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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

EXPLAINED: How to legally hire a cleaner in Switzerland

In today’s busy world, cleaners are indispensable help for many households, but you may be surprised to find that hiring one (legally) in Switzerland is not as straightforward as you think. Here’s how you do it the right way.

Published: 26 January 2023 12:59 CET
Updated: 9 March 2024 06:13 CET
A person cleaning.
Many cleaners would benefit from the minimum wage. Photo by Anton on Unsplash

First things first, there are two ways to hire a cleaner legally: you can become an employer yourself, or use a cleaning agency that will put you in touch with a cleaner. The latter will also take care of all the administration and is generally far more convenient (if your cleaning person is off sick for instance, you will be provided with a different cleaner) albeit, more expensive. The agency also assumes all ancillary costs such as AHV and insurance.

However, some people prefer to be more in control and hire a cleaner on their own. Here’s the lowdown on how to do that:

Draw up a contract

First, it is crucial to sit down with your cleaner and establish what kind of tasks and in what capacity they will be required to work for you. While a written employment contract is not mandatory, it is often recommended so you can both agree on the most important key points such as wages, payment method, working hours and areas of responsibility.

Additionally, if your cleaner is not Swiss, make sure they have the necessary work permit. If they are a recognised refugee or temporarily admitted in Switzerland, their employment must be reported prior to beginning to work for you.

After you have drawn up a contractual agreement, you will need to register with your local Ausgleichkasse. In order to register your cleaner, you will need to provide their necessary personal information, such as their AHV number. Ask your cleaner if he or she has a spouse and if they already receive family allowances. If not, you must also register them with a Familienausgleichskasse.

READ MORE: What is the average salary for (almost) every job in Switzerland?

Wages

Cleaners in Switzerland earn an average of 31 francs per hour, but how much you choose to pay your cleaner is ultimately up to you – and varies from canton to canton.

Should your cleaner be required to work irregular hours, make sure to agree an hourly wage including holiday allowance. A holiday surcharge of 8.33 per cent is usual across Switzerland and means that the salary is paid in for four weeks of vacation per year. Alternatively, should you require your cleaner regularly, a monthly salary can be agreed.

A home in Geneva.

A home in Geneva. Photo by Edi Bouazza on Unsplash

On January 1st 2023 the Swiss Federal Council adjusted the minimum wages for domestic workers working over 5 hours a week to an hourly rate of CHF 19.50 to 23.55.

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However, when agreeing on a wage for your cleaner do not forget about the deductions. You will have to deduct 6.4 percent from the gross salary for AHV and IV contributions as well as unemployment insurance and 5 percent withholding tax.

If you register for the simplified accounting procedure – such as with KLARA Home, a digital assistant that helps you hire and insure domestic workers in accordance with the law -, your employee’s taxes will be automatically deducted from their wage, and it spares you having to fill out a wage statement at the end of the year.

Register them with an approved accident insurer. 

As a rule, a cleaner will only work a few hours per week for any household. Despite this, you will have to make a few key arrangements for this work to be conducted legally.

Remember that every person living and working in Switzerland must be registered with an accident insurer, so be sure to register your cleaner with one, as health insurances only cover for non-occupational accidents. Should you require your cleaner for more than eight hours a week, you must also insure them against non-occupational accidents.

What about other obligations?

Once your cleaner is registered, all you need to do is report their gross salary to the compensation office at the end of the year. The insurer will then create a statement of the social security contributions and bill you for them.

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For members

MONEY

Do adult children in Switzerland have to support their parents financially?

Usually, it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure their kids are well taken care of financially. But can Swiss authorities force the children to return the favour in times of need?

Published: 30 April 2024 15:31 CEST
Do adult children in Switzerland have to support their parents financially?

In most cases, once children are grown up and out of the house, they are (or at least should be) self-sufficient in terms of finances.

Parents too should breathe a sigh of relief that they are no longer obligated to pay for their children’s expenses, except perhaps for giving them some money here and there as a gift.

This is what happens in the best-case scenario.

But what if things don’t go according to this plan — for instance, if the parents find themselves in financial straits and can’t  afford to pay their bills?

Family obligations

Generally speaking, the truly needy people who don’t have enough income to pay for their basic living expenses will receive financial help from the government, in the very least in the form of the health insurance and housing subsidy.

READ ALSO: Can I get financial help in Switzerland if I’m struggling to pay the bills?

However, before doling out public money, authorities will see whether relatives should be made to help the struggling individuals pay their bills.

(In this context, ‘relatives’ means only those in the direct line of descent: grandparents, parents, and children.)

They will do it by checking the tax status of these relatives — how much they earn and what other financial assets they have — to determine whether, and how much, they should be paying toward their parents’ expenses.

Obviously, you will be expected to pay up only if your own financial situation allows it; you will not be forced to part with your money if you have very little of it yourself.

 ‘Favourable financial circumstaces’

Based on a Federal Court ruling, if the adult child  lives in ‘favourable financial circumstances’ they are required to help out their struggling parents.

The Court defined ‘favourable financial circumstances’ as income and assets allowing a comfortable life.

‘Comfortable life’, in turn, was defined by the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare (SKOS), as a taxable annual income of 120,000 francs for a single person, and 180,000 francs for married couples.

“If you have minors in your household, the limit is increased by 20,000 francs per child,” according to AXA insurance.

It goes on to say that you can deduct an exempt amount from your taxable assets.

“Your annual depletion of assets is deducted from the remaining amount. This means that if you are obligated to provide financial support, you are permitted to use part of your assets yourself each year; you don’t have to devote your entire assets to providing support.”

At between 18 and 30 years of age, this is 1/60th per year; from 31 to 40, 1/50th per year; 41 to 50, 1/40th per year; 51 to 60, 1/30th per year; and from the age of 61,1/20th per year. 

Are there any exemptions to these rules?

Aside from not having sufficient funds, you could be exempted from paying if, say, your parents, or parent, have not lived up to their own financial obligations toward you.

In Switzerland, parents are required to  provide financially for their children until the age of majority, and even beyond that if they are still studying or undergoing vocational training — typically, until the mid-20s.

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