Household employers urged: Register kasambahays with SSS

The Social Security System has urged household employers to register their household helpers or kasambahay with the SSS to ensure that they are covered by the government’s social security protection program.

SSS president and chief executive officer Robert Joseph de Claro made the call after the SSS launched a Kasambahay Caravan last March 22 in 43 sites in Metro Manila and Rizal.

“Household helpers keep our homes running smoothly but often lack emergency protection. This initiative ensures every kasambahay can access SSS benefits such as sickness, maternity, disability, unemployment, retirement, funeral, and death,” de Claro said in a statement.

He added that registered household helpers can also apply for SSS loan programs, including salary loans and calamity loans.

“They will also get additional protection from the Employees’ Compensation (EC) Program for work-related sickness, disability, or death,” he said.

SSS NCR Operations Group Acting Senior Vice President Benjamin Dolindo Jr. said the caravan aims to strengthen social security coverage for the domestic help sector.

“Social security coverage for the sector that is truly important in our homes is a shared responsibility. May we continue fulfilling our responsibility to ensure that every house helper is registered and protected,” he said.

The Kasambahay Caravan is part of a broader campaign to bring SSS registration and membership services closer to household workers and their employers who are not yet formally enrolled with the SSS.

Under Republic Act 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, employers are required to register their household helpers within 30 days of hiring and remit their contributions.

For household helpers earning P5,000 or more per month, household employers deduct the employee’s share from the salary, add their own contribution, and then pay via accredited channels.

Employers fully cover contributions for household helpers earning P5,000 or less.

Social Security Commissioner Eva Arcos stressed that social security should be viewed as a long-term investment in workers’ well-being.

“We should look at social security as an investment rather than an expense. For every employer who registers their kasambahay, they are not only paying a contribution but also securing a safety net for a worker who helps run their household,” Arcos said. — JMA, GMA News