Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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

If you have a cleaner, do you pay them when they go on holiday?

38 replies

HurryUpAndWait23 · 31/07/2021 08:15

I assumed yes. Especially given that we have had them for 9 months and this is the first time they have taken a holiday!
Then I realised my childminder doesn't charge me when she is on holiday.

I'm still going to pay them.

I just wondered what others did?

OP posts:
MattyGroves · 31/07/2021 08:18

No, both cleaners I have had have been clear that they don't expect this. If they're away for more than a week or so, I get a temporary cleaner in anyway so it would feel like I was paying twice.

I do give a big Christmas bonus which amounts to something similar

elvislives2012 · 31/07/2021 08:18

No I don't. Never have. Assumed that it's included in their hourly rate

LilaGrace · 31/07/2021 08:20

When they go on holiday- no, it's not expected. When I go on holiday, yes.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery Families
NoSquirrels · 31/07/2021 08:24

I would assume if the holiday is their choice, no. If the holiday is my choice, yes (but in that instance I’d expect them to still come to clean and maybe do some of the less frequent jobs if they had more time cos house less lived in dirty).

You’re paying for a service, you’re not their employer.

Tulipomania · 31/07/2021 08:28

I am self-employed and don't expect my clients to pay me when I go on holiday.

I pay my cleaner when we take holiday, and paid here when she had to self-isolate due to Covid. But when she takes holiday, no I don't pay her.

BlueLobelia · 31/07/2021 08:31

If i engaged a cleaner via an agency then no.

For our cleaner she has cleaned for us since 1997. She is an absolute darling. I say (not quite joking) that she is the major reason why I am not divorced because DH is filthy. She brings the Dcs gifts for their birthday. When we went away a few years back and she could not set the alarm she came in twice a day to turn lights on and off (we found out afterwards) and she is just all round amazing. So yes we pay her when she is on holiday, we give her a month;s bonus at Christmas and we paid her through 9 months of lockdown as she lives with her CEV husband. For us it is a close relationship and we are highly interested in her happiness at working for us.

But for a new cleaner, or an agency cleaner, I may not do any of that neccessarily. I would say it depends on the context.

MinnieMountain · 31/07/2021 08:41

We only pay our cleaner when we go on holiday.

Basically if she can’t clean due to us, we pay her. Vice versa, we don’t.

She’s been cleaning for us for 5 years, so she’s presumably ok with it. She has sacked clients in the past.

Original poster
HurryUpAndWait23 · 31/07/2021 08:42

CEV?

OP posts:
Original poster
HurryUpAndWait23 · 31/07/2021 08:43

She has sacked clients in the past.

What did they do wrong?!

OP posts:
TheChosenTwo · 31/07/2021 08:45

I think it stands for clinically extremely vulnerable.
We don’t pay our cleaner when she is on holiday but we did when she had to self isolate a few times.
And obviously also when we had to self isolate and couldn’t let her in to our house.
We love her and we’d be lost without her!

Apeirogon · 31/07/2021 08:46

My cleaner is through an agency, so if she's on holiday the agency arranges for a replacement. Otherwise I wouldn't expect to pay.

Notavegan · 31/07/2021 08:47

I do. They have been with us a long time and very reliable. I started a few years ago.

Biscusting · 31/07/2021 08:47

CEV: Clinically Extremely Vulnerable

I want your cleaner @BlueLobelia I’m looking for one of those types

BertiesShoes · 31/07/2021 08:47

No, we don’t.

She still comes when we are on holiday, and we paid her through lockdown 1 as we were still working but everyone felt safer without her coming then. She has worked through subsequent lockdowns.

icelollycraving · 31/07/2021 08:49

Not when they take holiday but if I’m on holiday I would. I don’t have a cleaner, but recommended this to my mum about a month ago who does.

mdh2020 · 31/07/2021 08:53

I put my cleaner on furlough throughout lockdown and paid her 80% and I pay her when I go on holiday. I also give her an extra week’s money at Christmas. I don’t pay her when she goes on holiday.

BonnyBarb · 31/07/2021 08:57

I pay my cleaner when i have a reason she can't come, so recently isolation or we've been away. If she is ill or away then I don't pay her.

SimonJT · 31/07/2021 08:59

Yes/no.

Her hourly rate includes her holiday, so I pay her holiday throughout the year rather than specifically paying her when she isn’t working.

MindyStClaire · 31/07/2021 09:00

We pay if she's not cleaning because of us (holidays, sickness) but not if it's because she's going on holidays.

zebrapig · 31/07/2021 09:14

We only pay if she comes. We have an arrangement that either of us can cancel last minute with no issue either side. It's slightly different for ours though as she does it as cash in hand on top of her main job so she's not dependent on coming to us.

She's cleaned for us for 5.5 years and we've known her longer. She's a complete gem and has been known to nip round and put a parcel in the house if we're away and missed it.

MinnieMountain · 31/07/2021 09:37

One was trying to chop and change their day on a regular basis.

Another was let go after the first lockdown as they had no change in income yet didn’t even offer to pay her a retainer when she couldn’t come (which we did).

I’m making her sound bad but she’s lovely, just knows her own worth.

Waterfallgirl · 31/07/2021 10:42

I still pay if we go away, but if she takes a holiday then she doesn’t charge me. I did pay my cleaner all through the lockdowns as I felt this was a situation outside of all control and she couldn’t claim anything in the gov schemes.

Frazzled2207 · 31/07/2021 10:43

@LilaGrace

When they go on holiday- no, it's not expected. When I go on holiday, yes.
Mine always comes when I’m on holiday. So come home to a clean house.
Frazzled2207 · 31/07/2021 10:44

No. Nor would she expect it. There’s no contract though, I can imagine some do charge especially if there’s a monthly fee and it’s through an agency.

We pay “per clean” so don’t pay if she is away or ill.

We did pay her through the first lockdown though. She kept coming through subsequent lockdowns.

SquigglePigs · 31/07/2021 10:58

No we don't. Although now our cleaner from a few years ago has created a small business and taken on a few other people to work with her so now if our regular cleaner is on holiday she arranges someone else to cover.

Swipe left for the next trending thread