Hiring a Housekeeper: 7 things you should know!

Last Updated on 3 months by David Bergmann

Many already have them and many are looking for them: A good housekeeper. There are plenty of cleaners for private households, but when it comes to your own four walls, you don’t want to compromise. In the following article, you can find out everything you need to consider when looking for and hiring domestic help!

1. Why employ a housekeeper?
2. Where can I find good domestic help?
3. What do I need to consider when choosing?
4. Do I have to register my domestic help?
5. What costs should I expect?
6. Do I need an employment contract?
7. What makes a good home help?

1. Why employ a housekeeper?

Some help with the relentless household chores can be worth a lot in hectic times. Because between work, raising children and all the other To-Do’s, keeping the apartment or house spotlessly clean is simply not possible for many people in terms of time.

But older people, people with illnesses or disabilities can also benefit greatly from domestic help. As cleaning can be very exhausting and, to a certain extent, dangerous, some people are physically not able to do it.

Furthermore, pregnant women or women who have just given birth and are perhaps also not fully physically fit, can also really benefit from an extra pair of hands around the house.

A qualified cleaner also knows how to clean the various surfaces properly and how to do the laundry the right way. You therefore benefit from expert knowledge that you would have to first acquire yourself.

2. Where can I find good domestic help?

The search for a suitable cleaner should not be limited to one channel. Of course, good old word of mouth, where a domestic help is recommended to you by family or friends, is probably the most reliable way, but not everyone is so lucky.

Therefore, be open to new possibilities such as notices in shops/supermarkets, advertisements in newspapers (also online), internet portals or even mediation by other service providers (such as your moving company).

3. What do I need to consider when choosing?

Once you have made a pre-selection, it is best to contact the cleaner by phone, as this allows you to find out straight away whether the communication works well.

We also advise you to get to know the domestic help(s) personally beforehand. After all, a cleaner is working in your private four walls and should therefore also be a good fit on a human level. After all, you need to be able to trust the person, even if you temporarily leave the house.

A trial job is also recommended so that you can get a better idea of how the company works.

In addition to manual skills, a good domestic helper should also be physically resilient, skilled in handling cleaning materials and have good organizational skills and memory.

4. Do I have to register my housekeeper?

As you can see, registering your cleaner makes perfect sense and pays off in the long run.

5. What costs should I expect?

The cost per hour for private domestic help can vary considerably, with anything from CHF 20 to CHF 40 per hour possible.

The wage depends on the one hand on the qualifications, but also on whether the cleaner is employed legally or illegally (illegally). In the case of undeclared work, often only the minimum wage is paid, which is not only unfair but, as mentioned above, prohibited by law. With a registered cleaner, you can also deduct part of the wage costs from your tax bill!

For a qualified, legally employed cleaner with professional experience, you should expect to pay around CHF 40 per hour.

Please note: In addition to the salary that you pay your domestic help, you must also factor in the costs for registering with the AHV and for compulsory accident insurance. This costs around 100 francs a year if your domestic workers do not work more than 8 hours a week. The amount of AHV contributions is based on the estimated total salary.

6. Do I need an employment contract?

Even if a verbal agreement is theoretically considered an employment contract, a written contract is highly recommended in order to be legally protected.

The following points should be set out in the employment contract:

• Name of the employer and employee
  
• Start of the employment relationship
  
• Hourly or monthly wage and possibly agreed special payments
  
• Function and area of responsibility of the employee
  
• Agreed working hours (per week)
  

Sample contracts for employment on a monthly or hourly basis can be found on the website of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

7. What makes a good housekeeper?

In addition to a valid work permit and, of course, availability, you should pay attention to the following things:

• Qualification (trainings, certificates…)
  
• Experience (references)
  
• Flexibility
  
• Well-groomed appearance
  
• Has liability insurance
  
• Good communication
  
• Sympathy and empathy
  
• Appears trustworthy
  
• Reliability
  
• Punctuality
  
• Thoroughness