Will AI replace Caretakers?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 36 official task statements scored for Caretakers (United Kingdom, SOC 6232), 2% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 8 out of 100 (range 6–13, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

Which tasks in “Caretakers” can AI already do?

The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Order specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities” (93/100, very high); “Order supplies to support facility maintenance” (56/100, partial); “Liaise with external repair facilities for maintenance tasks” (48/100, partial). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.

Which tasks in “Caretakers” stay human?

About 91% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Spread snow-melting chemicals” (0/100, minimal); “Spray chemical solutions into rooms to disinfect or control pests” (0/100, minimal); “Set up chairs and tables for meetings” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.

What should someone working in “Caretakers” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 2% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 91% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Caretakers calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 36 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

UK dataswitch to US

Caretakers

cleaning building floors, moving heavy furniture, equipment or supplies and performing routine repair and maintenance duties for facilities and equipment. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: cleaning building floors is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 2%
changing shape: 7%
staying human: 91%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 8 out of 100 (6–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 36 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for caretakers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

What shifts is ordering specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities. This page scores what today's tools actually do, not headlines.

Your week, as this page understands it

Caretakers supervise and undertake the care and maintenance of church, school, office and other buildings, their facilities, fixtures and contents. The job title says “caretakers”. The real job is the part underneath: cleaning building floors. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But caretakers is not one task. It is 36 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is cleaning building floors, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 2%
changing shape: 7%
staying human: 91%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

20 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

1 task

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Ordering specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities
This is reading one thing and writing another: specific supplies in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Order specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Ordering maintenance supplies follows set suppliers and rules that ordering systems already handle.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

3 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Ordering supplies to support facility maintenance
The software now makes the first pass at supplies, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Order supplies to support facility maintenance.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Ordering supplies is routine purchasing admin, though knowing what is running low means checking the store.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Liaising with external repair facilities for maintenance tasks
The software now makes the first pass at external repair facilities, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Liaise with external repair facilities for maintenance tasks.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 48 out of 100 (41–55 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Booking and chasing outside repairers is correspondence and scheduling software handles well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Informing managers about the need for major repairs or additions to building operating systems
The software now makes the first pass at managers, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Inform managers about the need for major repairs or additions to building operating systems.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing up why a repair is needed is straightforward drafting, though the fault itself has to be seen on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Staying human

32 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Cleaning building floors
This work happens in the physical world: floors, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 6232/00
Source: “Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Sweeping, mopping, scrubbing and vacuuming floors is manual cleaning.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Checking doors and windows are locked when the building is not
This work happens in the physical world: doors, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 6232/00
Source: “Check doors and windows are locked when the building is not in use.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checking that doors and windows are actually locked means walking the building.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Cleaning toilets
This work happens in the physical world: toilets, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 6232/00
Source: “Clean toilets.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning a toilet is physical work that has to be done on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Monitoring building security by locking doors after operating hours
This work happens in the physical world: security, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 6232/00
Source: “Monitor building security by locking doors after operating hours.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Locking up after hours is a physical round of the building.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Opening up buildings in the morning and securing them at the end of the day
This work happens in the physical world: buildings, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 6232/00
Source: “Open up buildings in the morning and secure them at the end of the day.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Opening and securing a building is done on foot with keys.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Supervising the work of cleaning staff to ensure maintenance of standards
This work happens in the physical world: the work of cleaning staff, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Supervise the work of cleaning staff to ensure maintenance of standards.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (0–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Supervising cleaning staff means being on site with them and holding standards in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 26 tasks

Providing customer service to internal and external customers according to specific contracts and organisational procedures
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles customer service and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Provide customer service to internal and external customers according to specific contracts and organisational procedures.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 39 out of 100 (32–46 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Standard service responses are easy to produce, though building users often want a person on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Ensuring facilities comply with relevant health and safety legislation
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: facilities, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Ensure facilities comply with relevant health and safety legislation.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 29 out of 100 (22–36 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checklists and schedules can be produced automatically, but confirming the building is actually safe means walking round it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Mitigating facilities management-related risks, hazards and threats to people, property and premises
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: facilities management-related risks, hazards and threats, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Mitigate facilities management-related risks, hazards, and threats to people, property, and premises.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Risk registers and plans can be drafted automatically, but actually removing hazards around the building is physical work on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Supporting hard and soft facilities management functions
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: hard, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Support hard and soft facilities management functions.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 7 out of 100 (0–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning, maintenance and building services all need people on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Delivering day-to-day facilities management services meeting clients
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: day-to-day facilities management services meeting clients, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Deliver day-to-day facilities management services meeting clients, customers and building users expectations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (0–13 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Day-to-day facilities work means being in the building sorting out problems as they arise.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning and polishing furniture and fixtures
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: furniture, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Clean and polish furniture and fixtures.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning and polishing furniture and fixtures is handwork.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Cleaning windows using soapy water or other cleaners
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: windows, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Clean windows using soapy water or other cleaners, sponges, or squeegees.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Washing windows with sponges and squeegees is physical work at the glass.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Dusting equipment to ensure cleanliness and functionality
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Dust equipment to ensure cleanliness and functionality.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Dusting equipment means physically wiping it down.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Dusting furniture to remove dirt and maintain cleanliness
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: furniture, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Dust furniture to remove dirt and maintain cleanliness.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Dusting furniture means physically wiping it down.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Following procedures for the use of chemical cleaners and power equipment to prevent damage to floors and fixtures
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: procedures, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Follow procedures for the use of chemical cleaners and power equipment to prevent damage to floors and fixtures.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Handling chemicals and power equipment correctly is done with hands on the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Inspecting and ensuring the functionality of heating
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: the functionality, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Inspect and ensure the functionality of heating, lighting, and alarm systems.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checking that heating, lights and alarms actually work means testing them in the building; repairs go to registered trades.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Moving heavy furniture, equipment or supplies, either manually or with sack barrows
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: heavy furniture, equipment or supplies, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Move heavy furniture, equipment, or supplies, either manually or with sack barrows.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Shifting heavy furniture is physical work with a body and a trolley.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Performing routine repair and maintenance duties for facilities and equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: routine repair, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Perform routine repair and maintenance duties for facilities and equipment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Routine repairs need tools in someone’s hands.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Shampooing upholstery and carpets
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: upholstery, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 6232/00
Source: “Shampoo upholstery and carpets.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Shampooing upholstery and carpets is hands-on work with machinery.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Hoovering floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to finish application
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: floors, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Hoover floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to finish application.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Vacuuming a floor before finishing is physical work in the room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Making adjustments to heating, cooling, ventilation, plumbing and electrical systems
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: adjustments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Make adjustments to heating, cooling, ventilation, plumbing, and electrical systems.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Adjusting heating, plumbing and electrical plant means being at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Performing safety checks on appliances to ensure proper operation
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: safety checks, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Perform safety checks on appliances to ensure proper operation.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checking an appliance works safely means switching it on and looking at it in person, which no software can do.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Servicing toilets
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: toilets, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Service toilets.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Servicing toilets means being there with the equipment and supplies.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Shoveling snow from paths, driveways or car parks and spread salt in those areas
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: snow, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Shovel snow from paths, driveways, or car parks, and spread salt in those areas.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Clearing snow and gritting is physical outdoor work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Stripping floors of old finish to prepare for sealing
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: floors of old finish, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 6232/00
Source: “Strip floors of old finish to prepare for sealing.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Stripping old finish off a floor is hands-on work with machinery.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Collect rubbish from homes or businesses to maintain property hygiene and order
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: rubbish, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Collect rubbish from homes or businesses to maintain property hygiene and order.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Collecting rubbish is physical work around the property.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Mowing lawns using mowers
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: lawns, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Mow lawns using mowers.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Mowing a lawn means pushing a mower over it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Setting up and arranging decorations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: and arranging decorations, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Set up and arrange decorations, tables, chairs, and scaffolding for events.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Carrying and setting out furniture, decorations and staging is physical work in the space.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Setting up chairs and tables for meetings
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: chairs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Set up chairs and tables for meetings.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Putting out chairs and tables is lifting and carrying.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Spraying chemical solutions into rooms to disinfect or controlling pests
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: chemical solutions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Spray chemical solutions into rooms to disinfect or control pests.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Spraying rooms for pests or disinfection means handling chemicals on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Spreading snow-melting chemicals
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: chemicals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 6232/00
Source: “Spread snow-melting chemicals.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Spreading grit or salt is outdoor physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: £29,000a year, before tax, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.ashe-t14, 2025 · ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
How we know this
Source: ashe-t14
Reference period: ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025)
Rounding: Shown to the nearest £100. The exact published figure is in the downloadable dataset. We do not render pounds the survey cannot support.
People doing this job: 53,500in the UK, 2026.nomis-aps · Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period)This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: specific supplies in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: ordering specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities and ordering supplies to support facility maintenance. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where floors get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: cleaning building floors is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 2% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 7% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 91% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 36 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Ordering specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to specific supplies, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether floors are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no licence needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near ordering supplies to support facility maintenance. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, spend an hour with National Careers Service. It is free and government-funded, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest UK occupations to caretakers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was cleaners and domestics: only about 28% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 16.6% less. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 8/100 here, with only 2% of the task list in the top band, and “clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 412 UK occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Cleaners and domestics
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 28% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: It is closer than most, and still not close enough: about 28% of that job's durable work is already yours, against the 35% I want to see before I will call something a route. It is a pay cut, in those words: £24,130 against your £28,950, 16.6% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Elementary cleaning occupations n.e.c.
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “clean toilets”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 15% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 15% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. It is a pay cut, in those words: £25,780 against your £28,950, 10.9% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Housekeepers and related occupations
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 12% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 12% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. It is a pay cut, in those words: £25,335 against your £28,950, 12.5% less (ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 2% of its task weight, across 36 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like cleaning building floors arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

If you run a team doing this job

If you run a team doing this job, the conversation you owe them is the one on this page, and sooner than feels comfortable. Show them the ledger rather than a reassurance: the rows moving toward the software are ordering specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities, and the rows that are not are where you want your people visible. Ask each of them to do the this-week move and bring the list to your next one-to-one. It turns a rumour into a piece of work, and it tells you which parts of your team's week are actually at stake. And say the thing out loud that a team lead usually leaves unsaid: a shrinking team is your exposure too, so do the move yourself as well.

You are reading the United Kingdom figures

The United States splits this work across more than one official group, of which Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United States page →partial match

In US official statistics this job is counted as Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

In England:
National Careers Service
A free hour with a government-funded careers adviser is worth more than another evening of reading. In England that's the National Careers Service.
Free, government-funded
- Discover your skills and careers (the skills assessment)
In England:
National Careers Service - Find a course
Search what's actually running near you before you spend anything.
Free to search; individual courses vary
In England:
Free courses for jobs (Level 3 qualifications)
A free Level 3 qualification you already qualify for beats a paid course you don't need.
Free for eligible adults
In England:
Skills Bootcamps
Free, up to 16 weeks, and you get a job interview at the end. In England these are Skills Bootcamps - search what's running near you.
Free for eligible adults in England
- Skills Bootcamps - what they are and who can do them (DfE, Skills for Careers)
- Skills Bootcamps - JobHelp (DWP)
In Scotland:
My World of Work (Skills Development Scotland)
In Scotland it's My World of Work, from Skills Development Scotland.
Free, publicly funded
- Skills Development Scotland
In Wales:
Careers Wales
In Wales it's Careers Wales.
Free, Welsh Government-funded
In Northern Ireland:
Careers Service Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland it's the Careers Service on nidirect.
Free, Department for the Economy-funded

Why there is no community here

Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for caretakers launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for caretakers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for caretakers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for caretakers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Caretakers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 36 official task statements scored for Caretakers (United Kingdom, SOC 6232), 2% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 8 out of 100 (range 6–13, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Caretakers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Order specific supplies required for the maintenance of facilities” (93/100, very high); “Order supplies to support facility maintenance” (56/100, partial); “Liaise with external repair facilities for maintenance tasks” (48/100, partial). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Caretakers” stay human?: About 91% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Spread snow-melting chemicals” (0/100, minimal); “Spray chemical solutions into rooms to disinfect or control pests” (0/100, minimal); “Set up chairs and tables for meetings” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Caretakers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 2% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 91% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Caretakers calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 36 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

About the data on this page

Provisional, because the ONS revises this figure in the autumn.
This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
20 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: gaisi-indexProcessing: catalogue-bridge → ssc-relatedness-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: gaisi-index (relatedness)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: ashe-t14 (ASHE 2025 provisional (reference April 2025))nomis-aps (Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

How we score a job Download this release Look up another job

Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.