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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in not paying cleaner due to snow

212 replies

dietingagainandagain · 05/03/2018 12:34

Not long had a cleaner so not sure what the done thing is. Also we are not loaded and this is definitely a luxury.

Anyway due to the snow the lady wasn't able to come out last week.
Should we pay anyway for the missed week?

I go through a company and pay them a proportion by bank transfer but leave most of the payment in cash for the actual lady who comes. There isn't any contract as such.

I think paying is the right thing to do but DH thinks we shouldn't. Who is right?

OP posts:
Trooperslane2 · 05/03/2018 12:55

I struggle with this, but the lady who runs the cleaning business has said from the start that holidays/sickness/snow etc means we don't pay if her team doesn't come.

Trooperslane2 · 05/03/2018 12:56

If I was handing cash to the ladies who physically clean, I think I'd pay.

sinceyouask · 05/03/2018 12:57

I agree with you and think you should pay. Surely the goodwill is worth it?

Zebra31 · 05/03/2018 12:57

We paid but she is doing a few extra jobs this week. It won’t cover what the clean should have been but it wasn’t her fault.

TiredMumToTwo · 05/03/2018 12:59

I never pay if my cleaner doesn’t come for any reason - never occurred to me that I should but then I’m self employed and don’t get paid if I don’t work either so it seems fair.

hubbabubbanightmare · 05/03/2018 13:00

I don't have a cleaner but I am a service provider. I did charge people but offered to catch up the work. Perhaps you could discuss with her?

Inthedeepdarkwinter · 05/03/2018 13:00

I don't pay my cleaner when she doesn't clean. Equally she doesn't come if she feels ill or wants to go on holiday. I have tried giving her money when I have cancelled at short notice and she won't take it. She's absolutely scrupulous about always doing the allotted hours and returns me money if she hasn't done all of them even though I ask her not to. She is an incredibly trustworthy person, I really hope she carries on cleaning for me for a long time.

I think it's fine to pay holiday pay though if it's in advance.

Viviennemary · 05/03/2018 13:07

I don't think I'd expect to pay her. But I'd be more than happy if she made up the hours and did a bit extra.

Knittedfairies · 05/03/2018 13:08

Could you pay her for last week but ask her to make up the hours?

hmcAsWas · 05/03/2018 13:10

Check out this virtually identical thread a whole, entire 4 days ago
should I still pay the cleaner

gillybeanz · 05/03/2018 13:11

I don't have a cleaner, but as my job doesn't even pay sick pay until the 5th day and self certifying, I wouldn't pay someone else who hadn't worked.

Original poster
dietingagainandagain · 05/03/2018 13:11

Thanks all for your responses. Its mixed but I think most are saying to pay which is what I think.

I don't want to be mean and I got paid last week when I couldn't get into work so why shouldn't she (and being at home meant I had time to actually do the cleaning). In the grand scheme of things its not a lot of money as such. As I said its a luxury and we don't have a lot of spare cash but it'd maybe get us a takeaway which we can do without if it means doing the right thing.

OP posts:
Elphame · 05/03/2018 13:11

I would. I know my cleaner relies on her money and the snow is not her fault

whiskyowl · 05/03/2018 13:12

dieting - what a lovely post. Flowers for you, if only everyone were so considerate.

nemno · 05/03/2018 13:13

My cleaner will make up the hours so we both get what we need. She gets paid and I get a deeper clean over the next weeks.

incywincybitofa · 05/03/2018 13:17

I think the amount you pay the cleaning company covers their insurance to pay her if she misses a week because of the weather/illness, we had the same agreement as Trooperslane and it was explained that some of that money is insurance

NotAQueef · 05/03/2018 13:18

I wouldn't. I couldn't get to work one day last week and had to take unpaid leave.

DalekDalekDalek · 05/03/2018 13:18

If you can spare the money then I think you should. Chances are she hasn't earned much this last week and her family are probably struggling. Plus, being good to her about this will make her more loyal to you and she might work harder, do extra jobs, spend an extra couple of minutes cleaning your house when she should be finished etc.

I don't think you have to though.

Alternatively, you could ask her to do double the hours this week and do some extra tasks such as a deep clean of a room etc. That way you still get the work done and she still gets the money.

CoffeeOrSleep · 05/03/2018 13:20

I'm going against the grain here - do you pay her, or do you pay the company, that then pays her and she merely collects part of your fee in cash for the company? (Which is then handed to them to bank before paying her)

It may well be the company does not pay her because she did not work. In that case, would you really want to pay the company who then don't pass it on to her, for a service they did not provide?

Call the company you pay and ask what the situation is. Will they charge you for the clean you did not get? Will they pay the cleaner for the hours she didn't work due to snow?

In your situation, I would be thinking about getting a contract, or using a different cleaning company/just hiring the cleaner directly.The part bank transfer, part cash arrangement seems pretty dodgy. If you don't have a contract, do they have insurance in case anything is broken in your home?

FluffyWuffy100 · 05/03/2018 13:22

I would pay if she is a good cleaner and you want to keep her.

I consider it extremely mean not to. Also it is a pain to change the direct debit.

FluffyWuffy100 · 05/03/2018 13:23

Or at least pay half.

milliemolliemou · 05/03/2018 13:23

OP I can't understand the payment system So you're still paying an agency for what? the initial recommendation? do they pay her NI or tax?

Some agencies are horrendous - whether it's cleaning or private care. They find the original match for which IMHO they should take an upfront payment from the employer. But they then tie the end employer into a contract which means they keep earning with no guarantees and no benefit to employer or the cleaner/carer. And if you come to a private arrangement they'll then sue, having done bugger all apart from the original introduction. Money for old rope.

I'd just speak to her and ask if she has any extra hours free to do a longer clean next time. I'd certainly pay her something for the snow days

Darkbendis · 05/03/2018 13:24

I am self employed. Nor a cleaner though. I get paid for the jobs I didn't do last week as it as the clients who cancelled my assignments i.e. I got emailed/called in the morning "don't turn up for job xyz". If I had called to tell them I couldn't make it, I wouldn't have expected to be paid though.

Peanutbuttercups21 · 05/03/2018 13:25

Middle class people like to treat their cleaners with kid gloves, which is nice really.

For reference, I am self employed and I and only get paid when I actually do the work. In case of sickness, snow, storms etc. it is up to me to reschedule the work.

I get paid similar to what cleaners get paid, but I guess nobody has middle class guilt about employing me Grin

trying hard not to be bitter, haha

Failingat40 · 05/03/2018 13:27

If you've employed a cleaning company who provide the cleaner then no you shouldn't need to pay. She is not self employed and reliant on each job, presumably her employer will pay her.

If they don't pay her then I'd ask the cleaner to clean for me directly and cut out the company. You could save yourself a £5/£10 unnecessary cost which you could either keep or split with the cleaner.

If she was working directly for me on a self employed basis I would pay her, snow wasn't her fault and I'm sure it would be appreciated.

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