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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cleaner who works 6 hours per week preferring cash in hand weekly - holiday pay? Is this a thing?

135 replies

Catwhispereroo · 26/06/2025 18:14

Hi, we have a cleaning lady who is generally lovely. She comes for 6 hours per week, £20 per hour, so £120 per week. She always prefers cash in hand weekly.

Today she asked if we will pay her 4 weeks holiday pay as, according to her, 'everyone else does.'

I had a think about it, but have had to tell her this is not possible. I feel bad though. AIBU?

My reasoning is -

  1. A cleaner is already quite a luxury, as I'm no longer working.

  2. We have had lots of cleaners over the years and all preferred cash and none ever asked for holiday pay for cash in hand work.

  3. I don't want the hassle of a contract setting out holiday pay or sickness pay (will that be next)? We are a just a private household, not a company.

  4. I will give her a few weeks pay as a Xmas bonus anyway.

  5. She seems to go abroad for a month each year. If we gave her 4 weeks pay, that would be almost £500. Then, if I got a replacement cleaner in for those weeks, that would be another £500!

  6. When we go away I'm happy for her to come as usual (even though we don't really need this) so that she doesn't lose out financially. But I can't pay 4 weeks holiday as week.

Again, AIBU? Thanks!

OP posts:
AnneElliott · 26/06/2025 20:08

No I don’t pay holiday pay. I think I should pay if I go away (and therefore the cleaner can’t come - she doesn’t have keys which is her choice) but she won’t hear of it.

I give a bonus and a gift at Christmas and buy small things for her daughter if I see something she’d like.

FlipFlopShopInHawaii · 26/06/2025 20:07

Catwhispereroo · 26/06/2025 19:55

Thanks everyone. I explained that we are not her employers, she is self-employed. She said that other clients always paid her holiday. She reminded me she still has bills to pay when she's away. I replied I know this, as I was self-employed myself! Anyway, she thanked me and said she won't be coming back. So I said thanks for all your help and good luck.

Cutting off her nose to spite her face there! Losing 120 a week, unless she has a waiting list of customers that won't be easy to fill.

LittlleMy · 26/06/2025 20:05

HoskinsChoice · 26/06/2025 18:52

Why are you paying her cash? You are potentially facilitating fraud and screwing over public services and people who rely on benefits to survive. Make sure every penny goes through her bank account by paying her electronically so that you can absolve yourself of any responsibility.

I do agree, @Catwhispereroo we all have a responsibility bigger than ourselves here. Payment in cash enables tax evasion and benefit fraud as well as damaging legitimate businesses. I work for HMRC and one of our priorities is ‘Closing the Tax Gap’. Basically there’s a massive disconnect between what the country expects in tax and what is actually being declared. This in turn obviously affects the common man at the end of the day in terms of the funding available for essential services.

PeppyDenimReader · 26/06/2025 20:04

Catwhispereroo · 26/06/2025 19:55

Thanks everyone. I explained that we are not her employers, she is self-employed. She said that other clients always paid her holiday. She reminded me she still has bills to pay when she's away. I replied I know this, as I was self-employed myself! Anyway, she thanked me and said she won't be coming back. So I said thanks for all your help and good luck.

Perfect

TheignT · 26/06/2025 20:00

itsgettingweird · 26/06/2025 18:31

I’d tell her you are more than happy to draw up a contract etc and she can accrue AL.

Then mention that means her tax and NI will come off her earnings and her AL will need to be applied for and as with all business it will be approved if it works for you and actually her having her AL whilst you’re away would be excellent for you!

Once she sees she can’t have her cake and eat it she will likely return to the status quo!

She isn't earning enough to pay NI. Tax depends if she has other income and may or may not apply. Might not be the threat you think it is.

Original poster
Catwhispereroo · 26/06/2025 19:55

Thanks everyone. I explained that we are not her employers, she is self-employed. She said that other clients always paid her holiday. She reminded me she still has bills to pay when she's away. I replied I know this, as I was self-employed myself! Anyway, she thanked me and said she won't be coming back. So I said thanks for all your help and good luck.

OP posts:
PeppyDenimReader · 26/06/2025 19:53

Anyone else surprised OP needs 6 hours a week and doesn't work herself

PeppyDenimReader · 26/06/2025 19:49

Holiday pay is also called a retainer.

Londonmummy66 · 26/06/2025 19:19

I think you need to explain to her the difference between employment and self employment. The first is that everything goes through the books and there is a report to the Inland Revenue each month and that tax and NIC might be deducted at source depending on her other income. The she'd get holiday pay/sick pay etc. Or she is self employed and it is then not your business to report to the Revenue and she doesn't get holiday pay etc.

Foolsgold74 · 26/06/2025 19:18

antsyaardvark · 26/06/2025 18:39

£20/hr is a pretty standard rate where I am

Show quote history

Yep, same here but women and heaven forbid cleaners are not allowed to earn a decent hourly rate.

ThePoshUns · 26/06/2025 19:18

My cleaner is cash in hand. I don’t give her holiday pay apart from Xmas week.
If she doesn’t come she doesn’t get paid.

Ninkynonkpinkyponks · 26/06/2025 19:17

Most cleaners round here £12-15 ph. None paid holiday pay (London Surrey area)

honeyandbutterontoast · 26/06/2025 19:17

Wow.

I work as a cleaner. I don’t get holiday pay, don’t get paid when they go on holiday either! I’ve had to have time off to be in hospital and don’t get sick pay either, just hassle from clients who are cross I can’t clean their house. And it’s quite normal for me to get a text the morning of the clean saying they want to skip a week 🤷‍♀️

I think I need to up my rates as I’m definitely not charging £20 an hour!!

Zanatdy · 26/06/2025 19:16

I used to pay my cleaner in cash, because she was my friend, so I was happy to do that so she could avoid putting it through the books. Actually we used an app, so we didn’t have to mess about with cash but also didn’t go via bank account. She put all her other jobs through, just my £60 a fortnight she didn’t.

Zanatdy · 26/06/2025 19:12

I never paid my cleaner holiday pay, and she never asked for it. Just say that you’ve told her she can come as normal, even though not really needed, which is generous of you. But to want to be paid for 4wks and not come, sorry but no. Cleaners aren’t employees. Same as my dog walker, if any of us cancel or are on holiday, we don’t pay.

user1471453601 · 26/06/2025 19:12

@GrimDamnFanjo my cleaner runs her business legally ,she pays her class 2 NI and tax (I know because she occasionally asks me to look at her accounts, as she's not too confident) but I still pay her in cash, and yes, I've seen my payments declared in her accounts.

HoskinsChoice · 26/06/2025 19:08

tammienorrie · 26/06/2025 19:00

To add - being paid in cash does not mean she is dodgy though.

It doesn't mean she is definitely dodgy... but there's a very high chance! Why else, in modern day, would you not want your earnings to go through a bank? It's also inconveniencing a client by expecting them to get cash out every week so poor customer service... why would you deliberately inconvenience a client... unless it benefits you somehow.

PeppyDenimReader · 26/06/2025 19:08

So you get an invoice

Retrouvailles · 26/06/2025 19:06

ConfusedSloth · 26/06/2025 18:57

Absolutely not.

Paying her holiday pay is one of the indicators that she is your employee rather than a self-employed person you have contracted. Not only does this cost you money, it means that you could be committing several criminal offences and civil wrongs.

If she's an employee, she's entitled to maternity leave/pay, holiday, sick leave, pension contributions, for you to be paying NI and you're responsible for ensuring she pays tax, a fair dismissal process... You need to make exceptionally clear she is not an employee - she is self-employed and only paid for the hour she works on your home. She is responsible for her own tax obligations, and the Christmas "bonus" is a gift that she is not entitled to and is entirely at your discretion and is not related to performance.

Perfect response here - on point and actually really helpful to OP.

AnnaBalfour · 26/06/2025 19:04

We pay our cleaner 4 weeks holiday per year and bonuses. She’s never been off sick.

Earning £20 an hour isn’t glamorous, they work a few hours at a time for each family travelling to and from different houses.

Please treat your cleaners properly.

TizerorFizz · 26/06/2025 19:04

Cash. Ok but no holiday pay. I’ve had a cleaner for 32 years and no holiday pay. My previous one had 8 weeks a year off! If I go away, no pay either!

Afewtimesagain · 26/06/2025 19:03

Just to confirm "everybody does NOT do it". Three different cleaners over the years, all the same situation as you, never been asked for holiday pay. They are self employed.

Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 26/06/2025 19:03

Working and not paying tax= no holiday pay/sickness benefit. Simple

MyDeftDuck · 26/06/2025 19:03

Since she demand cash in hand I doubt very much that this cleaner is actually declaring her earnings to HMRC. £20 an hour is a good rate for a cleaner and ‘a few weeks pay as a Christmas bonus’ is bonkers OP, far too much money. Surely, self employed people do not get holiday pay?

tammienorrie · 26/06/2025 19:00

To add - being paid in cash does not mean she is dodgy though.