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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To pay my cleaner for a missed week?

46 replies

Dutch1e · 25/04/2015 08:11

We recently hired a cleaner (first time doing this and we love it, she's brilliant etc).

On Tuesday I had to cancel her normal visit at the last minute. We rescheduled for Friday. On Friday morning she had to cancel as she's ill and we agreed she will be just skip this week altogether and she'll pop over at her normal time next week.

To me it seems like she would have had her normal pay if I hadn't cancelled on Tuesday. So AIBU to give her double pay next week? I don't really know the etiquette but as a self-employed person myself i'd feel like this is fair.

Is that daft?

OP posts:

BallsforEarrings · 26/04/2015 09:14

Yes you don't pay sick pay or holiday pay to a self employed person and it would be unreasonable of her to expect these, cleaning is not cheap for this very reason (and other costs involved in doing business, of course), however most cleaning services do have a cancellation fee although these and other terms should have been given to you in writing at the original quote.

Personally we only charge a cancellation fee if the cancellation was last minute therefore making it impossible for us to book another clean into the same spot (unless it was a genuine emergency then we will waiver this fee!)

The cancellation fee is for the full cost of the service.

If a client was willing to reschedule and then WE cancelled on the client there would be no fee.

Therefore I think it would be a kindness to offer the money but not expected or warranted, it would depend upon the original agreement and as she gave you no terms and conditions I think it would be more usual NOT to pay in this instance since you did give opportunity to reschedule and then SHE cancelled on you.

florentina1 · 26/04/2015 09:36

I always pay for any weeks missed, regardless of the reason. Good cleaners are priceless.

notquiteruralbliss · 26/04/2015 09:42

When we had a cleaner who did set hours / days each week, we always paid her if she was on holiday or unwell. She was awesome.

AlwaysAFool · 26/04/2015 11:20

I think that is a thoughtful thing to do,
She probably wont expect it but im sure she will be happy to take it.

As a home cleaner myself I havent had a client pay me for cancelling for thier holidays but I dont expect it.

HuftysTrain · 26/04/2015 11:24

It's nice of you but I wouldn't do it unless I had cancelled at short notice and wasn't proposing to move the job to another day.

In your circs I wouldn't pay.

PurpleSwift · 26/04/2015 11:25

If you cancel last minute I think I'd still pay. More than 48 hours notice perhaps not

HuftysTrain · 26/04/2015 11:27

Good cleaners are priceless that's true. I've recently increased what I pay mine, not at her request but because I truly value her and want her to stay with me even though we've moved house and it's not really convenient for her anymore.

We have a good relationship but I've never thought to pay her for times she's cancelled through illness or when we've been away. It's a pay-as-you-go service to me.

chocolatemademefat · 27/04/2015 07:59

I'd definitely pay her. She was available on the day you originally asked for. It was your choice to change the day and we all have illnesses from time to time.

You sound as if you want to pay her anyway which is nice. I'm self employed and a lot of people forget we do it because we need the money. Some of my customers think I do it as a hobby.

TarkaTheOtter · 27/04/2015 08:03

I'd offer extra hours next week to cover the missed hours. Maybe a deep leaning project or ironing etc.

QuintShhhhhh · 27/04/2015 08:12

I either pay my cleaner when we are away or let her come and clean anyway (she will focus on something else, like window cleaning, the fridge etc), as she relies on this income to make her wheels go around. If she wants a day off she will simply broach it, asking "do you need me?"

I also dont want her to feel we are faffing her about, and I want her to stay with us, so she needs to be able to count on the hours she gets from us.

She has cleaned for me for 4 years now, and also babysits when we need a babysitter. Now the flexibility goes both ways, and she might call up and ask if she can clean on a different day - I know she sometimes need to shuffle clients around, she has done it to accommodate me, so I dont want to be difficult if another of her clients have a problem that means they need her on "my day". It only happens rarely anyway.

I might not have thought about it, if it was not for her mentioning that the family she cleaned for twice a week had gone to Italy for a month over summer, leaving her with a total of 8 days without salary over summer. She was a bit skint!

In YOUR circumstances, I would pay, because you cancelled first.

Goldmandra · 27/04/2015 08:23

As a self employed childminder, I work on the principle that, if the time is booked and I am available to work, the customer pays because I can't use that time for anything else. If I cry off, I don't charge.

If you apply the same, you would owe her for the Tuesday visit anyway because she didn't have time to book any alternative work in for that time. Giving her extra work now wouldn't really be fair as it doesn't change the fact that you wasted the time she had set aside for you on the Tuesday.

I would make it clear that you are paying her because you cancelled the Tuesday session at the last minute. Express that you appreciate her giving you the opportunity to make it up on Friday instead but that it's not her fault that didn't work out.

I think it's fair to establish a precedent that if, you cancel with short notice, you pay anyway.

QuintShhhhhh · 27/04/2015 09:29

Blimey, just saw that you wanted her to work extra to make up the lost hours last week.

That really is not fair - yes it gives her a chance to earn the money she lost due to you blowing her off in the first place, but would really inconvenience her - what if she has other clients booked? Other arrangements?

She is a cleaner providing a professional service, not a washing machine that you can turn on and off at your convenience!

Dieu · 27/04/2015 09:45

I personally wouldn't pay, as I don't get paid if I don't work (through no choice of my own), so I'd end up out of pocket. That said, I don't think I've ever cancelled last minute ... or ever!

TarkaTheOtter · 27/04/2015 13:33

Presumably if extra hours aren't convenient the cleaner won't agree to them. I never cancelled on my cleaner but on the occasions she couldn't make it she was happy to do the hours the following week. I didn't need her to do any extra but offered her the hours so her income was constant.

AmberLav · 27/04/2015 13:40

If she's self-employed, then that is part of the risk of being self employed, so there is no obligation to pay her.

That being said, when we got our kitchen done, and the cleaner couldn't come round for 6 weeks, I did offer to pay her, as it wasn't her fault that I took away some of her income for a while, but she said no (I did get her round for a whole day's cleaning when the building work was over, as I felt bad, so she got about 3 week's pay in one day, and got her to do an extra hour or so over the next couple of weeks!).

Original poster

Dutch1e · 28/04/2015 17:18

QuintShhhhhh where did I say I wanted her to work extra?

OP posts:

QuintShhhhhh · 28/04/2015 20:59

Sorry you didnt, TarkatheOther said that!

I must have gone colourblind - I thought I cross posted with you!

TwoOddSocks · 28/04/2015 21:35

I think it's a nice thing to do since rescheduling was a nice gesture on her part and it wasn't her fault she was then ill. I'm currently self employed and understand there's risk involved but I do think some people cancel/reschedule at the last minute too lightly. Since I I have more work than I have time for if it happens too many times I become unavailable from then on.

You sound very considerate and if she's a great cleaner it would be great to keep her happy and on board :)

BallsforEarrings · 28/04/2015 22:12

I don't think it should be necessary or expected because a self-employed person is responsible for balancing her own income. When I first started our cleaning business i booked like the airlines and was always quite relieved when a cancellation came up on the schedule.

Now I have staff it is harder to balance everything with cancellations and reschedules and it is harder to book like the airlines as staff are less reliable than I was, I was never off, so now I can't book us so tightly, we do need to charge for cancellations on the c,lients part unless emergency or made well in advance.

Having said all that about expectation, I do agree it is a lovely kindness and will show you value her as good cleaners are so hard to find and keep. I appreciate my staff for this reason and would give them bonuses to keep them happy if the business could support these, as it is I just tell them how valuable they are and they seem happy to stay.

On balance I think it is a good idea as long as it isn't expected and she knows it's a gesture of thanks and appreciation rather than owed to her.

Original poster

Dutch1e · 29/04/2015 12:54

An update because of course you've all been thinking of nothing but this thread
I handed her the double pay today and she refused to take it as we'd "both cancelled" and she's "only a cleaner." That part made me feel a bit sad as she provides a much-needed & much-appreciated service and she's lovely to boot (my very shy little boy has taken to her, very unusual for him). Anyway, we settled on an amount to cover the cancellation and I think i'll put the difference in her Christmas card.

OP posts:

Original poster

Dutch1e · 29/04/2015 12:56

QuintShhhhhh not a worry, easily done!

OP posts:

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