Staffing cost calculator
The hourly wage is not what a cleaner costs you. Work out the true hourly cost of employing someone directly, then compare it with an agency rate.
In short
Employing a cleaner directly costs more than their hourly wage. On top of pay you owe holiday pay of 12.07 per cent of hours worked, employer National Insurance at 15 per cent on weekly earnings above £96, and at least 3 per cent pension on qualifying earnings once pay passes £10,000 a year. The National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour. Paid that for 30 hrs a week, a cleaner costs you £16.21 per hour worked, before recruitment, sick pay, cover and payroll time.
Rates for the 2026 to 2027 tax year, checked against GOV.UK on 12 October 2026.
How the true cost is worked out
Each line below is a legal cost of employing someone directly in England, Scotland or Wales. The calculator applies them in this order, using weekly pay.
- Holiday pay. Workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year (28 days for a 5-day week). For irregular hours, holiday builds up at 12.07 per cent of hours worked. You pay for hours nobody is on site, so add 12.07 per cent to every hour worked.
- Employer National Insurance. 15 per cent on earnings above the secondary threshold of £96 a week (£5,000 a year), from 6 April 2026. Holiday pay counts as earnings. For workers under 21, and apprentices under 25, the employer rate is nil on earnings up to the upper secondary threshold of £967 a week.
- Workplace pension. If someone earns at least £10,000 a year and is aged 22 to State Pension age, you must enrol them; nobody under 22 has to be enrolled automatically. The legal minimum employer contribution is 3 per cent of qualifying earnings: pay between £6,240 and £50,270 a year.
| Cost | 30 hrs a week | 10 hrs a week |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly pay | £12.71 | £12.71 |
| Holiday pay (12.07 per cent) | £1.53 | £1.53 |
| Employer National Insurance | £1.66 | £0.70 |
| Employer pension | £0.31 | £0.00 |
| True cost per hour | £16.21 | £14.94 |
Short weekly hours cost less per hour: at 10 hrs a week the worker earns below the pension trigger and most of their pay sits under the National Insurance threshold.
What this calculator leaves out
- Employment Allowance. Eligible employers can cut their yearly employer National Insurance bill by up to £10,500. If you qualify, your real National Insurance cost may be nil.
- Statutory Sick Pay, cover while someone is off, recruitment and advertising, right-to-work checks, uniforms, training and the time spent running payroll.
- Higher pay. Anyone aged 21 or over must be paid at least £12.71. Paying more raises every line above.
Direct employment or an agency?
Read this diagram as text
- Recruiting and advertising. Employing directly: You advertise, interview and hire. Through Gangal Go: We find the worker for your booking.
- Right-to-work checks. Employing directly: You check and keep the records. Through Gangal Go: Done before any shift.
- Payroll, holiday pay, employer National Insurance and pension. Employing directly: You run payroll and pay these costs. Through Gangal Go: We employ and pay the worker. These costs sit inside the hourly rate.
- Covering absence. Employing directly: You find cover yourself. Through Gangal Go: Request staff, from 48 hours.
- Usually suits. Employing directly: Steady, long-term work where you have time to recruit and manage. Through Gangal Go: Short notice, a few weeks, or covering absence.
- Cost per hour: for steady, long-term work, employing directly usually costs less.
With an agency, the agency employs and pays the worker. Holiday pay, employer National Insurance and pension are the agency's costs and sit inside the hourly rate you are charged. These are the Gangal Go rates for cleaning and hospitality staff.
| Booking | When it applies | Rate + VAT | With VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short notice | Start date less than 48 hrs away | £20.50 | £24.60 |
| Standard | Start date at least 48 hrs away | £19.50 | £23.40 |
| Regular | 4+ weeks and 20+ hrs per worker per week | £18.75 | £22.50 |
| Contract | 12+ weeks and 30+ hrs per worker per week | from £18.00 | £21.60 |
On the worked example above, employing a cleaner directly at £12.71 for 30 hrs a week costs £16.21 an hour; our lowest rate starts at £18.00 plus VAT. So for steady, long-term work where you have time to recruit and manage, direct employment usually costs less per hour. An agency is worth paying for when you need staff at short notice, for a few weeks, to cover absence, or when you do not want to run recruitment, right-to-work checks and payroll yourself.
VAT is charged at 20 per cent on agency fees. A VAT-registered business can normally reclaim it; if you cannot, compare the "with VAT" column.
For a firm price on your own hours, use the instant price calculator. Night shifts carry a premium. Weighing up a cleaning contractor as well? Read agency staff, a cleaning contractor or hiring directly.
Sources
Figures checked against GOV.UK on 12 October 2026. UK rates change every April; check the source before you rely on a figure. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
- GOV.UK: Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (rates as of 6 April 2026)
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement
- GOV.UK: Workplace pensions, what you and your employer pay
- GOV.UK (DWP): Automatic enrolment earnings trigger and qualifying earnings band for 2026/27 (rates as of 6 April 2026)
- GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates (rates as of 1 April 2026)
More free employer tools: Minimum wage and holiday pay checker · AWR 12-week calculator · all tools
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