Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

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

Original poster

Cleaners hung out to dry - times article

187 replies

Itwasntme1 · 19/04/2020 13:07

I have just read an article in the times about people not paying their cleaners.

My very wealthy friend stopped paying his cleaner on day one, this lady has cleaned his house for years. I had just employed a cleaner, she had only come twice, but I am still paying her.

I realise I am taking a risk, she might not come back when lock down is lifted and I have now paid her for more missed sessions than she has cleaned. However morally I would struggle with stopping payments.

Is the times article right, have most people stopped paying their cleaners?

OP posts:
Annebronte · 19/04/2020 13:23

If your cleaner is getting 80% from government, are you paying 100% or 20%? 20% seems fair to me, no? She then gets her full salary. Perhaps an advance on future months as she won’t get the government’s money immediately.

LemonFun · 19/04/2020 13:23

My thoughts - this is more ethical than anything else. You could argue that people who are not cleaning through a company are self employed and therefore should be able to claim through HMRC like any other. The other side of it is that’s it’s often cash in hand work and therefore HMRC won’t know about these earnings and therefore the cleaner has been able to take advantage of cash in hand work.

There are plenty of roles out there that fall into that category.

Personally my cleaner hires two cleaners to work for her - I know she gets decent benefits and has played the system so she can ensure her earnings don’t go over a certain point.

Whereas I am in a Sales role and furloughed on less than half my salary as it’s only my basic. My husband’s salary has also been reduced to 80% - we are not paying her.

OnceABadMum · 19/04/2020 13:24

Dh has lost his job, I went self employed in January so our income has stopped completely. We have our cleaner 4 weeks notice as soon as dh knew and paid 80% of what we should have paid for the 4 weeks because that’s all we could afford.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cleaning
Hoggleludo · 19/04/2020 13:25

I tried to pay mine and she wouldn't take it. She applied for universal credit. So I sent her £200 of food vouchers instead.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 19/04/2020 13:25

I’m paying ours 50%. She has been with us a long time and I owe her to look after her. How long this will go on for I’m not sure, but definitely until the end of June.

BarkandCheese · 19/04/2020 13:26

The only people I know with a cleaner and some elderly relatives of mine. They are now paying their cleaner to do their weekly shop for them instead of cleaning. Obviously this wouldn’t work for everyone, but it’s a very satisfactory arrangement for them.

WellIWasInTheNeighbourhoo · 19/04/2020 13:27

My family got the virus at the beginning of March. I texted our cleaner to tell her not to come as we were sick and it wasn’t safe, she replied ‘ok’. This was before lockdown. Not heard from her since. I am quite hurt by this, we were desperately ill with it as well. So no I’m not paying her and she won’t be coming back. House is much cleaner now I’m doing it anyway.

Doula007 · 19/04/2020 13:30

I guess it would depend on if you can afford it. If your income has not been affected then yes. I did offer to pay my cleaner but she has decided to stop working for 2 months and that I do not need to pay her.

topcat2014 · 19/04/2020 13:32

It is the element of personal service, isn't it.

But, are people paying music teachers, window cleaners, personal trainers?

Similar. Or not.

ouch321 · 19/04/2020 13:35

I don't have one but if I did probably not as I would not presume to be paid if a service I was giving stopped being paid as well.

Either everybody pays everyone exactly as normal or, no one pays any one.

InDubiousBattle · 19/04/2020 13:39

Would 20% not be the appropriate amount? To top up the 80% from government?

Imboredinthehouse · 19/04/2020 13:40

as I pay cash (like I assume many clients) i don’t think the government payments will come close to her lost income

Well if she’s not been declaring her true income she won’t have been paying full tax & N.I payments.
FWIW I have asked if FIL is still paying as I do think it’s the right thing to do if you can afford it.

steppemum · 19/04/2020 13:40

my parents are paying half her salary to help keep her going through the lockdown. She can't come to them as they are shielding

It is a fine balance. This lady is self employed and runs it as a business, so I assume she is eligible for some of the support available too.

SummerSazz · 19/04/2020 13:40

Still paying mine in full.

anyoneforbingo · 19/04/2020 13:43

I'm fortunate to still be getting a full wage (key worker still working full time) and so I see it as my duty to keep paying what I usually would to people who haven't had my luck. I'm still paying my cleaner, I'm getting takeaways from local restaurants that I'd usually use. It's the right thing to do if you are still getting paid yourself.

Oly4 · 19/04/2020 13:43

I’m still paying mine in full, she’s been with us for three years and is brilliant. I want her to come back. She’s self employed and probably getting sod all. I’m being paid and I think it’s the right thing to do

Dizzywizz · 19/04/2020 13:43

We’ve stopped paying ours - tbh she hasn’t been great for a while and we were thinking of stopping using her, so we’ve just taken this time to do that

JingsMahBucket · 19/04/2020 13:44

@Itwasntme1 what’s the link to the article, please?

AnnaMagnani · 19/04/2020 13:46

I still pay mine, she's desperate.

My DM is still paying hers and dreaming up odd jobs she can do for her. Her cleaner is doing most of her shopping for her as she is shielding.

puffinandkoala · 19/04/2020 13:47

You could apply that to every employer whose staff have been "furloughed

The taxpayer is paying for 80% of their wages up to the cap. Employers are not furloughing out of generosity. In fact a lot of employers are taking the mickey. I'm not sure the idea was for large law firms to furlough their staff, or private schools, it was for industries such as hospitality.

I don't have a cleaner as I am too working class to have "staff" but I would not pay for a service I wasn't getting. I don't get paid if I don't work, either. That's the risk you take when you are self-employed.

Jonesn1 · 19/04/2020 13:47

I haven’t paid mine as I won’t be using them again after the 2nd disappointing clean.
If it had been my old cleaner before I moved, I would have happily paid.

Northernsoullover · 19/04/2020 13:48

Many cleaners might not have been self employed long enough to claim the government help.
I'm a cleaner, I also know many cleaners. Each one of us declares every penny of income because we receive in work benefits for doing so. I know cash in hand cleaners exist but I doubt its as many as a lot of MNrs think. I rarely get cash anyway. Bank transfer is much easier.

puffinandkoala · 19/04/2020 13:50

But, are people paying music teachers, window cleaners, personal trainers

Window cleaners can still work.

I paid my personal trainer in advance, she is sending me weekly sessions to do on my own and ticking off the sessions. So I am not quite getting what I paid for (her personal supervision and making sure I do things right) but she is giving her time and effort to send me plans. Hopefully she can come back soon if we can do the sessions in the garden and she can stay 2m away.

TuscanGreen · 19/04/2020 13:50

I am not paying mine - sadly she had already broken my trust by over charging (for months) so I don't feel as if I want to

absolutelyknackeredcow · 19/04/2020 13:51

DH and have seen a drop of income of 30%- working more hours than ever as COVID has dropped income for these businesses but created massively more work esp with staff being furloughed.
Our cleaner had to shield due to pregnancy and then said she was going to have to go on maternity earlier which was fair enough.
She had been with us for years and is lovely. Things must be very tight for her. We enhanced her pay on the weeks she didn't come in due to shielding because we knew that others wouldn't pay and when she said she wouldn't return for the foreseeable (one year plus) we gave her a lump sum for baby of around £300 despite she's self employed.
Things are tight for us but tbh much worse for her