Do you pay cleaners if you cancel?

[hibbledibble]

Not sure what the etiquette is.

Cleaner is good, but not very reliable: almost have of weekly cleans are cancelled by them, for various reasons. When they do come, they do a good job. I pay a good hourly rate, which has recently gone up. Happy to pay this. They often change days and times, which I'm flexible regarding.

I have had to cancel this week and am getting billed. I'm not sure how I feel about this, given plenty of notice was given, and if pay is weekly despite, even if work isn't, then this is entering into an employer/employee arrangement, with tax implications.

WWYD?

I would just get them to come another day. Ask them go show the same flexibilty you do.

Agree with PP. Tell them to come another day.

I would also start looking for another cleaner. They sound unreliable.

Depends if they are reliable-yours sounds not.
Mine-if she cancels I don’t pay, if I cancel or am on holiday the. I do pay.

I’d pay it this time, but then discuss future terms:

They cancel: make it up at another time or unpaid
You cancel 48 hours notice: no pay
You cancel less than 48 hours notice: pay

The caveat to this is if there’s a shortage of good cleaners and they might ditch you for the non-payment, you might want to think of the payment as a ‘retainer’.

The rules around employer/employee status are easily checked by internet searching but, simplistically, if they work exclusively for you and not through an agency, they’re your employee, regardless of payment arrangements; if they work for several clients, they’re either self-employed or employed by an agency, regardless of payment arrangements.

I would normally pay a cleaner if I cancelled.

But in your circumstances where she's so unreliable I would be tempted not to.

Asking her to reschedule seems the best option.

Thank you, I have offered to reschedule.

She is unreliable but as she does a good job I would rather keep her. Last cleaner was unreliable and not that good a cleaning! Cleaners aren't hard to find, but finding a good one is difficult.

I'd pay her. It's not her fault you don't require her that day. She would still have bills to pay

I'd pay :)

I'd also be looking for another cleaner though. Even though you say she's good, mine have only ever cancelled once in 3 years and that was covid!