Do you have DOMESTIC HELP?

Starting Friday, November 14, 2025, residents in Spain who employ private domestic workers – such as cleaners, carers, or nannies – must have a written safety plan for their home or risk being fined.

The rule, published in Spain’s Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), confirms that any home where someone works is legally classed as a workplace. This means anyone who directly employs a domestic worker is now an employer responsible for assessing and reducing potential risks

What exactly do Spanish residents need to do?

From November 14, anyone in Spain who directly hires a domestic worker must:

• Carry out a risk assessment of the home, identifying hazards such as slippery floors, cleaning chemicals, or heavy lifting.

• Implement safety measures, for example, using stable step stools, labelling chemicals, or improving lighting.

• Inform the worker about these risks and keep a written record of the plan.

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To make this easier, Spain’s National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (INSST) has created a free online tool called Prevencion10.es, which walks employers through a series of questions and automatically produces a risk-prevention document to print and share.

The tool was officially launched on May 14, 2025, and residents were given six months to comply, meaning the law becomes enforceable on November 14.

What are the fines for not complying?

Spanish residents who don’t complete the risk assessment may be fined. According to Antena 3, the fines are as follows are from €2,451 to €49,180.

The Labour Inspectorate will decide the severity of each case based on the level of risk and whether an accident occurred.

Why is this being introduced?

The government says the new rule is about ensuring that these workers – many of them women and migrants – enjoy the same occupational safety rights as employees in any other sector.

At the launch of the tool, Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz said, “To make household work fair and decent, we must guarantee safe and healthy working conditions in every home where someone works.”

The reform also aims to formalise Spain’s large informal domestic work industry, where many cleaners and carers are still paid cash in hand and not registered with Social Security.

What if I hire a domestic worker through an agency?

If your hired domestic worker is employed by an agency or cleaning company, then the company is the official employer and must handle the risk assessment.

However, if you pay someone directly, even for a few hours a week, you are legally the employer and must complete the risk plan yourself.

This new rule might seem like more bureaucracy, but it’s designed to protect both workers and employers. Domestic work can involve real risks – from back strain and chemical exposure to slips and falls.