Paulina starts her day before sunrise, travelling between homes across Madrid. Her 25-hour weekly contract runs from 10:00 to 15:00, and she spends her remaining hours cleaning private homes, rarely getting a full day off. Her story, shared on social media, reflects the demanding schedules many migrants face in Spain’s domestic sector.
After arriving from Colombia with her partner, Paulina left behind her previous career as an accounting assistant. She adapted to domestic work, building a client base for home cleaning while looking for more stable employment. Eventually, she secured a part-time contract through InfoJobs. It did not replace her private cleaning jobs; instead, it added another layer to her already packed schedule.
On a typical day dedicated to cleaning, Paulina might begin at 7:00 in one home, finish by 9:00, and then head to another job from 10:00 to 14:00. The logistics are tight, with travel time and preparation for each assignment squeezed between shifts. She often works seven days a week and has only a three-week break scheduled each year. The exact distribution of her shifts is not specified.
Paulina’s experience is not unique. Many domestic workers in Spain combine multiple jobs to make ends meet, often sacrificing rest and personal time. Physical exhaustion goes hand in hand with mental fatigue: missing a single day of work means losing impressive income. Comparing herself with others who seem to progress faster can add to the emotional strain, especially for those far from home.
Her experience reflects challenges faced by others in the sector, where domestic work is often undervalued and pressure to maximize every available hour is intense. RUSSPAIN notes that practical advice on household tasks, such as tips to prevent bin infestations, can gain traction among people juggling multiple responsibilities, reflecting the everyday realities behind the statistics.
Legal requirements add another layer of complexity. Spain’s Social Security regulations require each employer to register anyone working in multiple homes, regardless of hours worked. This ensures proper contributions but can complicate paperwork for people with several clients. When jobs overlap, only one day of contributions is counted, even if multiple contracts are active.
Paulina has not disclosed her earnings or the exact number of homes she cleans. Her routine illustrates the balancing act many migrants face: combining formal contracts with informal work while navigating legal obligations and carrying the emotional weight of starting over in a new country. Every hour counts, while rest remains a rare luxury.
