Practical guide
Trial day with a cleaner: paid from the first hour, often not yet insured
Short answer: 15 minutes on the phone is enough to get to know each other. Once she actually cleans on the trial day, it is a paid workday and she must be covered against accidents. That is exactly the day most households have no policy yet.
A 15-20 minute phone call is all the interview you need; the moment the candidate actually cleans on the trial day, it is a paid workday (at least the NAV wage) and she must be insured against accidents.
- An in-person meeting is not required - it usually happens at the trial day itself.
- Trial day: 1-3 hours is plenty; just watching is free, real work is not.
- Take out accident insurance (UVG) before the trial day: without a policy, the substitute fund pays and bills you the premium.
What both sides should prepare
Check it off, print it - for the call and for the trial day.
Checklist for the interview and the trial day
1/20 of 12 done
Before the call
Agree on at the trial day
The question check
Who should ask what?
Your questions for her
- Do you have an AHV number, and which permit (B, C, L, G)? Both are needed to register you.
- Do you already work for other households, and are you registered there?
- How many hours a week would you like to work for us? From 8 hours, non-occupational accident cover is added.
- Which days and times can you commit to?
- Are you fine with us registering everything: AHV, accident insurance, payslips?
- How do we handle access: a key with a receipt, a code, or only when someone is home?
Her questions for you
- What exactly are the expected tasks?
- How flexible are the working hours?
- What's the pay and how is it paid out?
- Who provides the cleaning supplies and equipment?
- What's the notice period?
- Will AHV and insurance be registered from day one?
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A sample call (3 minutes)
Not a script to memorize - just a feel for how relaxed a call like this can be.
Discuss pay, hours and tasks clearly
Set a realistic wage
Use the minimum wage and the fair market rate as your anchor - fairly paid staff stay longer.
Use the legal minimum wage and the fair market rate as your guide - or calculate directly with the hourly wage calculator.
Define tasks precisely
Agree on what's done regularly and what's occasional (e.g. windows, ironing).
A complete task-split template is in our household-help tasks guide.
Clarify the notice period early
That way both sides know where they stand from day one.
Check the right period with the notice-period calculator and put it all in a written employment contract.
How many hours you actually need is best settled before the call: our guide How many hours for a cleaner? gives benchmarks by home size.
Shadow day or real work?
The difference decides whether you owe pay - and who's liable if something happens.
A pure shadow day - just watching, at most a few tasks under supervision - creates no employment relationship. But if she cleans independently, following instructions, there is an employment contract from the very first hour: under Art. 320(2) CO it is deemed concluded when you accept work that, under the circumstances, can only be expected against pay.
This applies even if you agreed beforehand it would be "unpaid": once real work is performed, you owe at least the NAV minimum wage - and accident cover applies from the first hour (more on that in the next section). Best practice: treat the trial day like day one.
Shadow day - just watching
- •She accompanies you around the home
- •At most a few tasks under your supervision
- •No employment relationship, no wage owed
Trial work - she actually cleans
- •She works independently, following instructions
- •Employment contract from hour one (Art. 320(2) CO)
- •At least the NAV wage owed, UVG cover from the first hour
What applies in case of a work accident is explained in accident insurance for household help. How long the probation period after hiring lasts and what notice applies during it is explained in the article on probation and fixed-term contracts.
The trial day happens before you are insured
Most households take out accident insurance (UVG) and register with the compensation office once they have said yes. The trial day comes before that.
Covered against accidents from the first hour
If she works on the trial day, she is covered for occupational accidents, even for two hours. If you have no UVG policy yet, the substitute fund (Ersatzkasse UVG) pays her benefits and charges you a substitute premium equal to the premium owed, doubled if you evaded the duty without excuse. You may not deduct it from her wage.
Take out the policy before the trial day
Online policies for private households often start the next day at the earliest: check the start date and sign up in time. Or keep it a pure shadow day where she only watches.
The trial-day wage goes on the payroll
In a private household, AHV contributions are due from the first franc. Exception: until the year she turns 25, up to CHF 750 a year per employer stays contribution-free unless she asks for contributions. The trial day counts towards the annual wage.
In Clino: start date = trial day
If it's a fit, enter the trial day as the start date. It then appears on the first payslip and in the annual statement, with no correction needed.
Sources: Art. 320(2) CO; Art. 73(1) and Art. 95(1) UVG; Art. 34d(2) AHVV.
Who provides cleaning supplies and equipment is actually regulated by Art. 327 CO - details in our cleaning-supplies guide.
What should I pay for the trial day?
A fair range depending on experience
Recommended pay
CHF 41–61
Lower bound = NAV minimum wage, upper bound = fair market rate. If you're happy, round up generously.
Frequently asked questions
Does a phone call really suffice?
Yes, a 15-20 minute call is completely standard and sufficient. An in-person meeting usually only happens at the trial day.
Do I really have to pay for the trial day?
Yes, the moment she works independently and follows instructions - even without a written agreement. What matters is the work actually performed.
What's the difference between a trial day and a probation period?
The trial day is a single day before hiring. The probation period follows: by law the first month is probation, extendable in writing to at most three months, with 7 days' notice (Art. 335b CO). Your cantonal NAV may provide otherwise.
How long should the trial day be?
1 to 3 hours is plenty to get a sense of thoroughness and working style.
What if something breaks or she gets injured during the trial?
An accident on the trial day is an occupational accident: it goes through your UVG policy, or without one through the substitute fund, which bills you the premium afterwards. She is only liable for damage she caused through her own fault (Art. 321e CO).
Should I already discuss pay on the phone?
Yes, absolutely - a rough agreement on pay avoids unpleasant surprises at the trial day or when drafting the first contract.
Is she already insured against accidents on the trial day?
Yes, by law from the first hour. If you have no UVG policy yet, the substitute fund (Ersatzkasse UVG) covers her benefits and charges you a substitute premium equal to the premium owed, doubled if the omission is inexcusable (Arts. 73 and 95 UVG). So take out the policy before the trial day.
Related reading
After the trial day: contract and registration in minutes
If it's a fit, Clino automatically generates the employment contract and payslip - and guides you step by step through the AHV registration. CHF 19.90 a month.
Start for freeNote: This article does not replace legal advice. Wages are rough estimates as of October 2026.