Von den Tagesrändern zu den Geschäftszeiten: Potenziale und Herausforderungen einer Umstellung auf Tagreinigung

Workers in the cleaning sector often have unsocial working times, including split shifts and working hours at the margins of the day. These working times have far-reaching consequences for the cleaners’ quality of work and life. In this contribution, we collect and discuss existing findings with regard to a transformation of these unsocial working times in the cleaning sector towards daytime cleaning. Daytime cleaning basically means that the work is being done in one shift within the time window from about 7:30 a.m. to 6 p. m. Based on our own qualitative empirical investigations in Norway and Austria, as well as on the existing experiences from pilot projects, particularly in Germany, we consider the state of the data on working times in the cleaning sector, a possible definition of daytime cleaning, empirical findings regarding the transition to daytime cleaning in Norway, aspects of a transition to daytime cleaning on the organizational level, and potentials and downsides of daytime cleaning. We embed our findings within concepts of the sociology of work.

Practical Relevance

This contribution describes aspects of how to put a model of daytime cleaning into practice. The concrete implementation is considered on several levels, including the level of the organization and the level of social partnership work. Potential benefits and challenges of switching to daytime cleaning are discussed with regard to cleaners, cleaning companies, and customers.