Many households are turning to the internet to learn about managing their domestic worker’s affairs properly, including issuing payslips and managing their leave while complying with SA’s labour laws.
With over 1,6 million people working in households in SA, the sector is one of the biggest informal employers in the country. However, it still remains one of the most exploitative, with little oversight, compliance or government monitoring.
We are trying to give domestic workers the dignity and benefit that any employment relationship is legally obligated to have within SA
— AskMandla CEO Peter Adolphs
Around 80% of these employment relationships are informal, with no written contracts, no Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) registrations, no payslips, and no records of work.
The AskMandla WhatsApp online platform bridges the gap between employer compliance and the protection of domestic workers’ rights.
The brainchild of CEO Peter Adolphs and chief legal officer Janine Kane-Berman, AskMandla was launched on Workers’ Day last year to help households who might find it difficult and daunting to navigate the legalities relating to domestic work, such as the UIF.
Kane-Berman said AskMandla was designed to serve excluded domestic workers and help integrate them into the formal sector. “I think the first point is education,” she said.
“People don’t see domestic workers as employees and treat them as members of their family. So many don’t know that the household must supply them with a contract and where to find that contract. Ask Mandla is a trustworthy platform to get that basic information.”
Kane-Berman said that most families find it daunting and difficult to register their domestic workers because of shortcomings in the department of employment and labour’s administration processes. “People want to do the right thing, but the government’s protocols are broken. Yes, there are lots of issues, and we are here to help solve the problems,” she said.
AskMandla can handle contracts, the UIF registration process, leave tracking, payroll and monthly payslips for domestic staff. All contracts, payslips, UIF records, and leave history are securely stored on WhatsApp and ready when needed for audits and dispute resolutions.
Domestic workers can also interact with the site via WhatsApp to check if they are paid fairly based on the hours they’ve worked. Employers pay R49 a month to access all AskMandla’s services and can use the platform to ask for quick advice.
AskMandla has about 10,000 users so far, has processed just over R5m in net salaries and generated 1,011 payslips since its inception. The site has also launched the Earned Wage Access system, which allows workers to draw a portion of wages they’ve already earned mid-month and have the money in their account within 24 hours. The withdrawal is kept at 25% of their total monthly earnings.
Adolphs said this withdrawal is not a credit or a loan. “It’s money that the worker would have already earned for that month, and having access to it protects them from going to loan sharks for an emergency loan.
“We are trying to give domestic workers the dignity and benefit that any employment relationship is legally obligated to have within SA. What domestic employers don’t realise are the legal requirements around it. They treat them as family, and family members don’t get payslips,” he said.
“The fundamental fact is that these people raising you kids and cooking and cleaning are employees in your household and are protected by the same labour laws as any other employee in SA. They deserve a payslip because that is proof of employment and they need it if they w ant to open a bank account or rent a property. These are things that we take for granted.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.