Not much, but it should be complete. For each working day, you note:
- date
- start and end of work
- breaks
- total hours for that day
At the end of the month, you total the week or the month, and both sides sign. That way, the record is binding for both. Keep the sheets for at least two years, which is also the retention period that applies to businesses.
How does the timesheet relate to pay?
It is the basis for the payslip. The hours recorded, multiplied by the hourly wage, give the gross pay, from which the contributions are then deducted. How gross and net differ is explained in the blog post Net and gross for a domestic helper.
Whether you settle by the hour or agree on a fixed monthly wage is best set out in the employment contract. What belongs in it is in the blog post Employment contract for a domestic helper. Besides the timesheet, two more documents help in day-to-day life: a key receipt when you hand over a key (more in the blog post Key receipt) and, at the end, a reference letter (more in the blog post Reference letter for a domestic helper).
What does quitt take care of for me?
quitt is an app-based service that handles the employment of your domestic helper for you. Recording hours is part of the process: your helper enters their hours directly into the app, for example by scanning a QR code on their phone. quitt then automatically includes these hours in the payslip, contributions included. You no longer have to keep track of sheets or do any calculations by hand.
You remain the employer throughout and decide whom you hire and what you pay. quitt handles all the administrative work behind the scenes. You can see how the employment process works in our blog post Hiring a domestic helper.
Found a household helper? Start the registration and quitt will take over time tracking and payroll. You can see what the service costs on our pricing page.
Record the hours, run the payroll, all in one app
Your helper enters the hours by QR code, quitt settles them and takes care of registration, pay, and insurance. You stay the employer, we do the rest.
