Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Cleaner has broken something. Who pays?

53 replies

Firstliftlastcall · 06/01/2017 16:02

Our nice and generally good cleaner has broken something. It was completely accidental. The thing she has broken is not hugely expensive to replace - around £150 and so it isn't worth an insurance claim. Nevertheless, I'm sort of feeling a bit miffed that this afternoon's 4 hours of cleaning and ironing is going to cost me over £200 (and because the broken thing had sentimental value). Do I suggest she contributes to the cost? Or do I just suck it up because accidents happen?

For background, if it helps, she's been with us about 3 months and came highly. We've not had any other breakages as such, but I did come home before Christmas to a vacuum cleaner that needed fixing.

OP posts:

Disastronaut · 06/01/2017 16:28

I think it's unfeasible to think that a cleaner will have insurance. These are people working for a very small amount of money (and before everyone says "I pay my cleaner well", yes, I do too but it's still a low paid job).

If she works for a company or agency her wages will be even lower.

She probably hasn't offered to replace the item because she can't afford £150.

I'd pay for it.

Original poster

Firstliftlastcall · 06/01/2017 16:28

Before we go down the "cash in hand" road, I can clarify that she is a sole trader, but I pay her by bank transfer and have receipts.

I imagine she'll offer to replace. But as walkersoutandabout said, I'm probably the wealthier human, so shouldn't accept.

OP posts:

walkersoutandabout · 06/01/2017 16:28

OP, ideally, this is what should happen:

Cleaner offers to pay.
You ask if she has insurance.
She says yes, and all sorted
However, this is what might hap.
pen:

Cleaner offers to pay
You ask if she has insurance to cover it
She says no
You feel a bit peeved, but kindly refuse her offer, making it clear it's just this once, and suggest she gets insurance for the next time

Equally, this might happen:

Cleaner does not offer to pay
You kindly ask if she has insurance to pay
She says no
You feel very peeved, and say that you will pay this time, but will be unable to keep employing her unless she can bring you proof of insurance

lovelearning · 06/01/2017 16:30

Anyone working in people's houses has to have Public Liability Insurance

Check that any person working in your home has insurance

Otherwise you bear any loss

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 06/01/2017 16:35

I wouldn't expect her to pay.

Original poster

Firstliftlastcall · 06/01/2017 16:36

Walkersoutandabout, I think it will actually be:

Later...
DW gets home and spots missing item, gets cross
I explain what happened and get told off for not accepting the money
DW disagrees with my course of action
I blame MN whilst pouring gin.

OP posts:

toldmywraath · 14/01/2017 23:45

It is not illegal to work cash in hand! As long as you declare income it can be paid by cash, cheque, transfer or whatever. What a ridiculous thing to say Evans

Equally daft to say that PL insurance is mandatory. It is not. Also you cannot compare a plumbers business to a cleaner's.

toldmywraath · 14/01/2017 23:48

OP I'd expect you to hope the cleaner would offer to pay. But you should decline her offer. It's probably her whole week's wages.

Crumbs1 · 14/01/2017 23:53

I think it's outrageous that someone who,thinks £150/£200 isn't much would consider expecting the cleaner to pay. It was an accident. You are wealthy enough to pay a cleaner. You replace.

chatnanny · 15/01/2017 00:00

Our cleaner of 12 years is also heavy handed and is always chipping things. I make sure I clean and put away anything precious before she comes. She's an absolute gem in every other way though, is completely reliable
and never stops smiling. I wouldn't expect her to pay for accidental damage.

toldmywraath · 15/01/2017 09:01

chatnanny now that's what I like to hear. You sound like a lovely person and you have a deservedly lovely cleaner.

scaryteacher · 22/01/2017 10:51

I was deeply u underwhelmed when mine pulled plugs out that she had never touched before when I was away and didn't plug them back in. She had been told not to touch them. I came back from the UK to a defrosted fridge freezer and was up til 0400 sorting out the debris and general nastiness. She just shrugged when I pointed out what she had done.

Another time we got back from UK, and thought the boiler had broken as there was no heat in the house, and it was freezing. The daft woman had turned off every single radiator in the house as she was too warm, and not reset them.

She has been working for us for 12 years now.....there are times when I wonder why I bother.

OhTheRoses · 22/01/2017 11:02

I have employed cleaners since 1984. Have had one mishap. I broke a Meissen bowl and left it on cabinet to take it for repair. Cleaner threw it away. Ooh £500 in 1986 ish. My fault, not hers I'd have spent £150 on a repair to reduce it value to £150. Wouldn't have dreamt of causing her upset.

It's par for the course op. If there were lots of breakages I'd consider a replacement cleaner. Kindly.

MuseumOfCurry · 22/01/2017 11:15

Of course you shouldn't have accepted the money, your husband sounds quite mean frankly.

Of all the ways to break something in the house, carrying a vacuum cleaner around seems like one of the best ways - it just happens.

scaryteacher that is basic lack of common sense. Did you fire her?

FuckOffDailyMailQuitQuotingMN · 22/01/2017 11:24

I have specified certain items that are not to be cleaned by the cleaner. If they get damaged then it will be by me.

I had one break the glass shelf in our oven once. She had insurance but it had a £500 excess. This was about 10 years ago, the shelf cost £235 to replace and she was paid £10 an hour. She insisted on replacing it but since she'd worked for us for nearly 5 years and never broken anything significant I paid for it. It was an easy thing to do, it was big and heavy and it slipped out of her hands in the sink.

Original poster

Firstliftlastcall · 22/01/2017 11:30

Thank you for all your comments. Fwiw, she offered, I declined.

OP posts:

scaryteacher · 22/01/2017 11:53

Museum I didn't sack her, and tbh, I think she was embarrassed. She is honest, which goes a long way, even if she doesn't vacuum under the rug by the fireplace! In am abroad, she is Polish and we communicate in French as we live in Belgium.

Bluntness100 · 22/01/2017 12:04

My cleaner has broken a few things, of this value and i replace, I would not ask her to pay as it was accidents, she's very good and she couldn't afford it.

My major one though was in my last home, floor to ceiling window and another cleaner slammed the hoover up against the edge and actually cracked the whole window , I had it replaced under insurance. She also pulled the shower door off the wall whilst cleaning it , she was a big strong woman and I went upstairs to find her standing holding it awkwardly. at which point I replaced her. It was simply getting too expensive to keep her. Genuinely never met anyone so clumsy before.😂

Scrumptiousbears · 22/01/2017 12:09

What was it? Or did I miss that post.

StealthPolarBear · 22/01/2017 12:17

Ornaments etc are a bit more tricky but i think it's a bit different when it comes to vacuum cleaners etc. We have a cleaner because we don't have a lot of time to, or want to clean. So chances are she will be the one to break the vacuum cleaner, simply because she uses it more.

llangennith · 22/01/2017 12:21

I think you did the right thing OP. Annoying though it was.

Geraldthegiraffe · 22/01/2017 13:40

Poor cleaner. Accidents happen. I can't imagine thinking 150 is a small sum of money and I suspect we earn more than a cleaner. I'm really surprised everyone thinks the cleaner should pay.

I bet when she offered she was really anxious you might accept. That would be 2 days work....

Earlybird · 22/01/2017 13:58

Is the broken item a total loss, or can it be repaired?

Fwiw, I'd expect her to offer, but I'd decline. £150 is a lot of money - but it is a lot more to her than it is to you. Still, that doesn't address the issue of the sentimental value, which can't be replaced.

BatFacedGirl · 22/01/2017 14:40

You pay

toldmywraath · 22/01/2017 23:40

Firstliftlastcall That was kind and I believe the correct thing. Thanks for updating.

Flip

1 2 3