How the 13th-month pay is calculated for domestic workers
In Italy every domestic worker – housekeeper (colf), carer (badante), babysitter – is entitled to a 13th monthly salary, the tredicesima, equal to one month of total actual pay. It accrues in twelfths: each month of work earns 1/12. It is paid by December (usually with the December pay or before Christmas) and, if the employment ends during the year, it is paid pro rata with the final payslip. A month counts if the employment lasted at least 15 days in that month.
Hourly workers (non live-in)
Start from the average monthly pay: hourly rate × weekly hours × 52 ÷ 12. The monthly accrual is one twelfth of that.
Example: €9 per hour for 20 hours a week → 9 × 20 × 52 ÷ 12 = €780 a month → accrual €65 → 13th-month pay of €780 for a full year, €325 if the employment started in August (5 months).
Live-in workers (monthly pay)
Use the gross monthly pay plus the board and lodging allowance (indennità di vitto e alloggio), which is part of the total actual pay and therefore also of the 13th month; its daily value is set every year by the contract tables. Non live-in workers have no allowance.
Good to know
- The 13th month also accrues during holidays, sickness and injury; during maternity leave only the employer's share (20%) accrues.
- If the hours changed during the year, calculate each period with its own hours and add them up.
- INPS contributions are due on the 13th month as on any other pay: the worker's share is withheld and contributions are paid with the December quarter.
- Domestic employers are not withholding agents: the 13th month is paid gross and the worker declares it with the rest of her income.
The reference contract
The rules applied are those of the Italian national collective agreement for domestic work (CCNL lavoro domestico: housekeepers, carers, babysitters), which covers every regular domestic employment in Italy. Amounts are gross: INPS social contributions (including the worker's share) and taxes are separate. This calculator is meant for a quick estimate; for the official payslip and special cases (vertical part-time, changes of hours during the year, long absences) ask an employers' association, a labour consultant or a payroll service.
Frequently asked questions
When must the 13th month be paid?
By December, usually with the December pay or before Christmas. If the employment ends earlier, it is paid with the final payslip, pro rata to the months accrued.
The carer started mid-year: how much is due?
One twelfth of the monthly pay for every month in which she worked at least 15 days: enter the start date and the calculator does the rest.
Is the board and lodging allowance included?
Yes, for live-in workers: it is part of the total actual pay on which the 13th month is calculated.