Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About cleaner and sickness bug..

53 replies

tholeon · 09/12/2012 19:07

We have a virulent sickness bug in our house, first person had it this time last week and last person has it at the moment. I have obviously told our cleaner about it and given her the option of not coming, assuming she won't want to risk the germs. What is the correct thing to do about paying her ? I have offered her half the money for staying away, but honestly don't know if this is fair. What's the verdict? She has been with us a few months and is good.

OP posts:
wonkylegs · 09/12/2012 19:49

Our cleaner comes from a local company and you don't pay if they don't come whatever the reason. I have tried to pay when it's our fault and they won't accept it. We do however pay quite a lot weekly and could get a much cheaper cleaner so I don't feel too terrible (and I know the company pay the cleaners good rates it's not all going to the company)

flow4 · 09/12/2012 20:00

... And a company can absorb a week without payment much more easily than an individual can...

JustFabulous · 09/12/2012 20:04

I would text her now to say you will of course pay her in full if she decides not to come in (before any bad feeling starts).

trueblood1fan · 09/12/2012 20:23

thankgod youve seen sense & are going to pay her :-)

malteserzz · 09/12/2012 20:26

We don't pay if ours don't come for any reason, they've always seemed fine with it I don't think they'd expect to be paid

gordyslovesheep · 09/12/2012 20:27

Pay her OR if you don't and she comes pay her when she is off sick in full

anything else is unreasonable

InNeedOfBrandyButter · 09/12/2012 20:31

I would tell her not to come in, if she comes in and catches your bug she's going to be off sick and your house will never get clean.

and you did deserve the stingy cow comment sorry,

tholeon Sun 09-Dec-12 19:24:36
Well it is her decision not to come, I would be happy if she did

Original poster
tholeon · 09/12/2012 20:37

Really upset at being called a cow actually which I guess means I shouldn't be posting on Aibu.. True cow like behaviour would have been just not to tell her, wouldn't it?! Was likening it to casual jobs I have had in the past, eg as regular babysitter, when I wouldn't have expected to be paid under similar circs. Anyway end of. I hope..

OP posts:
trueblood1fan · 09/12/2012 20:40

i doubt its casual work for pocket money though?! maybe you should have a contract/verbal agreement in place when you next see her?! :-)

InNeedOfBrandyButter · 09/12/2012 20:41

I think you took cow slightly to much to heart OP, sorry if Iv'e offended you I wouldn't of though cow would offend anyone. should stop calling my dd moo

Redbindy · 09/12/2012 20:47

Your cleaner is not (i hope) a teenage baby sitter. There is a moral contract even if you don't have a written one. Inneedofbrandy butter was right in her original assessment.

BumpingFuglies · 09/12/2012 21:13

You should pay her and don't let her come to your house. She doesn't get it and pass it on, you retain your cleaner and have the pleasure of doing the right thing. WIN=WIN Smile

Original poster
tholeon · 09/12/2012 21:38

Why all the assumptions I was a teenager working for pocket money? When I worked for a school I don't think anybody would have been very sympathetic if I had suggested not coming in because there was a sickness bug going round, even when I was pregnant. it just didn't seem clear cut to me which is why I asked for advice. When I posted a few months ago asking for advice about a dilemma with a previous cleaner everyone said I was being over generous, she was self employed, I wasn't responsible for her, blah blah.

I should let this go really..

OP posts:
bamboostalks · 09/12/2012 21:44

Well I wouldn't even mention a bug tbh. It wouldn't occur to me. I mean we're surrounded by bugs in our workplace all the time and she's wearing gloves.

Original poster
tholeon · 10/12/2012 07:58

Well she has replied saying she won't come but she feels bad being paid for not working. Will still pay her.

OP posts:
diddl · 10/12/2012 08:11

Well I can´t help wondering why she wouldn´t come in tbh.

Unless you all(?) being ill at home means that she can´t actually do her job?

YoucanringmySleighBells · 10/12/2012 08:20

I clean for someone one morning a week and they have told me twice now that they don't need me for a particular week the night before. I havn't been paid Sad

Next time I take on a cleaning job I will state that I need paying if they cancel the hours althogether that week. I really needed the money as well.

flow4 · 10/12/2012 08:24

Effectively, there are people with D&V at her place of work. Usually, workplaces and schools insist that people with D&V stay away until 48 hours after they have stopped being ill, to stop illness spreading... Since the cleaner's workplace and the OP's home are one and the same, and the OP and her family obviously can't stay away, the cleaner should not be expected to come until 48 hours after the last family member is better.

Hope that's very soon, tholeon! And I'm glad you're doing the decent thing. :)

OhlimpPricks · 10/12/2012 08:26

On the flip side, If a cleaner is paying tax and NI on their earnings then if they are off sick, then they can claim SSP.

valiumredhead · 10/12/2012 08:39

Yes, pay her full amount.

diddl · 10/12/2012 08:43

"Usually, workplaces and schools insist that people with D&V stay away until 48 hours after they have stopped being ill, to stop illness spreading"

Yes, of course.

But if for example whoever is ill would be in bed & the cleaner could be working elsewhere.

valiumredhead · 10/12/2012 08:48

I wouldn't want to go into any house where there was a virulent sickness bug!

diddl · 10/12/2012 09:02

Well that´s fine, & obviously the cleaner doesn´t want to either.

But if she wouldn´t be in close proximity & wouldn´t be cleaning up the D&V I can´t see a problem tbh.

I do get that these things spread easily, but I also think people can get too paranoid about stuff like this.

valiumredhead · 10/12/2012 09:03

That's exactly why these things spread.

Sirzy · 10/12/2012 09:13

Not wanting to be in a house full of people with a sickness bug isn't paranoid, it's sensible!