Law & everyday life
Cleaner cancels on the day: do you have to pay her?
If she cancels because something came up, you owe nothing for the missed hours. If she is sick, you keep paying once the employment has lasted more than 3 months. And if you cancel, you pay the hours anyway: 4 hours at CHF 30 are CHF 120.
Who cancels decides who pays. She cancels for her own reasons: no pay for those hours. Illness: continued pay under Art. 324a CO, at least 3 weeks in year 1; for an accident covered by UVG, at least 80% for the day of the accident and the 2 days after, then the insurance pays (Art. 324b CO). You cancel, even for holidays or visitors: full pay under Art. 324 CO, and she does not have to make up the time.
Official sources
Who cancelled decides who pays
Pick the message that arrived this morning. You also see what it puts on the payslip.
What happened?
You pay the whole slot: CHF 120.00.
The full wage for the agreed slot. She does not have to make up the hours.
Art. 324 CO
Start registration →How long when she is sick?
The Code of Obligations only fixes year 1: 3 weeks of pay. Many cantonal standard employment contracts for domestic staff give more, Bern, Basel-Stadt and St. Gallen for example 1 month in year 1. In Geneva, Valais and Jura, daily sickness allowance insurance is compulsory for domestic staff. From which day a doctor's note is needed is set by your contract; the law names no day.
What to write to her today
Short, friendly and with a next step. For feedback, holidays or a raise there are more WhatsApp templates. Pick the situation that fits:
One tap: the message is ready.
›You stay in control: tap, copy, tweak, send.
Pay cancellations, sick days and holidays correctly
Whether a slot is paid belongs on the payslip. Clino calculates missed, sick and employer-cancelled hours correctly and prepares her registration with the compensation office. CHF 19.90 a month, 30 days free.
Start registration →If she keeps cancelling on the day
- Note the date and reason of every cancellation over 6 to 8 weeks.
- Agree a cancellation deadline in a short talk, for example 20:00 the evening before, and confirm it in writing. The guide to warnings and conflicts shows what a fair written warning looks like.
- If nothing changes, give ordinary notice with the contractual period, ideally with a ready-made termination letter. Summary dismissal needs a valid reason (Art. 337 CO); individual cancellations are not one.
Work out the correct period with the notice period calculator.
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FAQ
Do I have to pay if I cancel because I am on holiday?
Yes. If you cancel an agreed slot you still owe the wage (Art. 324 CO), and she does not have to make up the hours. Where possible, align your holidays with hers or agree the dates early.
She has worked for me for 2 months and is sick. Do I have to pay?
Under the Code of Obligations usually not yet: continued pay starts once the employment has lasted more than 3 months or was entered into for more than 3 months (Art. 324a para. 1 CO). Some cantonal standard contracts tie it to the probation period. What else applies to illness during probation is explained in the guide to the probation period.
Can I dismiss her without notice for a last-minute cancellation?
No. Summary dismissal requires a valid reason (Art. 337 CO). Individual cancellations are not one; repeated cancellations despite a warning are a reason for ordinary notice.