Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

AIBU not to pay the cleaners for this week?

80 replies

Miha17 · 09/02/2019 13:11

We got cleaners coming in every Sat at 12pm. It’s in fact a couple where DH is quite disabled physically and comes with his wife for a bit of exercise and helps her with communication too. She barely speaks any English. So in fact she is doing the cleaning whereas he is helping a little with surfaces and a bit of company. We pay them £15/h which I think it’s a good rate and they do 2 hours. We also pay them a bonus of £30 at Xmas and if we cancel the cleaning (let’s say due to having builders around) we pay them that week too without them having to to any extra for it.

Now, today we asked in the morning if they can come any other day due to having a sick toddler. She’s been very poorly with fever and on strong antibiotics and we had a rough night. We can’t be in the house when they do cleaning as it’s not much space and also we didn’t get a chance to do the pre-tidy up. They texted back saying they can’t do any other day or time, so they’ll come next Sat. My DH thinks we should pay them for this week too as it’s not their fault. I’m very surprised that they didn’t take any alternatives as we very rarely asked them to reschedule, whereas they do it every couples of months and we were always flexible, every single time, despite having a baby (I.e. they’ll text saying they forgot the keys and went back home, can they come next day...or he has some appointment, can they come an hour later etc., usually at the last minute ..etc). AIBU to think that they should not be paid for this week?

OP posts:

grumiosmum · 09/02/2019 14:02

You should pay them if you cancel at such short notice, whatever the reason.

You have plenty of choices - if you find them 'inflexible' and that's an issue for you, you can find someone else to do the work.

I wouldn't refuse to change times next time they ask you though simply to make a point - if it suits you, do it, if it doesn't then don't. Otherwise you are just cutting off your nose to spite your face.

FlagFish · 09/02/2019 14:03

I think you need to pay this time due to short notice, but I don't think you should pay when you cancel with plenty of notice (eg the builders example). I don't pay my cleaner when we go on holiday.

Original poster

Miha17 · 09/02/2019 14:04

Thanks everyone. We will be moving in about 6 months time to a completely different area, so we won’t have them much longer. I’ll then consider a cleaning company indeed or a more formal relationship.
It’s interesting to know though what everyone’s view is though. I quite enjoy having a stable and perhaps more informal relationship with your cleaner, but it seems to work only one way for us so far.

We always offered them extra hours too and found them other jobs as we know they need money, lesson learned.

OP posts:

Original poster

Miha17 · 09/02/2019 14:06

@FlagFish we always pay them our holiday, sometimes 3 weeks. We don’t pay them their holiday though, which is about 1 week every 6-7 months.

OP posts:

SandAndSea · 09/02/2019 14:08

Not the point of the thread, but it sounds like you're paying a lot for an unreliable service. I also wouldn't like that there's 2 of them and you have to leave the house. I think I would either pay them this time or re-book for another time, and look into going elsewhere.

Heronymous · 09/02/2019 14:09

Here’s how it works OP. Your kid is unwell. The result is that someone has to pay for it - either you, because you have to pay for a clean you don’t get, or your cleaners because they don’t get the £15 they’re expecting through no fault of their own.

what would be your justification for your cleaner paying for your kid being unwell, rather than you? How would it be their responsibility instead of yours?

So yeah, you have to pay.

DropZoneOne · 09/02/2019 14:13

I use an agency, but if i cancel with less than 48 hours notice, i have to pay whether the cleaning can be rearranged or not.

If they cancel and don't rearrange, or i give more than 48 hours notice, i don't pay

greybluegeometry · 09/02/2019 14:26

We always offered them extra hours too and found them other jobs as we know they need money, lesson learned

Well maybe that is why they couldn't rearrange? They already had other jobs to do?

Original poster

Miha17 · 09/02/2019 14:28

I’ve always lived with a different mentality I think, perhaps coming from a different country. I never charged anyone because they can’t make it on the day, I’ve always worked on a reschedule/catch up basis because I understand everyone has exceptional circumstances and there is no harm in having some flexibility. I take it a bit personally this time because they didn’t even want to discuss alternatives (perhaps a catch up on a different week or so) when we always give them what they want, always.
It’s a lesson learned and a more formal relationship would be better I think. I won’t have to worry about paying holidays for weeks or having to change my timings when I don’t particularly want to. It’s not always convenient for us all to be out of the house.

OP posts:

greybluegeometry · 09/02/2019 14:31

Tbh you are coming across as a bit Lady Bountiful feeling irked as the peasants aren't grateful enough.

You obviously feel you have been nice and generous to the poor people you felt sorry for, and now they aren't showing enough gratitude by accommodating you. You don't know what is going on in their life this week. If they do need the money, like you say, it is unlikely they have refused to rearrange to snub you or just cos they can't be arsed. They probably have other stuff on.

Original poster

Miha17 · 09/02/2019 14:32

@greybluegeometry they seem to have a lot of alternatives when they want to reschedule at the last minute. They also asked us 2 weeks ago if we know anyone who needs cleaning as they are looking for extra jobs.

OP posts:

donajimena · 09/02/2019 14:33

I'm a cleaner and if a client cancelled and said to come a different day I honestly wouldn't be able to fit it in. I see you are going to pay which is only fair. My client cancelled me last week due to child illness and offered to pay. I said not to but I would have been right to accept it.

PestyMachtubernahme · 09/02/2019 14:34

YABU to pay them less than the minimum wage.

Original poster

Miha17 · 09/02/2019 14:36

@greybluegeometry wow, interesting the way you took the whole story

OP posts:

DanglyTassles · 09/02/2019 14:45

Most cleaners are fully booked and can't just re-schedule, I really wouldn't have thought they did it on purpose.

When myself and my husband were solo cleaners we did about 20 odd jobs a week and if anyone missed their spot they just waited until their next scheduled visit.

We sometimes asked for a reschedule in the circumstances when a client had asked us to try to arrange one for them, we would just ask another client if they didn't mind a swap to help someone out. Usually they didn't mind but if they had reason to keep their spot we would have to tell the first client 'sorry, we just can't get a swap this time' and then they'd wait until next time.

Reastie · 09/02/2019 14:49

This is very interesting. Dh is a gardener doing regular jobs. He often has customers call and say ‘not this week thanks’ at the last minute despite visiting fortnightly for years in most cases. He doesn’t get paid if they decide they don’t want him to come for whatever reason. He has to suck it up. Why should a cleaner be different and expect to get paid?

greybluegeometry · 09/02/2019 14:53

they seem to have a lot of alternatives when they want to reschedule at the last minute
Well, obviously. They wouldn't be trying to rearrange if they didn't have alternative times available.

They also asked us 2 weeks ago if we know anyone who needs cleaning as they are looking for extra jobs
And there's your answer. They have had two weeks to seek out extra work so are now full with work this week.

You are taking their inability to accommodate you far too personally.

Yabbers · 09/02/2019 15:10

If I offered to reschedule I wouldn’t be offering to pay.

Yabbers · 09/02/2019 15:11

In fact, with a casual arrangement, If I cancelled at all, I wouldn’t be paying.

SingaporeSlinky · 09/02/2019 15:18

I wouldn’t pay them. You offered alternatives.
Maybe wait and see if they ask you for payment? If they do ask, you could say you expected them to be a bit flexible since you’ve always been flexible when they’ve asked.

HappyBumbleBee · 09/02/2019 15:26

If it were me I'd take it as a lesson learned, pay them this time but likewise next time they rearrange say its not suitable for you, leave till next Sat etc and don't pay them.
It sounds as though its been very casual until now, which is fine and keeps everything friendly, but you've made exceptions for them in the past and so it's not unreasonable to want a bit of flexibility and understanding from them too once in a while.
I got your little one is better soon and you get some rest yourselves.
Chalk it up to experience and go and relax xx

HappyBumbleBee · 09/02/2019 15:30

hope not got

Tensixtysix · 09/02/2019 15:33

I think they are very lucky to be paid if you cancel. I'm a self employed cleaner and if I don't clean, then I don't get paid. That includes if my client cancels.
Doesn't happen very often, but if a client did it regularly, I would rethink ever cleaning for them again.

Marymarg · 09/02/2019 15:34

I'm a cleaner and although I always try to swap if a clients asks it often isn't possible as I'm fully booked. I occasionally ask clients to swap days or times but otherwise I always turn up on the same day at a set time.
As for paying them? You have a genuine reason but then again that isn't their fault. I had one client rang me just before I was due and said "don't come today I've decided to clean myself" I did go back but in hindsight I don't know why? I wouldn't now!

Heronymous · 09/02/2019 15:41

Why should a cleaner be different and expect to get paid?

The question should actually be ‘why isn’t your DH insisting he does get paid?’

Casual workers get taken advantage of all the time, but just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s right.

Flip

1 2 3 4