Your household is the employer · Vaud
Employing a cleaning Helper in Vaud: what your household has to do
This page is for a household whose cleaning Helper does work like this:
- Regular home cleaning
- Kitchen and bathroom cleaning
- Laundry and light ironing
- Tidying and household resets
- Move-in or move-out cleaning support
What does a household that employs a cleaning Helper in Vaud have to do?
- Register your Helper with Caisse cantonale vaudoise de compensation within 30 days of the first working day under the simplified settlement procedure.
- Pay a cleaning Helper without a qualification at least CHF 20.35 an hour, plus holiday pay. The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) sets this legal minimum.
- Give at least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year. For irregular work only, add 8.33 % holiday pay to every hour, written in the contract and shown on each payslip; the holidays are still taken.
- Pay social insurance (AHV/IV/EO), unemployment insurance and family allowance contributions, and insure your Helper against accidents.
What differs in Vaud
- The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) covers a cleaning Helper who works on average at least 5 hours a week for the same household: CHF 20.35 an hour without a qualification.
- Probation differs from the federal rule:
- Probation lasts 2 months, with a notice of 7 days during it.
- After probation, notice in Vaud is 1 month to the end of a month, whatever the years of service.
- Vaud adds contributions of its own: PC Familles VD (supplementary benefits for families), Vocational training fund FONPRO VD, Day care for children FAJE VD.
The lowest hourly wage for a cleaning Helper in Vaud in 2026
The federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) covers a cleaning Helper who works on average at least 5 hours a week for the same household.
| Qualification | Lowest hourly wage |
|---|---|
| No qualification | CHF 20.35 · federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) By law: CHF 20.35, federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) |
| At least four years of household experience | CHF 22.30 · federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) By law: CHF 22.30, federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) |
| Three year certificate (EFZ) | CHF 24.55 · federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) By law: CHF 24.55, federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV) |
Contributions in Vaud in 2026: who pays what
| Contribution | Rate | Household pays | Deducted from the Helper's wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| AHV/IV/EO | 5.3 % | CHF 59.95 | CHF 59.95 |
| Unemployment insurance (ALV) | 1.1 % | CHF 12.45 | CHF 12.45 |
| Family allowance fund (FAK) | 2.37 % | CHF 26.80 | CHF 0.00 |
| Compensation office administration costs | At most 5 % of all AHV/IV/EO contributions | At most CHF 6.00 | At most CHF 0.00 |
| PC Familles VD (supplementary benefits for families) | 0.09 % | CHF 1.00 | CHF 1.00 |
| Vocational training fund FONPRO VD | 0.09 % | CHF 1.00 | CHF 0.00 |
| Day care for children FAJE VD | 0.16 % | CHF 1.80 | CHF 0.00 |
| Total | At most CHF 109.00 | At most CHF 73.40 |
a month · CHF 35.92 per hour worked
| Wage | CHF 1’040.00 |
|---|---|
| Public holidays 0.39 % | CHF 4.06 |
| Holiday pay 8.33 % | CHF 86.63 |
| Employer contributions | At most CHF 109.00 |
| Accident insurance | CHF 5.70 |
| You pay a month | At most CHF 1’245.39 |
How many weeks of paid holidays does a Helper get in the canton of Vaud, and what applies on public holidays?
At least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year, and 5 weeks in these cases:
- under age 20
- after 20 years with the same household
- from age 50, after 5 years with the same household
Source: ACTT-mpr, RSV 222.105.1, art. 18, art. 15 al. 2, read on 9 October 2026.
Probation and notice in Vaud
Notice after probation
- From year 1 of service: 1 month, to the end of a month.
What goes in writing in Vaud
Helpore has found no cantonal rule in Vaud that adds a written duty to the federal rules.
Standard contract and offices
Cities in Vaud
More for households in Vaud
- Childcare in Vaud: your duties as employer
- Senior home help and companionship in Vaud: your duties as employer
- Household help in Vaud: the canton guide
- Cleaning and housekeeping: the rules across Switzerland
- How to register household help in Switzerland
Neighbouring cantons
Optional help with the paperwork: Helpore Admin files it for you, Helpore Admin Light prepares it
You have someone and stay in control
Helpore Admin Light
CHF 15.90 per month
Your month at 8 h and CHF 30.00CHF 1’261.29
- Your Helper's payslip every month
- Contributions worked out to the rappen
- Every document in order
You have someone and want it fully handled
Helpore Admin
CHF 23.90 per month
Your month at 8 h and CHF 30.00CHF 1’269.29
- Registration of the employment
- Monthly payroll, payslips and contributions
- Insurance administration and the year end statement
Your household is the employer. Both plans are optional, and Helpers never pay a fee.
Questions about employing a cleaning Helper in Vaud
What is the lowest hourly wage for a cleaning Helper in Vaud in 2026?
Without a qualification, CHF 20.35 an hour plus holiday pay: the legal minimum under the federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV).
How much paid holiday does a cleaning Helper get in Vaud?
At least 4 weeks a year. Holiday pay of 8.33 % on every hour: irregular work only, written in the contract and on each payslip; the holidays are still taken.
How much notice does the household give a cleaning Helper in Vaud?
During probation, the notice is 7 days; in the first year of service, 1 month to the end of a month.
What must the household put in writing in Vaud?
Helpore found no written duty in Vaud beyond the federal rules.
Which rule sets the lowest wage for a cleaning Helper in Vaud?
CHF 20.35 an hour: federal standard contract for domestic work (NAV).
Does the federal standard contract for domestic work cover a cleaning Helper?
Yes, when your Helper works on average at least 5 hours a week for your household.
Does the lowest wage for a cleaning Helper change on 1 January 2027?
No. On the figures published so far, the lowest wage in Vaud stays the same.
Which cities in Vaud have a Helpore page for a cleaning Helper?
Helpore has a page about a cleaning Helper in each of these cities: Lausanne.
Where does the household register a cleaning Helper in Vaud?
With Caisse cantonale vaudoise de compensation, the compensation office for the canton, within 30 days of the first working day under the simplified settlement procedure.
What family allowance rate does the household pay in Vaud?
2.37 % of the gross wage, paid by the household.