Why Turnover Is High in Janitorial and Cleaning Services — and What the Research Says

Turnover in janitorial and commercial cleaning is not a mystery. It is high — often running 100% to 200% annually at many operations — and the reasons it stays high are well-documented. What’s less clear to most operators is what to do about it without overhauling their business model or dramatically increasing labor costs.

This post pulls together what the research and industry data say about why cleaning and janitorial workers leave, what distinguishes lower-turnover operations from the rest, and where HR and workforce management technology fits into the solution.

Last updated: June 2026

How High Is Turnover in Janitorial and Cleaning Services?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, the service sector consistently ranks among the highest turnover industries in the U.S. economy. Within facilities services, janitorial and cleaning occupations see annual separation rates that regularly exceed 50% — and at many contract cleaning companies, the actual turnover rate is far higher because of the seasonal and part-time nature of the work.

The Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) has noted that turnover is one of the industry’s most persistent operational challenges. High turnover creates direct costs — recruiting, hiring, training, and the productivity gap during the time it takes a new worker to reach full performance. Estimates put the cost of replacing a frontline cleaning worker at $1,500 to $3,000 per departure when all factors are counted.

What the Research Says About Why Workers Leave

The causes of high turnover in janitorial and cleaning services are fairly consistent across research. Pay is the first issue — cleaning workers are among the lowest-paid in the service economy, and a modest wage premium from a competitor is enough to trigger a departure in a workforce with low switching costs. However, research consistently shows that pay alone doesn’t explain turnover rates. Operations that pay above-market wages still struggle with high attrition when other factors are present.

The second major driver is scheduling. Janitorial and cleaning work often happens during off-hours — overnight, early morning, or weekend shifts — which makes the work difficult to sustain for workers who have family obligations, second jobs, or health limitations. Unpredictable scheduling compounds this: workers who don’t know their hours week to week can’t arrange childcare, transportation, or their secondary income reliably. Per SHRM research on frontline workforce retention, schedule unpredictability is one of the top cited reasons frontline workers leave service industry jobs.

The third factor is isolation. Cleaning workers often work alone or in small crews without regular contact with supervisors or other company staff. Without that connection, there’s no relationship to retain — when a better offer appears, there’s little loyalty to weigh against it. Workers who report feeling recognized and communicated with consistently have lower exit rates, even in otherwise similar work environments.

The Contract Cleaning Multiplier Effect

Turnover is especially acute for contract cleaning companies — those providing services to commercial clients — compared to in-house cleaning operations. Contract workers often don’t identify with the client organization and have weaker ties to their employer than direct employees do. When a contract is lost or a site changes, workers frequently leave rather than transfer to a new location, even when the opportunity is offered.

Additionally, contract cleaning companies often operate on thin margins that limit their ability to offer competitive wages or benefits. The pressure to win contracts at lower prices squeezes the labor budget first — and the turnover costs that result from underinvesting in compensation and scheduling often exceed the savings from lower labor rates. Operators who account for full replacement costs tend to make different trade-offs than those who only see the hourly rate difference.

What Lower-Turnover Cleaning Operations Do Differently

Operators with below-average turnover share several characteristics. They offer more consistent and predictable scheduling, even when it means less scheduling flexibility. They invest in supervisory communication — regular check-ins, clear expectations, recognition for good work. They move fast on pay-related complaints rather than letting them fester. And they make it easy for workers to access their pay, schedule, and HR information without calling the office during business hours.

Technology plays a meaningful role here. Employee self-service tools that give cleaning workers access to pay stubs, schedule updates, and PTO balances from their phones address one of the friction points that accelerates departures: the feeling that HR only exists during daytime office hours, not during the evening shift when a worker has a question. Mobile time and attendance tools also improve scheduling transparency — workers can see their schedule, request changes, and swap shifts without waiting for a callback.

Where HR Technology Fits

No HR platform eliminates turnover in janitorial and cleaning services. But operators running on manual processes — paper schedules, phone-in time tracking, checks mailed or handed out in person — are adding friction at every touchpoint that accelerates departure decisions. When a worker has a question about their check and can’t get an answer until Tuesday, or can’t see their schedule for next week without calling a supervisor who may not pick up, the decision to take a different job becomes easier.

Netchex gives building services operators a connected platform for scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and employee self-service that works for a deskless workforce — no desktop required. See how Netchex for Building Services addresses the specific retention and operational challenges of contract cleaning and janitorial operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

This guide reflects publicly available product information and independent reviewer data (G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, Reddit, Software Advice, GetApp) as of 2026. Feature availability and pricing may vary by plan. Contact each provider for current details.

Disclaimer: Any product roadmap or future plans provided herein are for informational purposes only. They do not represent a commitment to deliver any material, code, feature, or functionality. Plans may change without notification. The development, release and timing of any features or functionality described remain at the sole discretion of Netchex, its affiliates, and partners. Netchex does not give legal, tax, or accounting advice. You are responsible for ensuring your use of Netchex product meets your individual business and compliance requirements.

Print this page