To say no to my cleaner coming over Christmas?

[ettyz]

My cleaner who works 5 days a week doing 6 hours a day for us and gets above the average wage for a cleaner, has said that she needs to work next week. I said no to working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday as obviously it’s Christmas and no to Friday as I have people over. She’s obviously self employed and we are her only cleaning job, but I don’t really fancy someone cleaning when Me and dh not at work, all the kids are at home and we just want to relax without anyone in the home. She said it’s too much money for her to lose out and she won’t be able to afford to not work those days. she hates Christmas and doesn’t have any family to spend it with so was actually asking to do Christmas Day! It’s not my fault she hasn’t budgeted for it but we had told her when we first took her on in April that we don’t need her services over Christmas. Aibu to say no to her working those days next week, I don’t want to upset her. We are hosting Christmas at ours so no time when we won’t be at home next week for her to pop in and clean, plus I’m at home so I’ll be able to do it anyway!

If she works 5 days a week for you and does regular hours, she may be considered a worker and be entitled to paid holiday. I would certainly be arguing that if I was in her shoes.

What’s the issue? You’ve told her at the start of her employment and reminded her last month that her services were not required. So what else can you do, just tell her you’ll see her on x date as previously discussed, why would be be upset?

My issue with the OP is the use of the word 'of' instead of the word 'have'....

I would pay her for those days, but have her pick up your laundry and wash, day and iron it and bring it back etc - that way she's busy, she's earning, and it takes the annoying laundry off your hands so you can spend more of your time enjoying your visitors over Xmas.

I feel sorry for the cleaner, she sounds lonely.

and btw with all the extra guests coming to stay, I would think you need a cleaner even more! more people, more mess. we will visit my brother over the holidays and they are hiring a cleaner to come every single day! Its not just us, its another family visiting as well and they want to enjoy the holiday and not spend it cleaning the entire time.

You’re on thin ice OP with regard to her being an employee.

She does set hours
Only works for you
No financial risk to her (you provide cleaning stuff)
She can't send a replacement presumably
You dictate when she works

Yup. She's employed. Be careful, HMRC is really clamping down on this at the moment.

Basically the OP is running a B&B (and is either closed or not booked out next week)and her employee is on a zero hours contract. Rumbled. (Only floors in hotels/restaurants etc need cleaning every day because of foot traffic and same goes with the bathrooms clearly being in constant use)
Can't believe it took me 7 pages to work that out!

You may think she's self employed, but consistently working the same job for the same client for 30 hours per week over a significant period... makes her your employee. It also gives you employers responsibilities, including paid annual leave.

If an employer told me I wouldn't be working over Xmas, I would take that to mean Xmas Day and Boxing Day. Not the whole week.

Have a heart, OP. As you've said yourself, you can afford it, so just pay up.

SecretWitch

Please come back and tell us what the ghosts of Christmas tell you Scrooge.

Why not have her help serve at xmas lunch then wash up?

It totally does matter that the other job is not the same thing. It's 100% important.
It really isn't. I do two different things and am self-employed at both.

DarlingNikita

Yes, I didn't day you can't be self employed at two different things, I have been myself, but both were genuine self employment.

The poster was trying to use the fact the cleaner has another job (which we don't know is self employed or employed anyway) to support the claim that therefore she IS self employed. If she had two clients she cleaned for, this could (but not exclusively) be an indicator of self employment. If she is a cleaner thirty hours a week for one person, and walks someone's dog another time, then the dog walking has no relevance to whether her cleaning job is self employed.

You've assumed it the other way around. I didn't say you can't be self employed doing two different things. But it IS relevant that the cleaner's other job is not cleaning.

OP, are you living in the Slater's house in Eastenders?

[quote ettyz]@NorthernRunner she’s known for quite a long time that there’s no work next week, couldn’t she of organised herself some work. [/quote]
How did you get so rich with grammar like that?

@draftdodger you resurrected a 2 year old thread to ask this question

Well, to be fair, I read through the thread just now and was just thinking that before I saw your comment

Whilst I find this thread unconvincing, I am also surprised by the competitive generosity on Mumsnet re tips for cleaners! Mine seems happy with £ 20 and a card...

ZOMBIE THREAD ALERT

God, I remember this one. Total headscratcher.

I wonder how the OP managed without her the 30 hours a week cleanathons during Lockdown(s).