Domestic work has emerged as the fastest growing sector of women’s employment in urban India. It enables first entry to paid work, especially for women from low-income households. As such it has become a characteristic feature of women in India’s labour market. While many studies have been conducted on working and living conditions, limited evidence is available on the demand side of domestic work, and in particular about employers’ attitudes on domestic workers. This study explains how domestic workers are hired, how wages are negotiated and how employers perceive workers.