Keys and an open key register on a table in an empty office meeting room

Changing cleaner in Bristol: notice, handover and staff

7 min read
How to
Changing cleaning contractor is straightforward when the notice terms are clear, the handover is planned and the staff position is understood from the start. Without those steps, keys go missing, standards slip during the switch and the outgoing team may be left uncertain about their jobs. This guide sets out the sequence for a Bristol business moving to a new cleaner.

Changing cleaning contractor is one of the most common reasons a business reviews its premises arrangements, and it is often done in a hurry. A service has slipped, a complaint has not been resolved or the price has risen beyond what the budget allows. Whatever the reason, the change needs a sequence: check the notice terms, arrange an overlap where possible, recover keys and equipment, and settle what happens to the people doing the work. A business that follows that sequence avoids a gap in the service and most of the disputes that come from a rushed switch.

Read the notice terms first

The notice clause is the place to start. It sets out how much warning either side must give, when the notice takes effect and whether there is a minimum term that has not yet expired. Some contracts also require notice in a particular form, such as a letter sent to a named address, so the clause should be read as a whole rather than skimmed for a number of weeks.

If the contract has no notice clause, or the wording is unclear, ask for advice before serving anything. A short written notice that is challenged on its validity can leave the business paying for two services at once. The Citizens Advice guidance on work covers the general principles of notice for employment, and a business that is unsure about the commercial terms should take advice from a solicitor or the trade body that represents its sector.

Check whether the contract allows a variation or a review in place of ending it. In some cases a renegotiated scope or price is enough to resolve the problem, and a switch is unnecessary. A short meeting with the current contractor, with the issues written down in advance, can settle matters more quickly than a formal notice.

Plan an overlap or a trial

Where possible, arrange an overlap. Two cleaners working on the same site for a short period allows the incoming team to learn the building, the access arrangements and the standards expected, while the outgoing team is still in place. An overlap is more expensive than a clean switch, but it protects against gaps in the service, and it gives the new contractor time to spot any issues in the specification before they affect the daily routine.

A trial visit is a lighter version of this. The prospective contractor cleans a defined area for one visit, and the client checks the result against the specification. This is useful when the business is choosing between several providers, and it shows how each one approaches the building's particular demands. The guide on preparing your Bristol premises for a first clean explains what a new contractor needs in order to start well.

The overlap also needs a clear agreement about who is responsible for what. Decide which contractor is responsible for the building on each day, who holds the keys during the overlap and who signs off the work. Confusion over these points is one of the commonest sources of disputes at a changeover.

Returning keys, fobs and equipment

Keys and fobs are the practical centre of any handover. Make a complete list of every key, fob, alarm code and access card issued to the outgoing contractor and its staff, and collect each one before the final day. Record the return against the list, with the date and the name of the person returning it. Codes that were shared with the outgoing team should be changed, and any fob that cannot be returned should be deactivated.

Equipment is less pressing but still needs attention. Some clients provide their own machines, and the outgoing contractor may have left its own items on site. Agree in writing what belongs to whom, how items will be collected and what happens to any consumables that remain in the store. A simple inventory with photographs makes this easier and avoids arguments about damage.

Chemicals also need care at changeover. The outgoing contractor should remove any products it brought onto site, and the incoming contractor should check that the storage area is clear before using it. Ask both parties to confirm that the safety data sheets for the products on site are available, since the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 require the employer to keep control of hazardous substances used at work.

The outgoing team and TUPE

The staff question is where many changeovers become difficult. Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, when a service is moved from one contractor to another, the employees who are assigned to that service may transfer to the new contractor with their existing terms. The GOV.UK guidance on what happens to employees when the business changes hands explains that cleaning services commonly fall within this rule, and that the outgoing cleaner in a service that moves to an outside contractor is likely to be protected.

The detail sits in regulation 3 of the 2006 Regulations, which defines when a relevant transfer takes place. Whether a particular changeover meets that test depends on the facts, and the client does not decide it alone.

The client should not give legal advice to the staff, and should not promise them jobs it cannot control. The most useful step is to ask the outgoing and incoming contractors to set out the position in writing, so that the cleaners have clear information. The GOV.UK guidance on employment contracts and conditions sets out the basic rights that staff keep when their employment continues, and a worker who is unsure about their position can seek advice from a union or from Citizens Advice.

Keep the standard steady during the switch

The week of the changeover is when standards are most likely to slip. Agree a short list of checks for the period, such as washrooms restocked, bins emptied and entrances cleaned, and ask the building manager to sign off each day. A brief note of any problems helps the new contractor understand what it has inherited and helps the client decide whether the outgoing team is still meeting its obligations.

After the switch, schedule a review at the end of the first month. This is the point at which the new contractor has settled into the routine, and the client can see whether the specification needs changing. The review is also a good moment to confirm that the access register, the storage arrangements and the staff briefing are all working.

Keep a short written record of each step as it happens, with the date and the people involved. Notes of a call about keys, an email confirming the overlap or a signed list of returned fobs are the documents a business will want if a question arises months later. A record kept at the time is far more useful than a reconstruction from memory, and it helps the next person who manages the building understand why the arrangements look the way they do.

Why a clear sequence pays

The businesses that change cleaners with the least trouble are usually those that plan the change early. They check the notice terms, arrange an overlap where the building needs it, collect every key and code in writing, and settle the staff position before the final day. Each step is simple on its own, but skipping one can turn a routine switch into a dispute.

If you are looking for a new provider, you can request quotes against a written scope, or browse the commercial cleaning services available in Bristol. The guide on wage rates and your Bristol cleaning contract explains why very low quotes need careful scrutiny when a new contract is priced, and the guide on the case for cleaning offices during the day covers the timing questions that often arise at the same point.