in not paying cleaner due to snow

[dietingagainandagain]

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?

Most employers wouldn’t pay for a snow day. They would allow the time off unpaid so it’s okay not to pay. It’s up to you though, if you’re swaying towards paying anyway then you could. I would be cautious though as the cleaner might expect payment in other circumstances where they can’t get there.

Do you go out to work, and if so, would you not get paid if you couldn't make it in due to severe weather conditions?

Really? Certainly not my experience!

Do you know, neither as a life coach nor a careers advisor (in past lives),did I ever have anyone come to me saying 'If money was no object and I could do anything, my dream would be to clear up other people's mess.

£19 per week to the cleaning company, that's nuts!

I do cleaning thru a agency and the company charge the clients I clean for £3 per hour above what the client pays me direct.

I'm a dog walker. I do not get paid and do not expect to be paid if I don't go, whatever the reason. Just one-off the perils in amongst all the positives of being elf employed.

No other self-employed people (e.g. myself) were paid on that day so it wouldn't occur to me to pay a cleaner. Considering that even some employees didn't get paid on snow days I think it is quite ridiculous that many people think you should pay someone who is self-employed such as a cleaner. If you think she is your employee start paying tax, NI, pension and everything else an employer does. I think that those that do pay just don't get the difference between self employed and employees.

I'm self employed and lost 6 clients last week due to the snow. No one paid me.

It didn't even cross my mind that they would tbh.

Just a crappy negative part of being self employed - no work no pay.

Not sure if this has been suggested, but could she make up the extra hours the following week(s), so you still pay her but you're not paying for nothing?

Thanks everyone for your comments.
Some questions that were asked :

To clarify it's £10 a week to the company (not £19).

There really wasn't any safe way to get here due to the snow.

It's for 2.5 hours

She came yesterday and did some extra jobs (maybe an hours worth) and I left 2 weeks money so I think a good compromise all round

Good on you OP

I agree - a good compromise