To not put the heating on for the cleaner?

[Falcon1]

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?

I would sack her/them and find another cleaning co'.

I wouldn't have even thought about it, to be honest. Email arrives, response sent (don't come back), find another company.

Just me maybe, but I wouldn't mess around thinking about compromising.

DowntownAbbey: I wouldn't have even thought about it, to be honest.
I’m the opposite. I honestly wouldn’t have thought twice about turning on the heating for her.

Nothing to do with being a "lowly cleaner"
Some of us just don't believe anyone can take a job going to people's homes and the start dictating the way they heat their houses (just like someone going from office to office wouldn't be reasonable to dictate the temperature they want each office to be at)

I agree - though we do have some hot house flowers at work who are vehement in wanting standard office temperatures increased to bikini. Weather

Would it really hurt to meet in the middle at 20 though? The more I read here the more I see 'entitlement' and 'rights' and the less I see 'person'

It's not the cleaners fault, or indeed anything to do with her work request, that your office radiator is faulty. In fact by using that as an excuse you are practically saying if it wasn't faulty the cleaner could have the hearing on.

She is a person too, doing a job. Turn it up a bit and take the chill off the air for her.

Comments like...

If she’s cold at 18 whilst cleaning she obviously isn’t working hard enough!

...are ridiculous. People can and do feel cold when moving about. It had absolutely no reflection on how hard they are working.

Aridane
I know the type.
There's always people at either extreme who think the world revolves around their preferences.

The ones who really confuse me are the ones who are almost never. In october they spend a large amount of time during prep time complaining about how awful the school heating is (when it's 10 degrees outside and inside is 19ish and most people are fine), but by March when it's the same temperatures will decide that the air con needs to blow a gale because"it's just so hot I can't concentrate". I think they love an excuse to sit and complain.

To those saying just put the heating on, what would you say if the cleaner was working for a disabled person on a limited income, who couldn't 'just put the heating on' as they couldn't afford it?

@OlaEliza

What's the point in your 'what if'?

It's irrelevant. This thread is about this OP and this cleaner and this situation.

I think that most people would turn the heating up a bit if their cleaner was cold and asked. I don't believe that anyone wants a guest in their home to be uncomfortable. But there is a big difference between being asked politely by the cleaner and getting a snotty email on their behalf from the cleaning company. The latter is bound to piss people off and result in a resounding fuck off.

So many people in businesses and have absolutely no idea how to communicate effectively . It should be obvious that if you want a specific result, it helps to ask politely and not be shitty from the get go.

In = run. Bloody phone!

@Aderyn19

The cleaner doesn't speak English so had to go through her employer.

I know she doesn't, but the employer ought to realise that there are ways to phrase a request that won't piss off the client. Being demanding, when you are talking about something that happens in the client's house, isn't the best approach.
They've basically ruined a successful working arrangement and the OP can't even speak with the cleaner directly.

Wow, lots of responses and pretty divided!

To answer a few questions:
My cleaner is from Bulgaria, so not used to tropical temperatures.
The house at the time was at 18 degrees, not 16, hence why the heating wasn't on. I was genuinely comfortable just wearing a long t-shirt so it never even occurred to me that the cleaner might be cold.

However, now that I know, I will ensure she's more comfortable when she's cleaning the house. I'm not going to sack her - it's the company I'm annoyed with. I responded to their email saying that I will ensure the heating is on when the cleaner here, but not so it gets to 22 degrees as I think that's uncomfortably hot. I think 19/20 is reasonable.

And to the poster who accused me of never having cleaned my own house when it's 16 degrees - I have hundreds of time thank you! I honestly don't find 16 degrees cold, especially when I'm rushing around cleaning. But regardless, it wasn't 16 when the cleaner was here, it was 18.

OK I notice you're putting the heating on. Great.

I can't fucking believe that posters were suggesting you sack her. What is wrong with some people.

It's once a week for a couple of hours. Jesus!

To all of you saying she shouldn't be cold when cleaning, moving about, doing physical work, I've just run 11 miles and I was cold even with thermals and layers so that puts an end to that stupid argument, or perhaps I need to run faster?

Honestly, if you are lucky enough to afford a cleaner, then the least you can do is provide a comfortable working enviroment, or clean the house yourself

You could agree to it then say you’ll be paying the company less to cover your increased heating costs.

@Gil9 how bitter are you because another "woman" has a cleaner! Never mind she should do it herself, what about the whole family does it between them? I presume you are the done cleaner in your house, hence the bitterness?

*the sole cleaner

If it was my place I think I would have put the heating on at 21. [santa]

We usually have the house at 30, I’d be cold at 18.

@Lolwhat 30!!!! That's so hot 🥵

Re Spanglydangly. I find it very strange that you latched onto my comment ignng the bitchier remarks. You are assuming that I am not one of the LUCKY ones. I have everything I need in life, and can afford to pay for anything I want so bitter, certainly not, just thinking of the plight of others. I know I.m fortunate. I was involved in both Management and Health and Safety in the workplace, so I automatically think of the employee before the employer. Do I need to apologise for THAT?????

. Do I need to apologise for THAT?????

Try anger management 😂?

@Lolwhat

Are you serious? 30 is roasting hot. Your house must be really stuffy and uncomfortable.

I accidentally turned mone to 22.5 the other day and I was sitting thinking "my goodness, it's really quite warm in here" before I checked the temp setting.

Re Spanglydangly. I.m not angry, but I seem to be getting a rise out of you. Ask yourself why??? I really thought I.d explained my reasoning to you. Is it because you found yourself on the back footing, as in 'She.s not in the least bitter, I got it wrong ' Maybe you just enjoy arguing. I don.t!!