Your rights as a cleaner in Switzerland: at least 4 weeks' paid holiday and accident cover from the first hour, even without a contract
What are you owed?
Your case in figures: every right with the amount and the article of law. Then tap what you really get from your family.
Minimum wage
NAV art. 5At least CHF 20.35 an hour
You get CHF 13.65 more than the minimum.
With an EBA or 4 years' experience: CHF 22.30. With an EFZ: CHF 24.55.
City of Zurich CHF 23.90, Winterthur CHF 23.00: decided, not yet in force.
A cleaner's hourly wage by canton →AHV registration
AHVG art. 12, 51Your employer must register you
They pay about CHF 76 a month in for you, and CHF 61 comes off your wage.
At your job?Paid holidays
CO art. 329a4 weeks of paid holiday
= CHF 816 holiday pay a year
With irregular hours: 8.33 % on top of every hour, shown separately on the payslip.
At your job?Public holidays
BV art. 1101 August paid
The other holidays count like Sundays. Whether they are paid is up to your contract.
At your job?Pay when sick
NAV ZH Art. 11 Abs. 19 weeks at full pay
= up to CHF 1'836 in this year of service
Your canton requires daily sickness benefit insurance. If your employer has it, it pays 80 % of the wage, usually for up to 720 days, instead of full pay.
At your job?Accident insurance
UVG art. 7 · UVV art. 13Accidents at work and on the way to work
Free-time accidents only from 8 h a week with the same family. Until then: check that your health insurance covers accidents.
At your job?Notice period
CO art. 335c2 months to the end of a month
Sick or injured: 90 days' protection from dismissal.
At your job?In writing
CO art. 330b, 323bPay, hours and tasks in writing
Within one month of starting. Plus a payslip every month.
At your job?
Tap for each right whether you get it. Whatever is missing, the check writes into a message for your family.
Worked out on your gross wage under the CO, UVG, AHVG, the NAV for domestic work and your canton's standard contract. Your contract may give more; less only where the law allows it (for example a notice period shortened in writing, never below one month).
Most of these rights apply from the first hour, with or without a contract, with or without a Swiss passport. Enter your canton, hours and wage above: the check works out what you are owed and turns whatever is missing into a polite message to your family.
Your minimum wage
Switzerland has no general minimum wage. For work in private households, though, the NAV for domestic work sets minimum wages by training and experience:
NAV minimum wages 2026
| Unskilled | CHF 20.35/h |
| Unskilled with at least 4 years of experience | CHF 22.30/h |
| Skilled with EBA (2-year apprenticeship) | CHF 22.30/h |
| Skilled with EFZ (3-year apprenticeship) | CHF 24.55/h |
Gross per hour, excluding supplements for holidays and public holidays (Art. 5 NAV domestic work, as of 1 January 2026).
Important: the NAV minimum wage applies from an average of 5 hours per week with the same employer (Art. 2 NAV). Your other rights - contract, OASI, holidays, accident insurance - apply regardless of your workload. Which qualification moves you up a wage level is explained in a separate guide.
On top of that come cantonal minimum wages (Geneva, Neuchâtel, Basel-Stadt, Jura, Ticino) and the city minimum wage of the City of Lucerne. The highest one that applies to you always counts. The check above works it out for your canton and your hours.
Good to know:
What cleaners usually earn in your canton, gross and net, is in our guide to a cleaner's hourly wage.
What else the standard employment contract lays down, from holidays to notice periods, is explained in our guide to the NAV.
Your Holidays
You are entitled to paid holidays. This is not negotiable but law (CO Art. 329a):
4 weeks per year
At least 20 working days on a 5-day week. This is the legal minimum for all employees aged 20 and over.
5 weeks under age 20
Until your 20th birthday you are entitled to 25 working days.
Holiday supplement for hourly pay
If your assignments are irregular, the holiday supplement is added to gross pay: 8.33% for 4 weeks, 10.64% for 5 weeks. With a fixed workload your wage simply continues during the holidays.
Watch out:
Holidays may not simply be replaced by money (CO Art. 329d para. 2). That is only permitted when the employment ends. If your employer tells you they would rather pay out the holidays instead of giving you time off, that is illegal.
Calculate your exact entitlement with our vacation calculator.
When You Get Sick
When you are ill, your employer keeps paying your wage for a while once the job has lasted more than 3 months or was agreed for more than 3 months (CO art. 324a; some cantonal NAVs pay from the first day). In the 1st year of service it is at least 3 weeks, then more. How much is set by your canton's NAV or a court scale (Bern, Basel or Zurich scale). The check above shows the days and the amount for your year of service.
You must bring a doctor's certificate if your employer asks for one. From which day of illness is set by your contract or your canton's NAV; often it is the third day.
If your employer has taken out daily sickness benefit insurance (KTG), you typically receive 80% of your salary for up to 720 days. This is a major advantage for you.
Tip:
Explained in detail: What to do when your cleaner is sick
How long your employer must keep paying your wage when you are ill is explained here: Continued pay when sick.
Accident Insurance (UVG)
Your employer is legally required to insure you against occupational accidents (UVG). This applies from the very first working hour:
Occupational accident (BU)
Always insured from hour 1. Premium paid by the employer. Covers accidents at work; if you work under 8 h/week, also on the commute.
Non-occupational accident (NBU)
From 8 hours a week with the same employer. The premium is deducted from your wage (about 1.432 %). Covers accidents in your free time.
What to do in case of an accident?
Report
Report the accident to your employer immediately.
Doctor
See a doctor and state that it is a work accident.
Insurance
Your employer reports the accident to the accident insurer (Suva or private insurer).
Benefits
You receive 80% of your salary as daily benefits from the 3rd day.
Not insured?
What it costs your employer, to forward: Insuring a cleaner: duties and costs for the household.
How the mandatory accident insurance (UVG) works for domestic workers: UVG accident insurance for domestic workers.
Termination
Both you and your employer can terminate the employment. Statutory notice periods apply (CO Art. 335c):
| Probation period (1st month) | 7 days |
| 1st year of service | 1 month (end of month) |
| 2nd--9th year of service | 2 months (end of month) |
| From 10th year of service | 3 months (end of month) |
During certain periods you cannot be dismissed (blocking periods, CO Art. 336c):
- During illness or accident (30 days in 1st year, 90 days from 2nd year, 180 days from 6th year)
- During pregnancy and 16 weeks after birth
- During mandatory military, civil or civil protection service (plus 4 weeks before and after for service over 11 days)
A dismissal during a blocking period is void. If notice was given before a blocking period, the notice period is suspended and continues after the blocking period ends.
Tip:
Calculate your personal notice period with the notice period calculator.
Pregnancy & Maternity
After the probation period you cannot be dismissed during the whole pregnancy and for 16 weeks after the birth. A dismissal in that time is void (CO art. 336c para. 1 let. c).
After the birth you receive 80 % of your wage for 14 weeks from maternity compensation, if you were insured with the AHV in the 9 months before and worked for at least 5 months in that time (EOG art. 16b). In Geneva it is 16 weeks.
Everything else you are owed during pregnancy, step by step:Pregnant as a cleaner: all your rightsWhat you must get in writing
An employment contract is valid even if it is only spoken (CO art. 320 para. 1). But if the job lasts more than a month, your employer must confirm in writing within one month of the start: start date, tasks, wage with supplements and weekly hours (CO art. 330b). Every wage payment comes with a written payslip (CO art. 323b).
The simplest way is a written contract that contains all of this. The employment contract template for cleaners is free, and you can forward it to your employer.
No contract?
For your rights to apply, your employer must register you properly. How registration works.
What to Do If Your Employer Refuses?
Not all employers follow the rules: too little pay, no registration, no contract - or your pay never arrives. Here is your action plan:
Step 1: Have a conversation
Raise the issue directly. Many employers do not know their obligations. Show them this article or the relevant legal basis.
Step 2: Ask in writing
Write down what is missing, with the amount and the article of law: CO art. 329a (holidays), CO art. 324a (sick pay), UVG (accidents), NAV art. 5 (minimum wage). Keep a copy, together with the notes of your hours.
Step 3: Get advice
Unions such as VPOD or Unia and the cantonal legal advice offices help you with the letter. Pay below the minimum wage can be reported to your canton's tripartite commission (CO art. 360b), missing accident insurance to the Ersatzkasse UVG.
Step 4: Conciliation authority
If that doesn't help, file a request with the conciliation authority where you work. Up to CHF 30,000 the proceedings cost nothing (ZPO art. 113, 114). If they dismiss you because you asked for your rights, the dismissal is abusive: object in writing before the notice period ends, and you can claim compensation of up to 6 months' wages (CO art. 336, 336a, 336b).
The check at the top writes the message to your employer for you ↑
Paid in cash and not sure you are registered at all? Here you can see whether you are working undeclared and what you are missing.
Your employer doesn't pay your wage, or only part of it? Here, step by step, is how to get your money: Wage not paid: what to do.
Your employer claims you're self-employed and don't need a contract? Beware: anyone who regularly works in the same household is almost always classified as an employee. All about bogus self-employment →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still have rights as a cleaner without a residence permit?
Yes. Employment rights (contract, pay, holidays, accident insurance) apply regardless of residence status. However, working without a permit can result in fines or deportation. Registration through your employer is therefore in both parties' interest.
What can I do if my employer does not issue payslips?
Yes: every wage payment comes with a written payslip (CO art. 323b). Ask for it in writing. Whether you are registered with the AHV is shown on your account statement, which you can order for free. Without payslips you also cannot declare your taxes correctly.
My employer pays me entirely off the books. Am I also liable?
The employer is responsible for registration. However, you are obliged to declare your income on your tax return. If you fail to do so, you are guilty of tax evasion. You also miss AHV contributions, for unemployment benefits you must prove the work and the wage yourself, and after an accident you first have to prove you worked there.
How many holidays am I entitled to when working part-time at 60%?
The same number of weeks as full time: at least 4 weeks a year, 5 weeks until your 20th birthday (CO art. 329a). It is counted in weeks, not days: if you work at 60 % on 3 days a week, 4 weeks give you 12 days off; on 5 days a week it would be 20 days. With an hourly wage and irregular hours you get 8.33 % on every hour instead.
Can my employer fire me from one day to the next?
No. Except during probation (7-day notice), statutory notice periods apply. Immediate dismissal is only possible for serious cause (e.g. theft). If dismissed without cause, you are entitled to damages (CO Art. 337c).
I only work 3-4 hours a week - what applies to me?
Almost everything in this article applies to you too: AHV registration, holidays, sick pay, accident insurance at work and notice periods do not depend on your hours. Two things do: free-time accidents are only insured from 8 hours a week with the same employer (UVV art. 13), and the NAV minimum wage only applies from an average of 5 hours (art. 2 NAV). Below that, a cantonal or city minimum wage still applies in Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Basel-Stadt, Jura, Ticino and the City of Lucerne; elsewhere pay is negotiable, but still use the NAV rates as your benchmark.
Does my household job count for my residence permit?
Yes, but only if it is declared. For a C permit and for naturalisation the law requires you to take part in economic life (Art. 58a FNIA), and the authorities also look at this when they renew a B permit. You prove it with your payslips and your AHV statement. Undeclared work leaves no proof, so it does not count. This matters most if your permit comes from family reunification: after a separation you may be able to stay if the marriage lasted at least 3 years and you meet the integration criteria (Art. 50 FNIA). A University of Lausanne study for the City of Lausanne describes exactly this problem: many migrant women work in households, but because the work is not declared, the authorities do not count it as integration (Cahier du BLI No. 10, 2022).
Sources & further information
- 1Code of Obligations (CO) Art. 319-362 - Employment contract law - fedlex.admin.ch
- 2CO Art. 324a - Continued payment of wages during illness - fedlex.admin.ch
- 3CO Art. 329a-d - Holiday entitlement - fedlex.admin.ch
- 4CO Art. 336 - Protection against dismissal & protection periods - fedlex.admin.ch
- 5Standard employment contract for domestic workers (SR 221.215.329.4) - fedlex.admin.ch
- 6Accident Insurance Act (UVG) art. 7, 8, 73, 95 - work and free-time accidents, Ersatzkasse - fedlex.admin.ch
- 7AHVG art. 12, 51 - contributions and the employer's duties - fedlex.admin.ch
- 8SECO - Employment law - seco.admin.ch
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Disclaimer: This article is for general information and does not replace legal advice. As of October 2026. For specific legal questions, contact a union or a legal advice office.
Checked against official sources: Fedlex (CO, NAV domestic work, UVG, AHVG, EOG) and SECO. Last review: October 2026.