Contract cleaning
A contract cleaning business provides cleaning services under a contract.
We have information for employees, employers and independent contractors in the contract cleaning industry.
On this page:
- The contract cleaning industry
- Entitlements in the contract cleaning industry
- Our work in the contract cleaning industry
- Keep up to date
- Tools and resources
- Related information
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The contract cleaning industry
The contract cleaning industry refers to, among other things, businesses that provide cleaning services to another business or a consumer on a contractual basis.
Workers in the contract cleaning industry may be working for:
- the business that holds the cleaning contract
- another business that has been subcontracted by the business that holds the contract (known as a subcontractor)
- a third-party labour hire service provider
- a private household
- a contract trolley collection business.
Not all workers who perform cleaning duties work for businesses in the contract cleaning industry.
Entitlements in the contract cleaning industry
Workers in the contract cleaning industry will have different rights and obligations, depending on whether they are hired as independent contractors or employees.
Independent contractors
Independent contractors provide agreed services under a contract for those services. They usually negotiate their own fees and working arrangements and can work for more than one client at a time.
Independent contractors are not covered by awards.
For more information about independent contractors, visit Independent contractors.
Employees
An employee is a person who is employed to work for a company on either a full-time, part-time or casual basis in exchange for payment.
Employees’ minimum entitlements can come from:
- an enterprise agreement
- an award, such as the Cleaning Services Award (Cleaning Award)
- the National Employment Standards (NES)The minimum entitlements that have to be provided to all employees. .
Independent contractor or employee
There are a number of indicators that determine whether someone is an employee or an independent contractorA person who works for themselves and provides services to another person or business and isn’t employed by that person or business. Independent contractors usually negotiate their own fees and working arrangements and can work for more than one client at a time. Other known terms: subcontracting and contractor..
These include:
- the amount of control over how work is performed
- financial responsibility and risk
- who supplies the tools and equipment
- ability to delegate or subcontract work
- hours of work
- expectation of work continuing.
Sometimes a business (or individual) may tell or represent to a worker that they’re an independent contractor when they’re actually an employee of the business. If the business knew (or should have known) that the worker was an employee, there may be a sham contracting arrangement.
These kinds of arrangements are illegal.
Example: Understanding where minimum entitlements come from
Morgan wants to start a new home cleaning business. Before she starts hiring employees, she needs to find out about minimum pay rates and entitlements.
Morgan visits our website and learns that minimum pay rates and conditions of employment come from the National Employment Standards and either an enterprise agreement or an award.
She knows she doesn’t have an enterprise agreement.
Morgan uses our Pay and Conditions Tool and learns that the Cleaning Award applies to her employees. This is because her business provides cleaning services under a contract, and the type of work the employees will do is covered by the definition in the Cleaning Award.
The Cleaning Award has rules about rights and obligations, including:
- minimum pay rates
- whether an employee is casual, part-time or full-time
- penalty rates (for example, for working weekends or after hours)
- allowances (for example, for toilet cleaning or an employee using their own vehicle)
- breaks.
Morgan reads through the Cleaning Award carefully to make sure she understands the pay rates, entitlements and other conditions she must provide to her employees.
Which award applies
If you’re an employee or employer in the contract cleaning industry, you’re most likely covered by the Cleaning Award.
For more information on pay rates and entitlements under the Cleaning Award, visit Entitlements for employees under the Cleaning Award.
Some awards have classifications that cover employees performing cleaning duties, such as the Hospitality Award. If an employee works directly for the business and they’re not a contract cleaning business, the Cleaning Award may not apply.
Example: Cleaning employee not part of contract cleaning industry
Joe and Sam are friends who both work as cleaners at two different supermarkets in a coastal town. They do similar duties at work, including cleaning common areas, polishing and garbage disposal.
Joe is employed directly by his supermarket and must wear their uniform. Joe receives instructions from the store manager. Because Joe works directly for the supermarket, Joe is covered by the Retail Award.
Sam works for a contract cleaning business that provides cleaning services to a different supermarket, as well as other businesses. Sam is paid directly by the cleaning company and wears their uniform. Sam is told by the cleaning business when to work and what tasks should be done and in what order. As Sam is employed by a contract cleaning business, she is covered by the Cleaning Award.
For more information on who is and isn’t covered by the Cleaning Award, visit the Cleaning Award summary.
For more information on award coverage for cleaners visit our library article Award coverage for cleaners.
If you’re not sure which award applies, use our Pay and Conditions Tool.
Our work in the contract cleaning industry
We aim to ensure all employees are paid what the law requires.
We conduct work in the wider cleaning industry focused on non-compliance with the Fair Work Act. This includes matters such as:
- underpayments of wages and entitlements
- sham contracting
- supply chain issues.
For more information, visit Compliance and enforcement.
Stay up to date with our activity in the cleaning industry by visiting our Newsroom and searching for articles relating to cleaning.
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