Cost breakdown
| Line item | Monthly estimate | Why it matters |
|---|
Build the pay plan
Enter the agreed terms and a dated wage-floor source. The calculator shows the entered plan and a user-selected retention scenario; it does not certify compliance. All calculations run locally in your browser.
Scenario comparison
The entered plan is shown alongside only the retention buffer you choose. No market-rate or live-in premium is supplied.
| Scenario | Monthly cost | Use when |
|---|
Methodology and assumptions
- Base pay conversion: monthly pay uses the period you choose. Weekly values are multiplied by 52/12; daily values use your working days per week; hourly values use regular hours per week.
- Wage-floor check: the legal floor is converted to a monthly equivalent using the same working pattern, then compared with cash base pay only. In-kind support is shown as employer cost but not treated as a replacement for the cash floor.
- Overtime: estimated from effective hourly cash pay, overtime hours per month, and the multiplier you enter. Confirm the legal overtime rule for your country and role.
- Employer cost: monthly budget equals base cash pay, overtime, allowances, entered in-kind cost, employer contributions, leave reserve, admin cost, one-twelfth of annual bonus, and one-twelfth of setup cost.
- Readiness score: combines wage-floor status, contract readiness, pay records, rest-day clarity, and source freshness. It is an internal planning signal, not a legal certification.
Source and freshness notes
Method reviewed 18 July 2026. The calculator supplies no wage or contribution rate. Enter a current official rate for the same location, worker category, and pay period, and keep the dated notice with the result.
- South Africa Department of Employment and Labour: 2026 National Minimum Wage update
- Kenya Ministry of Labour: Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order 2024
- ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189)
Disclaimer: This tool is for household budgeting and HR planning only. It is not legal, tax, immigration, payroll, or labour-law advice. Domestic worker protections can be strict and local; verify with an official source, payroll professional, labour adviser, union, or lawyer before setting terms.
Practical next steps
Verify wage floor
Write duties
Document hours
Budget contributions
Keep monthly records
- Confirm whether domestic workers are covered by a national minimum wage, sectoral determination, city wage order, or collective agreement.
- Separate cash wage, allowances, in-kind support, and overtime in the agreement so both sides understand the package.
- Record rest days, public holidays, sick leave, annual leave, termination notice, safety expectations, and privacy boundaries.
- Keep a simple monthly pay receipt or payslip even when payment is made in cash or mobile money.
- For migrant or live-in workers, verify work authorization, accommodation standards, passport custody rules, and emergency contact procedures.
Related AfroTools
Move from salary planning to the documents and payroll records needed for a cleaner household employment process.