Criminal probe targets French home-cleaning chain Shiva over concealed work claims
Three cleaning agents accuse the 700-franchise firm of acting as an employer while calling itself a mere intermediary, avoiding social charges and employee protections.
Investigation opened
A criminal investigation has been opened in Paris against home-cleaning brand Shiva following a complaint from three cleaning agents, the Paris prosecutor's office told AFP on 13 June 2026. The probe, entrusted to the regional directorate for economy, employment, labour and solidarity (DRIEETS), will examine accusations of concealed work and illegal supply of labour. The complaint was filed in January 2026, according to the investigative website Basta!, and has now become public.
Shiva has become one of the largest cleaning companies in France without assuming the social charges and obligations that normally fall to an employer in the cleaning sector.
The complaint's core accusations
The three agents argue that while Shiva presents itself as a mere facilitator (mandataire) between households and cleaners, the reality is an employer-worker relationship. Their complaint cites a "véritable lien de subordination" (genuine subordination link): cleaners must be geo-locatable during work, Shiva manages their holidays and pay increases, and the company makes "frequent, even systematic" use of fixed-term contracts that let it avoid dismissal indemnities. The lawyers describe the model as institutionalised precariousness.
Its model rests on a form of institutionalized precariousness, while Shiva brandishes a supposedly premium marketing positioning and a discourse that claims to restore dignity to often undervalued cleaning professionals.
The company's response
Contacted by AFP, Shiva stated that it "welcomes without reserve any examination of its activity" but added that it had not been informed of the investigation until now. A spokesperson said the brand "pays scrupulous attention to the legality of its activities, in line with its franchisees", operating strictly within the agent status defined by law. The company insists it is a mandataire, not an employer, and denies any infringement.
Legal precedent and economic scale
Shiva belongs to the Domia group and has grown into one of France's leading home-cleaning networks, with 700 franchised outlets and a 2025 turnover of €63.8 million. The case echoes the Deliveroo platform-work rulings, where courts reclassified independent contractors as employees. If the investigation finds a genuine employment relationship, the group could face substantial social-security and tax back-payments, as well as sanctions for concealed work.
