The two questions that change everything about a cleaning job are whether you are an employee or a contractor, and whether the hours you are told about include travel between jobs. Ask both before anything else.
1. Employee or contractor?
This is the single biggest structural difference between cleaning roles, and it affects far more than how you get paid.
| Employee | Independent contractor | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay basis | Award-based wage | Per job or per hour, invoiced |
| Superannuation | Paid by the employer | Generally your own responsibility |
| Leave | Annual and sick leave accrue | None |
| Insurance | Covered by the employer's policies | You arrange your own |
| Equipment | Usually provided | Usually yours |
| Tax | Withheld by the employer | You manage it, and you need an ABN |
| Who directs the work | The employer | In principle, you do |
If it is unclear, ask directly
A straight question deserves a straight answer. Fair Work Australia publishes guidance on the difference, and a business that cannot explain which one it is offering is worth approaching carefully.
2. How are the hours actually structured?
Twenty hours a week means very different things depending on how the run is built.
- Are the hours in consecutive blocks, or scattered across the day?
- Does travel between jobs count as paid time?
- How far apart are the jobs geographically?
- Is the schedule fixed week to week, or does it change?
- What happens when a client cancels — are you still paid?
- Are the hours guaranteed, or do they depend on client numbers?
A run of four jobs in one suburb is a very different day to four jobs across three suburbs, even where the paid hours are identical.
3. Training and support
| Question | A good answer |
|---|---|
| What training is provided? | Structured, paid, before you attend a job alone |
| Who do I call with a problem? | A named person, reachable during the working day |
| Who handles client complaints? | The office, not you on the doorstep |
| What if a job takes longer than allocated? | A process, not an expectation you absorb it |
| Is equipment supplied? | For employees, generally yes |
| Is there a checklist per job? | Yes — it protects you as much as the client |
4. Clearances and what they cost
Ask who pays for police checks and NDIS Worker Screening, and whether that time is paid. It is a reasonable question and the answer is revealing.
5. Warning signs
- Cannot say clearly whether the role is employment or contracting
- Vague about pay rates or how they are calculated
- Travel time explicitly unpaid across a wide geographic run
- No training offered before you attend a client home alone
- Expects you to supply equipment on an employee wage
- Hours described as flexible but with no minimum at all
- Pressure to start before any clearance has come through
None of these are automatically disqualifying. All of them are worth a direct question before you accept.
We are hiring across Melbourne's east. See work with us for what the role involves, or get in touch with a short note about your availability.
Frequently asked questions
Is cleaning better as an employee or a contractor?
It depends what you want. Employment gives you leave, super and insurance cover; contracting gives you more control and more administration. Neither is universally better, but you should know which one you are signing up to.
Should travel between jobs be paid?
For employees, travel between jobs during a shift is generally working time. Check the specifics with Fair Work rather than taking anyone's word for it.
How do I know a cleaning employer is legitimate?
They can explain your employment status, they put the pay basis in writing, they provide training before you attend a home alone, and they pay for the clearances they require.
3 Piglets Cleaning
We are a Croydon-based cleaning company serving Melbourne's eastern and south-eastern suburbs. Our technicians are police-checked and fully insured, and those working with NDIS participants and older clients hold NDIS Worker Screening Clearances. More about us.
