Building cleaning: How much time is wasted by bureaucracy

A third of working time in the building cleaning industry is spent on bureaucracy. Read on to find out what causes the most work and why employers long for the return of the "sick note" (a form of sick leave).

This article is part of the special topic Bureaucratic madness in the craft industry

As part of the regular autumn economic survey, the Federal Association of the Building Cleaning Trade (BIV) from the companies: How much working time do employees in the company headquarters spend on formalities, i.e. bureaucracy? The result describes Federal guild master Thomas Dietrich as "alarming." On average, that's 32 percent. 

Around one-fifth of the companies state that their staff spend 50 percent or more of their working time solely on bureaucratic requirements, 11,9 percent speak of 40 to 45 percent of their working time, 26 percent say it is in the range of 30 to 35 percent, and 26,7 percent say it is in the range of 20 to 25 percent.

These tasks cause the greatest bureaucracy:

• Instruction/risk assessment

• electronic sick note

• Checking residence and work permits for non-EU citizens

• Sustainability reporting

• Data protection

• recurring statistical information to state and federal authorities

Documentation and evaluation effort is becoming increasingly complex

"We want to shape things rather than manage them," says Federal Guild Master Thomas Dietrich, owner of Gebäudeservice Dietrich West KG in Wuppertal. "The task of politics is to simplify things, eliminate unnecessary regulations when in doubt, and please do so digitally whenever that makes sense and is possible.

What is striking is the broad criticism of the companies surveyed regarding the Topic area: instruction and risk assessment"On the one hand, companies are resisting the increasing documentation and assessment effort, which has become increasingly complex over the years. On the other hand, they want more opportunities for the use of digital media and e-learning programs."

Criticism of electronic AU: well-intentioned but not well-executed

In the context of the electronic sick note (eAU), companies believe that digitalization has led to an increase in bureaucracy: "Good intentions are not always well implemented. The system brings discontent, time expenditure, and stress into companies, so that the industry, absurdly, longs for the yellow paper slips," says Thomas Dietrich.

Background: In the event of illness, the employee goes to the doctor, who informs the health insurance company. However, the company is not automatically informed. The employee must still report sick. The HR department has to actively retrieve each individual case of illness from the health insurance company digitally – often multiple times because the data is not yet available, companies criticize. Several days can pass between the doctor's visit and the retrieval. The company does not know whether the employees have seen the doctor or how long they have been on sick leave.

Economic situation and outlook for 2026

The mood in Germany's most employing skilled trades remains tense. 

• 23,1 percent of the 300 companies surveyed (spring 2025: 24,3 percent) are positive about the current financial year

• 52,6 percent (spring 2025: 48,2 percent) only expects business to remain the same

• 24,3 percent (spring 2025: 27,5 percent) look to 2025 with negative signs

Outlook

• 19,4 percent of companies are positive

• 41,7 percent expect only the same business

• 38,9 percent expect a negative development in 2026

Source: The building service providers

DHB now also digital!Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!