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?

She’s clearly not working hard enough to work up a swear (joking!).

Sweat

Agree with pp an overheated office is miserable

Put the heating up to 20 while she's there. So long as she's comfortable, she won't complain. 16 is certainly too cold. As people have said, you could also turn it off an hour before she is due to leave.

I stand behind a till for seven hours a day. Right beside a set of automatic opening doors. My working temperature is nowhere near 13 degrees most of the time - I just wear lots and lots of clothes.

Company doesn't care whether I'm cold or not, although the customers often do!

If the cleaner is cold, then they're aren't working hard enough.

I value my cleaner. While 22 might seem too warm, I'd never expect anyone to work in my house at 16 degrees.

We all feel cold and heat differently. I would be really cold in a house at that temperature. My thermostat is set at 20.

I don't know if you're in or out when the cleaner visits, but I'd turn the thermostat up for a couple of hours, or show her where it is and tell her to turn it up, and then down again when she leaves.

Expecting someone who is doing something in your house to put up with cold, is petty and unkind.

Expecting someone who is doing something in your house to put up with cold, is petty and unkind.

Agreed. Plenty of it on this thread though.

16 is too cold for me. 18 should be about right for activity but 22 is too warm. So I’d suggest around 19 or 20 at a push.

Legal guidance by the HSE is that a workplace should be 16°c (or 13°c if the work involves rigorous physical effort ). 22°c is seriously taking the piss. Tell them politely to jog on...

So many posters on here saying how many degrees is too hot or too cold...the point is whether this particular cleaner feels cold or not!
I don’t think it would be unreasonable to put the heating on/turn it up for an hour before she arrives, then turn it down/off when she leaves. I think it is BU to expect someone to work in uncomfortable conditions, be it too hot or in this case, too cold.

YABU. Your house is her workplace and she’s entitled to work in a comfortable environment. If you don’t want to provide a comfortable environment (and heating is a basic), then clean your own house!

Or get a cleaner that doesn't need the heating at a ridiculously high temperature?

Why should OP clean her own house! Just because one cleaner in 10 years is BU? You should quite jealous.

It’s not a personal service though, unlike the Airbnb mentioned by po, and asking for 22 is taking the p

By pp

I’m not sure it would be possible to heat my house to 22 degrees. It’s a period properly with high ceilings and huge windows. We’d have to modernise our heating system/install a huge amount of wood burners to hit 22 in the dead of winter.

If OP is working from home and 22 is too hot for her, then why does the cleaners preference take precedence? OP is paying for a service. She shouldn't be made uncomfortable in her own house.
Turning it up a bit is reasonable but being dictated to by the cleaning company is not!

I wonder if this thread would get the same responses if it wasn't just a lowly cleaning asking for a better working environment???

BusterGonad the point is that 22 degrees is a ridiculous minimum to set, not that the cleaner is BU in generally asking for it to be a bit warmer. So yes, I think you’d get her same responses if it was a senior manager in an office asking for a 22 minimum.

No. Why would it? I've worked in a few professional firms, and there's no way any of them were that hot. And these were offices, with everyone sitting down.

I think it's unreasonable to expect to you to heat the house to 22 degrees, and I'm not sure where they got that figure. The H&SE advises:

During working hours the temperature in all indoor workplaces must be reasonable.
There’s no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures, eg when it’s too cold or too hot to work.

However, guidance suggests a minimum of 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work.

There’s no guidance for a maximum temperature limit.

Why would it? I've worked in a few professional firms, and there's no way any of them were that hot

They weren't 16 either.

I think 19 is a reasonable compromise.

I'd be worried she was sat down and not cleaning if she needs it that warm. Offices are warmer as people don't move.

If you're a cleaner, working in lots of different houses, it's part of your job that you "cope" with what the majority of people consider to be a reasonable temperature to clean in. I don't think you've a leg to stand on if you ask for anything above 18 degrees. If you're cold, wear a vest, fgs.

Doubt it @BusterGonad I would t want to work in 22 degrees and the OP
works from home and doesn't want to either.

*wouldn't want to