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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I still pay cleaner?

77 replies

Enuffsenuffsenuff · 01/03/2018 20:08

My cleaner usually comes on a Friday but there is SO much snow around us and I really don't think it's safe for her to travel (she drives, there is no public transport to where we live). I am going to text her and tell her not to come because I don't want her risking the journey.

My question is, should I still pay her for the time? We have no contract or anything so no paperwork governing the situation. I just leave money when she comes. But I expect she's missing a lot of work in this weather and so she might be struggling. And obviously it's my decision to tell her not to come and it's late in the day to cancel, so she can't fill the slot somewhere else.

So... should I leave double money for her next week even tho she's not going to work tomorrow? Or am I being patronising / worrying too much about nothing? Or is it the least I can do given that I am cancelling her at the last minute?

Thanks for advice! x

OP posts:
CantChoose · 01/03/2018 20:56

Going against the grain here but I agree with Bran, she's self-employed so shouldn't get paid. Though I don't think you should tell her not to come, that should be her choice.

MyRelationshipIsWeird · 01/03/2018 21:01

There’s certainly no obligation for you to pay her as she’s self employed, however as you're the one instigating it by saying don’t risk it, then it’s the kind thing to do. You may not have a contractual agreement but you do have an understanding that she comes once a week or whatever. If she was so in need of the money that she was going to risk the journey anyway (which she may well be this week) she would be really pleased that she doesn’t have to make that call.

Starryskiesinthesky · 01/03/2018 21:01

I texted my cleaner to say that with the schools off and the snow she may not want to come but it was up to her. She said she had been thinking the same so we agreed that she wouldnt so I won't pay. I get her through an agency (not sure if that makes a difference to the whole self employed thing but i pay her directly). I will probably give her a bit extra next week though. Plus while she is lovely, she isnt that great.

agentdaisy · 01/03/2018 21:04

As it's you cancelling then I'd pay and not ask about making up the hours next week. She'll be relying on the money she'd be working for tomorrow and may not have the space in her usual schedule to do double hours next Friday. If she's a good cleaner then I wouldn't want to risk the relationship by a) cancelling and not paying and b) making her feel pressured into doing extra hours next week that she may not have time for.

Even though you're thinking of her safety in cancelling for tomorrow saying you'll still pay her but asking if she can make up the hours could sour the relationship.

I'm firmly of the belief that if the employer closes the workplace and tells staff not to come in then the staff should be paid for their normal working hours with no obligation to make up the time they should have been working.

LeggyLinda · 01/03/2018 21:20

Just want to say good on you for thinking of the safety and welfare of the cleaner.

Whether you should legally pay her depends on the contact I suppose. But morally, as you cancelled I think you should pay and without reservation as goodwill.

RavenWings · 01/03/2018 21:22

You're cancelling on her, so I'd pay. It doesn't seem to matter much to you, but it might make a huge difference to her.

Good on you for thinking about her safety though.

FluffyWuffy100 · 01/03/2018 21:24

I don’t bother cancelling the weekly DD probably up to 3 or 4 times a year if there is a reason my cleaner can’t come.

It’s a bit quid pro quo, she does a good job and probably beyond what most ‘cleaners’ would do (like today she saw my laundry basket was over flowing and did my washing and hung it up).

MardalaRhyme · 01/03/2018 21:26

Pay her and suggest she add an extra half hour on over the next few cleans. That's a pretty fair solution for both sides.

PaddysMarket · 01/03/2018 21:44

She might not have any spare time to make up the hours. When I do my houses I go to straight to the 1st house once the school bell goes, do 3 hrs then go to my next hours for 2 hrs then back to the school to collect DC's. I don't even stop for lunch.

StellaWouldYouTakeMeHome · 01/03/2018 21:45

Same situation with us today, our cleaner couldn’t come today because it would have been dangerous in the snow. We only pay for the cleaning she does, she does help us out but we can’t afford to pay her on the days she can’t clean. She also changes her days sometimes to suit her other commitments and we already pay her quite well so the arrangements work for us

Tinyprancer · 01/03/2018 21:45

Legally if you’re paying them when they don’t clean for whatever reason (sickness, holiday, snow) then they’re no longer self employed and you’re an employer. Therefore you have to do all the legal stuff that comes with this which are quite substantial including providing a pension scheme for them.

However if it’s just leaving some cash out once then I’d do it.

Can’t she make her own decisions though about safety?

Thierryhenryneedisaymore · 01/03/2018 22:05

Paddysmarket

That's a bit shit to be losing so much. Sorry to hear that. Good name btw 😃

I don't have a cleaner but i would pay on ocassions like today if they couldn't get to me. It can't be helped. It's an exceptional circumstance. To be honest, it sounds a bit shitty to say you can't pay someone for a day or two off with freak weather that they cannot help yet you can pay for them every week to come.

Your house won't fall down if it can't be cleaned as planned for a day or two.
Do the decent thing!!!!

counterpoint · 01/03/2018 22:12

You should pay as she might have more to clean next week when she does come. Plus, it's 24hr standard notice to cancel and you're the one canceling. You may say it's because you don't want her travelling, but is it also because you don't want her around whilst you are also at home? Don't mean that in a bad way; but, you may feel uncomfortable for her to be cleaning whilst you are at home when you are not normally there.

But you do sound very considerate.

Looneytune253 · 01/03/2018 22:15

No no no. Message her and say you understand if she can’t make it and it’s ok but it’s not your decision to make. You defo don’t have to pay her if she doesn’t come.

Thelampshadelady · 01/03/2018 22:16

Yes pay her.
I’ve lost so much work this week due to cancellations and therefore I’m very down in my earnings Sad

Unicorndiscoball · 01/03/2018 22:21

I use a cleaning agency and messaged them today and asked if I could rearrange to next week due to the weather. They’ve agreed all fine as they said they didn’t know if their cleaners would be able to do tomorrow. We do rearrange every couple of months due to DH’s working patterns as when he’s on nights it’s too disruptive having them come. (We were upfront with the agency from the outset that we would need some flexibility with dates) we’ve done this for three years now and it’s always been fine.

Giraffesarequitetall · 01/03/2018 22:27

I agree you should pay her as you cancelled. If she had cancelled then I wouldn’t paying though.

CiderwithBuda · 01/03/2018 22:36

I cancelled mine for tomorrow but told her I would still pay her. She messaged to say she would have made it but I didn’t feel comfortable with the thoughts of her getting here - she walks. Told her to stay in th warm.

Generally I pay her if I cancel. Don’t pay if she takes holiday. If we go away I usually aske her to come in anyway and deep clean.

aproblemsharedandallthat · 01/03/2018 23:00

I would pay her. Snow days don't happen very often so it shouldn't be something that could be abused in the future. I wouldn't ask her to work extra hours either, she may have other jobs and at the end of the day I'm sure if she could get there or be given the opportunity, she would. Like others have said, loyalty is very rare and I'm sure your cleaner would probably make it up to you in her own way when cleaning. I know when I can't get in work for whatever reason, it makes me appreciate my boss more when she is flexible and also gives me the drive to do more for her Smile

user1487194234 · 01/03/2018 23:04

Yes pay her
I called mine to cancel her today and said I would pay her

Schmoochypoos · 01/03/2018 23:06

Mine cancelled on me for tomorrow, what do people think? That I should pay her? the roads actually aren’t too bad around here but I think her kids schools have been cancelled so she’s got no childcare

user187656748 · 01/03/2018 23:07

I'm currently waiting on my cleaner to contact me about tomorrow. its a company not an individual and they send a different person each time but they've cancelled three times in the past three months. there is no way they'll get to us and the owner of the company knows that because she lives locally too. but if i cancel i pay so they'll wait until the very last minute..

AdoraBell · 01/03/2018 23:10

I would pay her.

user1472333009 · 01/03/2018 23:12

You sound so Lovely to work for. I'm a self employed cleaner & I've lost a few jobs this week due to the snow, none of my clients has offered to pay me & neither would I expect then to. Its a very kind gesture though & if she ever has to give clients up I'm sure you'd be the last one to go.
Actually some of my clients give me a weeks notice that they don't need me the following week as they're going on holiday. I really need some new rules & to toughen up, though I don't think I'm soft. Anyway, going of topic.

I Personally wouldn't if she cancelled, but having had clients cancel on me with no thought to me losing money I would pay her if you tell her she's not needed.

Giraffesarequitetall · 02/03/2018 07:52

Schmoochypoos I wouldn’t pay her as she cancelled on you particularly if you think the roads aren’t too bad near you. Mine cancelled just before she was due to turn up as “the weather was getting worse” but actually the roads near me were fine. I didn’t pay her as it was her choice (and to be honest I thought it was fine to come).