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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not put the heating on for the cleaner?

437 replies

Falcon1 · 26/11/2019 12:34

It's 13 degrees today and feels very mild. I work from home and I'm perfectly comfortable. I don't like being too hot and we only put the heating on if it drops below 16 in the house. It's about 18 currently.

Anyway, just had an arsey message from the cleaning company saying my cleaner has complained about the cold and that all clients must ensure their houses are heated to at least 22 degrees whilst the cleaners are there.

AIBU to think this is ridiculous? I'm in the bloody house myself! Surely if I'm comfortable sitting at my desk, the cleaner (who is being active) should be able to cope?

OP posts:
saraclara · 26/11/2019 21:51

I'm stunned at the number of people on here who are so inconsiderate of another human being. Especially the comments that she can't be working hard enough if she's cold. That's like something out of a Dickens novel.

Just be nice, ffs.

saraclara · 26/11/2019 21:52

I'm just imagining the OP where a MNetter talks about being really cold at work and how her manager's refused to do anything about it, saying she just can't be working hard enough.

maddy68 · 26/11/2019 21:55

She has a right to be comfortable in the workplace but the legal minimum temperature is 16 degrees.

LolaSmiles · 26/11/2019 21:57

Sara
I agree the not working hard enough comments are out of order.

But a MNetter complaining they have a gripe about the temperature in their office and their manager has said no because it's a perfectly acceptable temperature and it's unreasonable for one person to dictate the temperature for everyone would probably also be told that there's no pleasing everyone in an office.

Snowmonster · 26/11/2019 21:59

22 degrees? If the cleaner moved faster and worked quicker she wouldnt be so cold. Bloody cheek - tell her to wear thermals!

Looobyloo · 26/11/2019 22:01

@LolaSmiles I do wear appropriate clothes for the cold houses, I wear a big thick coat which is actually quite comfortable. Then I strip off to t shirt for my heated houses, bliss!

One client would sit in a room with the fire on at full blast while I froze as I wasn't working hard enough I suppose that's acceptable too?

We could go on forever but at the end of the day would it hurt to put the heating on for 1/2 hour just to warm the house a little?

Looobyloo · 26/11/2019 22:03

I give up after that last reply
goes to bang head very hard against a brick bloody wall!

Keepmewarm · 26/11/2019 22:04

Is she a good cleaner? I’m guessing not or you wouldn’t risk losing her by questioning it.

You could just tell the company that it’s 22 and that she could wear more layers.

concernedforthefuture · 26/11/2019 22:04

22 degrees for a physical job Confused? That's mad. I think HSE guidelines are min temp 14 degrees for a physical job (16 if stationary). I'd be boiling at 22 if I was polishing / hoovering etc. 18 is way hot enough, 16 would be ok.

Cherrysoup · 26/11/2019 22:17

Bonkers. I’d stick it on 30 for her visits.

No, I mean, that would be mad. I’d request a copy of the contract, which should include dates that the house has to be at a steady 22-year round? Utter shite, I bet that’s not in their contract at all.

LolaSmiles · 26/11/2019 22:33

looobyloo
I've already said I don't agree with the not working hard enough comments.

I don't think it's reasonable for anyone to go into someone else's house and start naming their preferred temperature.

Personally, having the fire on in one room and the whole house genuinely freezing is a bit much in my opinion, but if it's just a bit chilly then I'm afraid part and parcel of going to someone's house is that they'll heat it to their preferences.

If someone said to me they were a little chilly and would I mind turning the heating up a bit then I probably would if it was still comfortable for me (my house is between 18-20 depending on what I'm doing) and they weren't expecting to wander around on a t shirt whilst I'm in jumpers.
If someone sent me an email specifying they expect my house to be heated according to their preferences then I'd be really unimpressed because it's rude and they have zero grounds to tell me how to heat my house.

BestOption · 26/11/2019 22:42

You can’t just state a temperature! It depends on where your thermostats are, whether there are drafts or not and other things

If she’s cold, she’s cold. She’s entitled not to be cold at work. Just out the heating on for a couple of hours. You’ll need to experiment with the temperature to get it comfortable for her & hopefully not too hot for you.

autumnnightsaredrawingin · 26/11/2019 22:43

We haven’t yet turned our heating on this year. (In the UK) misses point

LolaSmiles · 26/11/2019 22:46

autumnnightsaredrawingin
Are you one of these mythical running hot people or are you like one of my uni friends who almost sees it as a personal challenge to put the heating on as late in the year as possible?
Smile

waveajay · 26/11/2019 22:52

Just say youve done it rolls eyes. She'll believe you.

LaurieMarlow · 26/11/2019 22:57

she still has zero obligation to heat her house around the preferences of someone else

She may not have an obligation (though I don’t know what the contract says) but it’s just human decency to ensure a reasonable temperature when your home is someone’s workplace.

16 degrees is not reasonable for many people as born out by his thread.

Of course, some people don’t treat others decently. That’s clear.

LaurieMarlow · 26/11/2019 22:58

For the record, I’m not advocating 22. I’d split the difference at 19.

woolie34 · 26/11/2019 23:21

*saraclara

I'm stunned at the number of people on here who are so inconsiderate of another human being. Especially the comments that she can't be working hard enough if she's cold. That's like something out of a Dickens novel.*

Just be nice, ffs.

I'm glad it's not just me who thinks this! Even if you don't get cold some people do feel thee cold. If you don't want to accommodate your employee fairly just hire a different one. But I don't think the employee is being unreasonable to ask not to feel cold where she works for 3.5 hours. The people saying she doesn't work hard enough, that's lovely! You do realise the cleaner is a person? I'm not sure how messy a house gets to need 3.5 hours of cleaning by another person.

saraclara · 26/11/2019 23:31

But a MNetter complaining they have a gripe about the temperature in their office and their manager has said no because it's a perfectly acceptable temperature and it's unreasonable for one person to dictate the temperature for everyone would probably also be told that there's no pleasing everyone in an office

That's not what I said though, is it @LolaSmiles
I didn't talk about a manager saying that everyone else in the office was happy with the temperature. I talked about one who just refused because he thought it was up to her to increase her own body heat.

In this case, there's the boss and one employee. The employee isn't comfortable, the boss says tough.

Given that the heating only needs to go on a few degrees higher for a couple of hours for the cleaner (a human being) to be more comfortable, I just think you have to be a pretty unkind person to refuse. I can't see it being THAT uncomfortable for the OP (who can always open a window in the room she occupies if she's in when the cleaner is)

The OP seems to be taking out her anger at the tone of the letter, on her cleaner. Which is unfair.

Mumtotwo82 · 26/11/2019 23:37

22 degrees is too hot imo. But I would make a comfortable temperature like 16/18. Maybe comprising.

TheYear · 26/11/2019 23:45

By the way, recommended office temperatures are set according to the preferences of men thanks to research data on men being used, not women! Angry
And men are generally warmer than women.

m0therofdragons · 26/11/2019 23:51

18 degrees is too cold for me.

Maybe wear a jumper? After a similar thread a year ago I panicked and checked with my cleaner making sure she knew I was happy for her to put the heating on while she was here. She laughed and said it's far too hot to clean with the heating on!

As your cleaner has requested it then I probably would go with that as a couple of hours a week is barely noticeable re cost but for a good cleaner it's worth it!

BlackCatSleeping · 27/11/2019 00:14

I do love a good Mumsnet competitive misery thread.

It's currently minus 16 in my office and the sweat is dripping off me.

Here's a newsflash. All people are different. It doesn't matter if other cleaners prefer it cooler or some people think 22 is too hot, the OP's cleaner finds it too cold. It's just common decency to make sure they are comfortable in their work environment.

kateandme · 27/11/2019 02:49

Oòoo underfloor heating system is the best Megan2018 we only had this luxury in Norway.

LolaSmiles · 27/11/2019 07:21

Sara
Then, as I've said, there's a difference between someone expressing they're a bit chilly and having an email sent out telling people their house needs to be heated to their preferred temperature.

It's not as simple as boss/employees anyway. The OP isn't the cleaner's boss any more than she is the boss of a plumber who comes round to fix the boiler. The cleaners is either self employed or is employed by an agency. Part of the job is going round to people's houses and part of any job across multiple sites is that they won't be to your preference.

I don't see why the OP should have to spend more heating a whole house to match the preferences of someone else who thinks it's their place to say they want the house at a specified temperature.