Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology
Section IV. On the Duties of Household Masters and Domestic Servants
Preliminary Note. The discussion concerns workers who have been received into the family, and therefore pertain to the masterly society.
I. Duties of masters. Masters are bound regarding domestic servants:
To treat them kindly, by not imposing excessive labor on them, by furnishing suitable food to them, and by addressing them humanely1 (St. Alphonsus, III, 342).
Not to dismiss them before the appointed time, unless a legitimate cause is present, and to pay them a just wage; these things are explained at length in the treatise on the Seventh Precept of the Decalogue.
To provide for their spiritual good. This is clear both from Sacred Scripture,2 and from the fact that "they are their head, and act in the place of parents; and therefore they are bound in some way to the same things to which parents are bound" (St. Alphonsus, III, 342). It is added that from the encyclical Rerum novarum and from can. 1524 masters must "take care that the same [that is, workers] have a suitable span of time free for piety";3 which you may apply with greater right to masters of domestic servants. Add can. 1335: not only parents and others who hold the place of parents, but also masters and sponsors are bound by the obligation of taking care that all subject or commended to them be instructed by catechetical instruction.
Corollary. "Masters sin gravely: 1. if without just cause they hinder servants from hearing Mass on feasts, or if on feasts they impose servile works;... 2. if they permit an occasion of sinning when they can prevent it; or if they do not correct those gravely offending" (St. Alphonsus, III, 342); 3. if they do not dismiss the incorrigible, unless they would suffer grave detriment from their dismissal.
As to forestalling occasions of sin, Aertnys-Damen rightly notes: "Regularly they should not permit a male servant and female servant of their house to court each other, but they ought to procure that those courting desist from courtship, or dismiss one or the other as soon as possible. Let them provide, as far as can be done, that servants not sleep together in the same bed. Let them also see to it that male servants and female servants are properly separated as to sleeping quarters; otherwise an occasion of sins will easily arise."4
1 Cf. Ecclus. 33:31.
2 1 Tim. 5:8.
3 Namely because they preside over the society which is called masterly (cf. St. Thomas, II-II, q. 65, a. 2; II-II, q. 72, a. 2, ad 2). From this encyclical masters must "effect that the worker have a suitable span of time free for piety."
4 Aertnys-Damen, I, 556.
II. Duties of servants. Domestic servants owe their masters reverence, obedience, and faithful service.
They owe them reverence and obedience, as is clear from Sacred Scripture;1 likewise from the fact that masters, as governors of the masterly society, are true superiors (St. Alphonsus, III, 343). Faithful service is owed by force of contract, and therefore from justice.
The duties of reverence and obedience, since they regard morally different modes of observance, differ specifically; that the duty of faithful service differs specifically from the aforesaid duties is clear.
Obedience, as regards minors, extends also to morals; those of age are subject as regards domestic governance. Faithful service requires that they fulfill the work to which they are held, with law, contract, and custom considered, labor diligently, and not depart illegitimately before the appointed time (St. Alphonsus, III, cited place).