Looking for reliable help to keep your home i Switzerland running smoothly? Whether you need a professional housekeeper, a nanny, a chauffeur — or a full‑service household team — finding the right household staff can make all the difference. In this article, I’ll guide you, step by step, through how to hire the right staff, what to expect, and how to work with trusted agencies. Think of it as your expert guide to securing top‑quality household staff Switzerland.
Why good household staff matter
Your home is more than a building — it’s a space where comfort, order and peace of mind should thrive.
- A competent housekeeper helps keep cleanliness, laundry, ironing, and general household maintenance in check.
- A nanny or childcare helper can bring trust, safety and support for your children.
- A private chef or butler can help manage meals, errands or household coordination — especially useful for busy professionals or families.
Having the right staff ensures your daily life is smoother, less stressful, and gives you more time for family, work or leisure.
What does “household staff Switzerland” mean?
When we say household staff Switzerland, we refer to a broad range of domestic help services — from full‑time live‑in help to part‑time cleaning, from childcare to cooking, gardening, household management, and more.
Agencies provide staff such as: professional housekeepers, butlers/house‑managers, nannies, chauffeurs, private chefs, or even domestic couples.
One example of such a staffing agency is Aleydis Prestige. According to their website, Aleydis Prestige specialises in “luxury private staff for prestigious households,” offering customised placements — whether live‑in, live‑out, permanent or temporary — with a focus on discretion, reliability and high standards.
What kind of staff can you hire — and for what tasks
Depending on your needs, you can hire different types of household staff. Here’s a breakdown:
• Housekeeper / Domestic Helper
A housekeeper typically handles cleaning, dusting, laundry, ironing, tidying, and general upkeep of the home. In high‑end households, housekeepers often do more — like supervising other staff, managing household supplies, even cooking or managing small errands. Agencies like Aleydis Prestige emphasise that their elite housekeepers offer more than standard cleaning: they provide tailored household management suited for luxury residences.
• Butler / House Manager
If you have a large home, many staff members, or a busy family life, a butler or house‑manager can coordinate everything — from staff schedules to suppliers and household logistics. Agencies specialising in exclusive staffing, such as BUTLER BUREAU Schweiz GmbH, focus on placing butlers, nannies, chauffeurs, private chefs and housekeepers to match your exact requirements.
• Nanny / Child Care & Maternity Care
For families with children, hiring a nanny or maternity nurse offers peace of mind. These professionals may provide childcare, education support, and daily care — especially important if you work long hours or travel. Agencies often include nannies among their staffing services.
• Private Chef / Cook, Chauffeur, Gardener, Domestic Couple
If you want a truly hands‑off lifestyle, you can combine several roles: a private chef for meals, a chauffeur for transport, a gardener for outside care — or even hire a domestic couple, offering complementary skills to manage the household efficiently.
What to expect: Standards, costs and legalities in Switzerland
Hiring household staff in Switzerland involves certain expectations — from fair wages to proper registration and insurance.
✅ Minimum Wages & Fair Pay
According to regulations for domestic work (outside special cantons like Geneva), minimum gross hourly wages are defined:
- Unskilled domestic helpers without training: around CHF 19.95 per hour. quitt.+1
- Domestic helpers with vocational training or years of experience: up to around CHF 24.05 per hour gross.
These rates can vary depending on experience, training, and the canton. In Geneva, for example, monthly wages for full-time domestic workers are higher.
Because living costs in Switzerland are high and law demands proper social security, insurance and registration (in many cases), employing someone privately can be expensive — but it protects both you and the worker.
✅ Legal and Administrative Requirements
As an employer, you must register domestic help with social security (such as OASI in many cantons), arrange accident insurance (even if the helper works only a few hours), and handle payroll — salaries, social contributions, insurance premiums, and payslips.
To simplify this, many people use services like quitt, which handles all necessary paperwork — from employment contract to social security, salary statements, paperwork changes (if the worker changes canton, gets married, etc.).
Using such services ensures that employment is fair, legal and transparent. It also avoids common problems like undeclared work or lack of social insurance.
How to choose the right agency or staff for your home
With many agencies out there, how do you pick the right staffing solution? Here are some key points to consider:
🎯 Understand what you need
- Do you need full‑time live‑in staff (housekeeper, butler, nanny)? Or occasional cleaning / part‑time help?
- Do you want individuals (housekeeper, nanny) or a full team: e.g. housekeeper + chef + chauffeur?
- Are you in a city apartment, villa, or a chalet? The type of home influences your needs.
🔎 Use a reputable, specialised agency
If you want high standards of quality, discretion and reliability — especially for larger homes or luxury residences — choose an agency that specialises in private household staffing. Agencies like Aleydis Prestige highlight “luxury private staff for prestigious households,” offering tailored, discreet and professional placements.
Similarly, BUTLER BUREAU specialises in placing butlers, house‑managers, nannies, chauffeurs, private chefs and housekeepers — refined staff matching high standards.
✅ Check legal compliance & fair labour practices
Ensure that the agency or staff you hire are properly registered, insured and paid fair wages — in line with legal standards. Using services like quitt helps ensure that employment is legal, rights are protected, and paperwork is properly handled.
💡 Ask for references, check background, and clarify roles
Especially when hiring staff who will live in or frequently enter your home: check references carefully, clarify exactly what tasks are expected (cleaning? cooking? childcare? household management?).
Why choose a top‑tier agency like Aleydis Prestige
Let’s take a closer look at what makes Aleydis Prestige stand out when you’re seeking top‑quality household staff in Switzerland.
- Tailored Staffing Solutions: They don’t just match generic help — they offer carefully selected staff (housekeepers, butlers, chefs, nannies, estate managers) to match the specific needs of your household, whether live‑in or live‑out, permanent or temporary.
- Discretion & Luxury-Level Service: Their clients are often high‑net‑worth families or those with luxury residences, where discretion, professionalism, and excellence aren’t optional — they are essential.
- Comprehensive Household Management: Beyond basic cleaning or help — the staff provided by Aleydis Prestige can manage entire households: from housekeeping and maintenance to meal planning, childcare, errands, and even lifestyle management.
- Reliable Placement & Ongoing Support: The agency’s experience in private staffing, combined with reviews that praise their professionalism and responsive service, means you can trust them to handle both recruitment and ongoing support.
For those seeking more than just a “cleaning lady” — for families, busy professionals, owners of large homes or multiple residences — such an agency makes sense.
Common Questions and Misconceptions
❓ Is it expensive to hire household staff in Switzerland?
Yes — Switzerland’s high cost of living, legal wages, insurance and social security contributions make household help costly compared with many other countries. Minimum wages start around CHF 19.95 per hour for unskilled helpers, going up if the staff are trained or experienced.
But quality costs what it’s worth. If you value reliability, legality, and peace of mind — especially in larger or luxury homes — using a trusted, professional staffing agency can prove worth every franc.
❓ Do I have to register my domestic help with authorities?
Yes. In Switzerland, regular domestic help must be registered with social security, and you must take out accident insurance — even if they work only a few hours.
If you hire someone informally without registration, you risk violating Swiss labour laws. That’s why many employers opt for regulated agencies or payroll‑handling services like quitt.
❓ Should I hire through a cleaning company or directly employ a housekeeper?
There are pros and cons:
- Hiring through a cleaning company (or a service such as Helpling or Batmaid) offers convenience — they handle scheduling, insurance, and are responsible for staff. But the turnover of staff may be higher, and you may not have the same person each time.
- Direct employment (through a staffing agency or privately) provides stability, continuity, and tailored service — especially for households needing regular help or multiple roles. The downside: more responsibility for paperwork, compliance, and employer obligations.
If you prefer a “set-and-forget” option for occasional cleaning, a cleaning company may suit you. If you want long-term, high-quality support (housekeeping, cooking, childcare, household management), hiring through a trusted staffing agency is often the better route.
Steps to hire the right household staff
Here’s a simple roadmap you can follow to hire reliable household staff in Switzerland:
- List your needs clearly — What tasks do you want done? Cleaning, laundry, cooking, child care, whole‑house management, etc.
- Choose the right staffing channel — agency for stable, long-term professional staff; cleaning company for occasional cleaning; or direct hire if you manage payroll/insurance.
- Check legal and insurance requirements — social security registration, accident insurance, fair wages according to canton regulations.
- Interview and screen candidates — check references, background, experience, skills, and clarity about duties.
- Agree on contract and working conditions — hours, wages, duties, confidentiality or discretion if needed.
- Ensure good communication and clarity — especially if the staff will manage more than just cleaning (household management, cooking, childcare).
- Review performance and satisfaction regularly — good staff improve your life; if things don’t work out, be prepared to reevaluate.
Who is this for — and who benefits most
Hiring household staff in Switzerland isn’t just for the super‑rich or families with big mansions. These arrangements can benefit:
- Busy professionals working long hours who need reliable help at home.
- Families with children — needing trustworthy childcare, cleaning, meal prep or general household support.
- People owning more than one residence (city apartment, countryside villa, ski chalet).
- Households valuing discretion, professionalism and high standards of service.
- Anyone who wants to reduce stress, manage time better, and enjoy a comfortable home life without the daily chores.
With the right staffing solution, your home becomes not just a place where you live — but a place that supports your lifestyle, comfort and peace.
Make the smart choice for your home
Hiring household staff Switzerland may seem like a big commitment — but with the right understanding, it’s an investment in quality of life.
A professional housekeeper or a full‑blown household team — carefully selected, legally employed and managed through a reputable agency like Aleydis Prestige — can transform your daily living. It gives you time, organisation, comfort, and lets you enjoy your home instead of worrying about chores.
