Working Time in the Cleaning Industry in Austria

Introduction: Work in the cleaning industry is characterized by ergonomically and socially stressful working hours such as long and split shifts as well as work at the edges of the day. However, knowledge of working hours is often anecdotal, as analyses of actual working hours in the cleaning industry are largely lacking. The aim of this pilot study was therefore to better understand the working conditions of Austrian cleaning staff and to determine how compliance with legal and ergonomic recommendations on planning of working time is implemented in this sector.

Methods: To answer these questions, actual working hours worked by employees covered by the collective agreement for monument, facade and building cleaners were analyzed. The sample is based on a non-representative group of employees in the cleaning collective agreement who contacted the legal counselling service of the Vienna Chamber of Labor to check their working hours. A total of 32 cases with actual working hours between 1 January 2020 and 7 May 2023 were evaluated, which contained the start and end of working hours at daily level as well as breaks and absences (holiday, sick, ...). On average, 244 days were entered (min. 8, max. 524).

Results: The duration of daily working hours varied greatly between employees. While some only worked short shifts, most people worked between 7–11 hours per day. A significant proportion also worked more than 12 hours a day. In most cases, work was performed during the day between 6 am and 7 pm on all days of the week. Night work occurred in eight cases. Most employees started between 6 am and 7 am The times at which work ended varied: A substantial proportion of people finished work between 2 pm and 4 pm, the majority between 6 pm and 8 pm As the individual working time patterns varied greatly, no ‘typical’ working time in the cleaning industry could be found. The analyses were therefore supplemented by individual case studies of prototypical working time patterns (e.g., day work, irregular working hours, split shifts) with an ergonomic evaluation, risk assessment and legal review of these times.

Conclusion: The analyses of a non-representative sample of working hours from the cleaning industry in Austria show an accumulation of legally and ergonomically problematic times such as very long daily working hours, work at socially unfavorable times (evenings, nights, weekends) and very irregular work assignments. Even if the sample suggests an above-average frequency of offenses, as non-critical cases are less likely to be found in legal advice, the analysis nevertheless provides valuable insights. The findings expand the data situation in this sector and point to the need for increased occupational health and safety protection for employees.

Publication History

Article published online:
08 October 2025