You know the offer: 25 francs cash in hand, no paperwork, no questions. It sounds like more money and less hassle. In reality you pay extra every month, you just get the bill years later. This guide shows what undeclared work really costs you, what you keep from a declared hourly wage and how you clean registered in Switzerland without filling in a single form yourself.
If you want to get started right away: on Helpore you set your gross hourly rate yourself, keep 100 percent of it and work declared from the first hour. Create your free helper profile in a few minutes.
What undeclared work means in Switzerland
Being paid in cash is not forbidden. Not being registered is. Any work in a private household must be declared to the AHV from the first franc, as set out in AHV leaflet 2.06 on domestic work. The only exception: anyone under 25 earning at most 750 francs a year per household is exempt from AHV unless they ask to be registered.
If the registration is missing, it is undeclared work under the Federal Act on Illegal Employment. The fines hit the household as employer first. The consequences for you are quieter, but more expensive.
What undeclared work really costs you
- Contribution years and pension. Every declared hour counts as an AHV contribution year. Missing years cut your pension permanently, and you can only pay them back to a limited extent.
- Accident insurance. Accident insurance is mandatory for domestic staff and the household has to take it out. Undeclared, there is none. A fall from the ladder is then your problem, including the lost wages.
- Unemployment benefit. Without ALV contributions you have no claim when jobs dry up.
- Holiday pay. On an hourly wage your holiday entitlement is paid as a supplement, usually 8.33 percent for four weeks. Undeclared you almost never get it.
- Proof. Without payslips and a salary certificate you have nothing to show when looking for a flat, extending a permit, applying for credit or claiming a health insurance premium reduction.
- Minimum wage. The standard employment contract for domestic work only applies if you are employed. Undeclared you negotiate alone, and usually downwards.
The honest maths: 25 francs cash against 28 francs declared
Take a declared gross wage of CHF 28 per hour. Under the simplified settlement procedure about 6.4 percent employee contributions come off, namely 5.3 percent AHV/IV/EO and 1.1 percent ALV. That is about CHF 1.80, leaving you about CHF 26.20 net per hour.
For one-off jobs the holiday pay of 8.33 percent on the gross wage comes on top, 10.64 percent if you are under 20. CHF 28 becomes CHF 30.33 gross, about CHF 28.40 net.
Now the 25 francs cash: no pension, no accident insurance, no unemployment benefit, no holiday supplement, no proof. Even on the bare hourly figure the declared option is ahead, and everything the contributions build for you comes on top. Depending on your permit, withholding tax may also be deducted, but that applies to every registered job and is no argument for cash.
Minimum wages 2026: nothing below this
The standard employment contract for domestic work sets minimum wages for household work across Switzerland, graded by experience and training. For 2026 Helpore has stored these floors and allows no rate below them:
- Unskilled, less than four years of experience: CHF 20.35
- Unskilled with at least four years of experience, or with an EBA: CHF 22.30
- With an EFZ: CHF 24.55
In cantons with a cantonal minimum wage, such as Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura, Ticino or Basel-Stadt, the higher value applies. As a starting point Helpore suggests CHF 26, and experienced helpers set their rates well above that. What you can charge is covered in our guide on the right hourly rate as a cleaner or nanny.
Invoicing households is not the answer
Many people think the solution is their own invoice, cleaning as a self-employed person. In private households that usually does not work: the AHV treats household work as employment, not as self-employment. The household remains the employer, with all the duties. That is exactly why many families keep putting the subject off, and exactly where a model that takes those duties off both sides comes in.
How to work declared without filling in forms yourself
On Helpore it works like this:
- You set your gross hourly rate yourself. You keep 100 percent of it, only the statutory employee contributions are deducted, as with every declared employment.
- You choose your services, your area and your availability. Households near you book you directly.
- Contract, AHV registration, accident insurance and payslips are handled for you, from the first hour.
- You receive a payslip you can use for your flat, your permit and your taxes.
Which permit you need is explained in the guide on work permits for cleaning and nanny jobs. The details on deductions and net pay are in take-home pay as a cleaner or nanny, and holiday pay is explained here in detail.
Where demand is highest right now
Declared cleaning and household jobs exist all over Switzerland. Especially many households are looking in Zurich, Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne and Lucerne. All cities are on our overview for helpers.
Bottom line
Cash is not cheaper, it is just expensive later. With a declared hourly wage you keep more per hour than with the usual cash offers, you build pension and insurance cover and you hold the proof when you need it. Register free as a helper, set your rate and work registered from your first job.
Sources
- AHV/IV leaflet 2.06, domestic work: ahv-iv.ch/p/2.06.e
- Federal Act on Illegal Employment (BGSA): fedlex.admin.ch
- Standard employment contract for domestic work, SECO: seco.admin.ch