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Employment contract for a cleaner in Switzerland (2026): what to include and what applies without one

Need a written contract for your cleaner in Switzerland? See what it must include, what applies without one in five cantons and the official SECO templates.

Helpore editorial teamFacts checked 9 October 2026

Short answer (as of 2026): In Switzerland, a contract with your cleaner is valid even if oral (Art. 320 CO), but write it down. The cantonal standard employment contract (NAV) fills the gaps. Terms less favourable to the employee usually need a written agreement. In Zurich, the NAV includes sick-pay insurance. For open-ended jobs or jobs over a month, confirm wage, duties, start and weekly hours in writing within a month (Art. 330b CO).

Compare the checked rules for Zurich, Bern, Basel-Stadt, Geneva and Vaud in the canton comparison.

At a glance (as of 1 January 2026)

  • Form: an oral contract is valid. Departing from a cantonal NAV to the employee's disadvantage requires a written agreement in ZH, BE, BS and VD (in Geneva for the provisions printed in italics). Mandatory minimum wages always apply.
  • "In writing" means a handwritten signature or a qualified electronic signature with a qualified timestamp (Art. 14 para. 2bis CO). A tick box, a simple e-signature in an app or an "OK" in a chat message does not count.
  • Minimum wage (federal NAV for household work, from an average of 5 h/week; not in Geneva and not for workers who mainly look after children): CHF 20.35 / 22.30 / 24.55 per hour, excluding holiday and public-holiday supplements.
  • Official templates: SECO model contracts 2026 for hourly and monthly pay, designed for annual wages up to CHF 22’680.

Do I need a written contract for my cleaner in Switzerland?

Not legally. A contract even exists when you accept work that is normally only done for pay (Art. 320 CO). In practice, put it in writing:

  1. Your canton's NAV fills the gaps. Anything you don't agree on is governed by the household NAV of your canton (Art. 360 para. 1 CO). Terms less favourable to the employee usually need a written agreement (Art. 360 para. 2 CO; e.g. Art. 2(2) NAV ZH, Art. 3 NAV BE).
  2. The duty to inform applies anyway. For open-ended jobs, or jobs lasting more than one month, you must state in writing, within one month of the start, the names of the parties, the start date, the role, the wage including supplements and the weekly hours (Art. 330b CO). Changes to these points must also be confirmed in writing within one month (Art. 330b para. 2 CO).
  3. Evidence. A signed document helps both sides if there is a dispute about hours, holiday pay or notice.

SECO recommends a written contract "for clarity".

“Writing the contract down before the first visit is a matter of respect: the household shows its Helper that this is employment with rights, not an informal favour, and the Helper knows from the first day what to expect. Agreeing on the terms together at the start is a much easier conversation than having it after the first misunderstanding.”

Gilberto de la Fuente, Director at Helpore

What must a cleaner's employment contract include?

  • Parties (names, addresses). You, as a private person, are the employer (Art. 330b CO).
  • Tasks. Cleaning, laundry, shopping. Care services such as help with washing or dressing need a cantonal licence (SECO).
  • Start date, workload and days. The workload decides whether the federal minimum wage applies (from an average of 5 h/week) and whether non-occupational accident cover is needed (from 8 h/week).
  • Probation. By law, the first month; extendable in writing to at most 3 months (Art. 335b CO). In Vaud the cantonal NAV provides 2 months (Art. 5 ACTT-mpr).
  • Wage. At least CHF 20.35 / 22.30 / 24.55 per hour under the federal NAV from an average of 5 h/week, excluding holiday and public-holiday supplements. In Geneva at least CHF 24.59 (unqualified staff, CTT-EDom Art. 10).
  • Holidays. At least 4 weeks (Art. 329a CO). With hourly pay, show the holiday supplement separately in the contract and on every payslip: 8.33% for 4 weeks, 10.64% for 5 weeks (NAV ZH Art. 28 prints 10.63%; the difference is rounding). A clause saying holidays are "included in the wage" is not allowed (AHV/IV leaflet 2.06). The employee must actually take holiday. Showing the supplement separately does not mean it can be paid with every hourly wage in every contract. SECO describes this exception for part-time work with irregular hours; also check the cantonal NAV.
  • Public holidays. 1 August is paid even for hourly staff; with fixed working days, it must fall on a normal working day. A public holiday on an otherwise free day does not generally create an extra day off. SECO gives 0.39% for one paid public holiday. Use its table for several days, for example 3.59% for nine days. Additional entitlements depend on the NAV and contract.
  • Social security and accident insurance. Usual rates before reference age are AHV/IV/EO 5.3% and ALV 1.1% from each side. Exceptions apply for young workers and after reference age; see AHV/IV leaflet 2.06. Occupational accident cover starts from the first hour and non-occupational cover from 8 h/week. The simplified procedure includes 5% source tax.
  • Sick pay or sick-pay insurance (KTG). If you exclude the insurance duty, do it in writing (SECO).
  • Notice periods. By individual agreement never less than one month after probation, and the same for both sides (Art. 335a, 335c CO).
  • Reference to the applicable NAV. In Bern and Basel-Stadt you must hand the NAV over (Art. 5 NAV BE, § 7 NAV BS).
  • Written-form clause ("changes are only valid in writing") and both signatures, by hand or with a qualified electronic signature with a qualified timestamp (Art. 13, 14 para. 2bis CO).

What notice period and rules apply to a cleaner without a contract?

ZH · BE · BS · GE · VD

What applies without a written agreement in your canton?

Compare the five cantonal standard employment contracts checked for this guide. The map is not a wage check or legal advice.

Reviewed NAV rules for household employees unless a valid different agreement applies. Notice periods concern ordinary termination; fixed-term jobs have additional rules.

The other cantons are shown only for geographical context.

Map geometry: swissBOUNDARIES3D. The five cantons checked in this guide are shown. swisstopo

SelectedZurich

Art. 8(2) provides a special alternative for the extra holiday week earned solely through years of service. The map does not make an individual holiday entitlement decision.

The employer’s death or move into a care home is a separate termination circumstance under Art. 18.

Official source: Zurich
Applies to
Zuricheveryone doing exclusively or mainly household work, incl. hourly staff and help for elderly/sick people (Art. 1, 23)
Probation / notice during it
Zurich1 month / 3 days (Art. 17)
Notice afterwards (to month-end)
Zurich1 month in every year of service (Art. 18)
Form of notice
Zurichwritten or oral (Art. 18)
Sick pay, year 1 / year 2
Zurich3 weeks / 8 weeks, then +1 week per year up to 6 months (Art. 11)
Sick-pay insurance (KTG)
Zurichmandatory, even part-time; without a policy you are liable (Art. 12, 13a, 26)
Holidays (weeks)
Zurich4; 5 before the 20th birthday, from age 50 and from service year 11; 6 from age 60 (Art. 8)
Departures only in writing?
Zurichyes, to the employee's detriment (Art. 2)
Zurich selected. The rules have been updated.

The probation and notice information concerns ordinary open-ended employment. Additional exceptions apply to fixed-term contracts.

Scroll the table horizontally

Cantonal rules without a written agreement, checked 9 October 2026
No written agreement Zurich Bern Basel-Stadt Geneva Vaud
Applies to everyone doing exclusively or mainly household work, incl. hourly staff and help for elderly/sick people (Art. 1, 23) all household service, except only occasional childminding (Art. 1, 2) mainly household work; not pure childminding (§ 2, 4) all household staff in Geneva private households, expressly incl. childcare and care for older people (Art. 1) full- and part-time staff in private households; not pure childcare or au pairs (Art. 1)
Probation / notice during it 1 month / 3 days (Art. 17) 1 month (2 weeks for contracts of up to 4 months) / 7 days (Art. 8, 10) 1 month / 7 days (§ 12, 13) 1 month / 7 days (Art. 22) 2 months / 7 days (Art. 5, 6)
Notice afterwards (to month-end) 1 month in every year of service (Art. 18) 1 / 2 (yrs 2 to 3) / 3 months from yr 4 (Art. 10) 1 / 2 (yrs 2 to 9) / 3 months (§ 13) 1 / 2 (yrs 2 to 9) / 3 months (Art. 23) 1 month; 2 months if the employer provides a flat (Art. 6)
Form of notice written or oral (Art. 18) in principle written (Art. 9) written (§ 13) written; nevertheless valid if the sender proves that the recipient actually learned of it (Art. 23(2)) not regulated (CO: no form required)
Sick pay, year 1 / year 2 3 weeks / 8 weeks, then +1 week per year up to 6 months (Art. 11) 1 month in service years 1 and 2, if the job has lasted or was agreed for more than 3 months (Art. 31) 1 month / 2 months, from day one (§ 39) sick-pay insurance 80% for 720 days (Art. 13) 3 weeks / 1 month (< 20 h/week) or 2 months (≥ 20 h), if the job has lasted or was agreed for more than 3 months (Art. 21(1) to (3))
Sick-pay insurance (KTG) mandatory, even part-time; without a policy you are liable (Art. 12, 13a, 26) mandatory if open-ended or > 3 months; without a policy you owe the same benefits yourself (Art. 35, 36(3)) voluntary (§ 44) mandatory, premium split, unless agreed in writing that the employer pays all of it (Art. 13(1)) voluntary; a policy paying 80% from day 3 for 720 of 900 days releases you from paying wages, including for the 2 waiting days; premium split equally (Art. 21(6) to (7))
Holidays (weeks) 4; 5 before the 20th birthday, from age 50 and from service year 11; 6 from age 60 (Art. 8) 4; 5 through the calendar year of the 20th birthday and from the calendar year of the 50th birthday (Art. 21) 4; 5 before the 20th birthday and from age 50 (§ 28) 4; 5 before age 20, after 20 completed years of service, or from age 50 with 5 completed years of service (Art. 21) 4; 5 before age 20, after at least 20 completed years of service, or from age 50 with at least 5 completed years of service (Art. 18)
Departures only in writing? yes, to the employee's detriment (Art. 2) yes (Art. 3) yes, to the employee's detriment (§ 50) yes, provisions printed in italics (Art. 2) yes (Art. 2)

Versions checked on 9 October 2026: ZH LS 821.12 (version 110, last amended in force 1 July 2020); BE BSG 222.153.22; BS SG 215.700; GE rsGE J 1 50.03 (last amended in force 1 January 2026); VD BLV 222.105.1 (checked version dated 1 June 2024).

What this means for you: In Zurich, sick-pay insurance is required even for a cleaner working 4 hours a week. It pays 80% of the wage from the 31st day of illness, for at most 720 days within 900 (Art. 12 NAV ZH). If there is no policy and the duty was not excluded in writing, you pay these benefits yourself (Art. 12, 13a, 26 NAV ZH). In Bern the notice period can reach 3 months from the 4th year of service, compared with the 10th under the CO.

My cleaner is sick: do I have to keep paying?

Without an agreement you keep paying wages for a limited time: under the CO, 3 weeks in the first year if the job has lasted or was agreed for more than 3 months (Art. 324a CO), or longer under the cantonal NAV (e.g. Zurich: 8 weeks in year 2).

Can I opt out of sick-pay insurance?

Where a NAV requires sick-pay insurance (e.g. Zurich, Bern, Geneva), you have two clean options:

  1. Take out a policy. 80% of the wage from the 31st day of illness, for at most 720 of 900 days (e.g. Art. 12 NAV ZH). You pay at least half of the premium.
  2. Exclude the duty in writing. SECO confirms this is possible, and its model contract contains this clause. You then pay wages yourself for the period set by the NAV or the CO.

The risky third option is the one many households take without realising it: no policy and no written opt-out. You then carry the risk yourself. In Zurich you are liable for the benefits an insurer would have paid (Art. 13a NAV ZH).

What probation and notice period can I agree?

  • Probation: the first month by law, 7 days' notice; extendable in writing to at most 3 months (Art. 335b CO). In Bern it can also be shortened or removed in writing (Art. 8 NAV BE). Without an agreement, Zurich has 3 days' notice in probation (Art. 17 NAV ZH) and Vaud a 2-month probation (Art. 5 ACTT-mpr).
  • After probation: the CO provides 1 month (year 1), 2 months (years 2 to 9) and 3 months (from year 10), always to the end of a month. In writing you can agree other periods, but by individual agreement never less than one month, and the same for both sides (Art. 335a, 335c CO).
  • Protection during illness: after probation you cannot dismiss an employee who is ill or injured for 30 days in year 1, 90 days in years 2 to 5 and 180 days from year 6 (Art. 336c CO).
  • For households of older people: in Zurich the job ends when the employer dies or moves into a care home (Art. 18 NAV ZH). In Vaud it generally passes to the heirs; but if the contract was concluded essentially because of the employer's person (typical for helping an older person), it ends on the employer's death and the employee may claim fair compensation (Art. 23 ACTT-mpr; cf. Art. 338a CO). Address this explicitly in the contract.

Is there a free official template (Word/PDF)?

Yes. SECO publishes free annotated 2026 model contracts for household employees, one for hourly and one for monthly pay (Word), on its registration and payroll guide (German). They are designed for annual wages up to CHF 22’680, which matches the 2026 limit for the simplified procedure. The template refers to the cantonal NAV for sick pay and excludes the sick-pay insurance duty, so keep or delete that clause deliberately. In Bern and Basel-Stadt you must hand over the cantonal NAV; in Geneva it is advisable to refer to the CTT-EDom.

The FDFA's "PHEO" standard contract is only for private household staff of diplomats and international civil servants.

What is the minimum wage for a cleaner in Switzerland in 2026?

The federal NAV for household work sets binding minimum wages that cannot be undercut even in writing (Art. 360d para. 2 CO). Since 1 January 2026:

Category Minimum per hour (gross, excl. supplements)
unqualified CHF 20.35
unqualified, at least 4 years' household experience CHF 22.30
qualified with EBA (2-year basic training) CHF 22.30
qualified with EFZ (3-year basic training) CHF 24.55

It applies from an average of 5 hours a week with the same employer and runs until 31 December 2028. It does not apply in Geneva or to people who mainly look after children (SECO). Geneva has its own CTT-EDom with CHF 24.59 for unqualified staff (Art. 10). In Basel-Stadt the cantonal minimum wage (2026: CHF 22.20) does not apply where a NAV minimum wage applies (§ 2(2)(h) MiLoG). Whether it applies under 5 hours a week, where the federal NAV minimum does not, is not settled: the AWA extends the exemption to staff within a NAV's scope without a minimum wage and refers such cases to the Tripartite Commission. On-call work of up to 70 hours per calendar year with the same employer is also exempt (§ 2(2)(f) MiLoG). If in doubt, ask the AWA Basel-Stadt.

Is a contract for a nanny or for help for an older person different?

  • Nanny: workers who mainly look after children are outside the federal minimum-wage NAV (SECO). Cantonal NAV may still apply, but not everywhere: Bern only excludes occasional childminding and Geneva expressly covers childcare (so a minimum of at least CHF 24.59 applies to nannies there (unqualified staff, Art. 10; day carers and occasional babysitting by young people in training are excluded, Art. 1(4)(j) to (k))), whereas Zurich and Basel-Stadt require mainly household work (Art. 1 NAV ZH, § 2 NAV BS) and Vaud excludes pure childcare (Art. 1 ACTT-mpr). A full-time nanny also brings BVG pension cover (annual wage over CHF 22’680 in 2026, over CHF 23’040 from 2027) and the ordinary payroll procedure.
  • Senior help: housework, company and errands count as household work. In Zurich the NAV expressly covers help for elderly and sick people (Art. 1(2)). Basic care such as help with washing or dressing is care work and needs a cantonal licence (SECO). Describe the tasks precisely in the contract.

What changes in 2027?

  • The BVG entry threshold rises to CHF 23’040 on 1 January 2027, and the coordination deduction to CHF 26’880 (Federal Council, 2 October 2026).
  • Geneva raises its cantonal minimum wage to CHF 24.73 from 1 January 2027 (Geneva Council of State, 7 October 2026). The binding minimum wages in the current CTT-EDom run until 31 December 2026 (Art. 10(8)); a 2027 version has not yet been adopted (as of 9 October 2026). The cantonal minimum wage of CHF 24.73 applies in 2027 regardless.
  • No change to the federal household NAV has been announced for 2027. It runs until the end of 2028.

Quick check before you sign

  • Tasks clearly described (household work; no basic care without a licence)?
  • Wage at or above the floor that applies in your canton, with the holiday supplement shown separately?
  • Any departure from the cantonal NAV agreed in writing and signed by both sides by hand or with a qualified electronic signature?
  • Sick pay settled: policy in place, or the insurance duty excluded in writing?
  • NAV handed over as an attachment (mandatory in Bern and Basel-Stadt)?

To see the full cost of employing someone, use the calculator.

FAQ

Is an oral employment contract with my cleaner valid?

Yes. An employment contract needs no particular form (Art. 320 CO). Without a written agreement, however, your canton's household NAV and the CO apply, for example the duty to take out sick-pay insurance in Zurich.

What notice period applies to a cleaner without a written contract?

The period in your canton's NAV, otherwise the CO. In Zurich it is 1 month to the end of a month in every year of service after probation (Art. 18 NAV ZH). In Bern it is 1, 2 or 3 months depending on the year of service (Art. 10 NAV BE). Under the CO it is 1, 2 or 3 months.

Do I have to register my cleaner even for a few hours?

The number of hours is not decisive: household wages are generally subject to AHV from the first franc. Contributions start on 1 January after the 17th birthday. Up to the end of the year of the 25th birthday, wages of at most CHF 750 per employer per year are exempt unless the employee requests contributions. After reference age, a possible allowance applies and no unemployment-insurance contributions are due. Accident cover follows separate rules.

Can I opt out of sick-pay insurance in the contract?

Yes, if it is done in writing, as SECO confirms. You then pay wages yourself during illness for the period set by the NAV or the CO.

Does signing in an app count as "in writing"?

Only with a qualified electronic signature with a qualified timestamp (Art. 14 para. 2bis CO). Otherwise a handwritten signature is needed (Art. 13 CO). This matters for any departure from the NAV.

What is the minimum wage for a cleaner in 2026?

From an average of 5 hours a week with the same employer, at least CHF 20.35 per hour (unqualified), CHF 22.30 with 4 years' experience or an EBA, and CHF 24.55 with an EFZ, excluding holiday and public-holiday supplements. The federal NAV does not apply in Geneva or to people who mainly look after children. Geneva has its own NAV with CHF 24.59.

Further reading

Hiring a cleaner legally · Holiday pay on an hourly wage · Cleaner accident insurance · Simplified payroll and source tax · BVG threshold 2027 · Zurich guide · NAV · KTG · Probation · Notice period

Official sources

General information, not legal advice. Checked 9 October 2026.