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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give £100 Xmas bonus to cleaner

299 replies

AlorMy · 17/12/2019 16:36

Usually pay her £25 a week.

She’s been cleaning my home about 8 months so first Xmas.

I’m thinking of £100. Is that too much? Not enough?

YABU = too little
YANBU = anything else (just right/too much)

OP posts:
Interestedwoman · 18/12/2019 18:52

@Bimmy76 'If she’s self-employed the minimum wage doesn’t apply.'

Maybe so. I would think it unethical to pay someone less than the minimum it's said most people should have to legally work for, though.

I'm disabled and unable to work, I live on a low fixed income but when I have to hire a cleaner, I pay them at least the minimum wage.

burntpinky · 18/12/2019 18:55

I bought mine a box of hotel chocolat chocs last year and wrapped it up beautifully. Shed only been cleaning for us for 2 months. We then discovered a few weeks later she’d been lying to us about how long she was cleaning for - telling us 2 hours (and we were paying for 2 hours) when she’d only been here 45 mins. We then discovered she was doing the same to two sets of friends of ours and that her son had been doing some of our cleans without our knowledge/consent.

Interestedwoman · 18/12/2019 18:56

@purplebunny2012 I mean the minimum wage for those old enough to qualify for what's called the 'living wage,' obviously. That is the minimum wage for most people- those over 25. It's pretty good tbh. I was a cleaner before the minimum a.k.a living wage (it was renamed) was raised, when it was £6 or less.

listsandbudgets · 18/12/2019 18:58

We give a weeks pay and a nice box of biscuits or chocolate

Lou12124 · 18/12/2019 19:01

Can I please come clean your house!!!

Milsplus3 · 18/12/2019 19:02

Sorry about change of subject but those saying cleaners shouldn’t get under £10 I work for a cleaning business where they charge £12 an hour but pay us £8 is this normal?
Back to subject I think you’re very generous I’d be grateful for anything this time of year your cleaner will be chuffed

PegasusReturns · 18/12/2019 19:05

Can I ask how much people spend on their partners /husbands/wives?

My cleaner definitely doesn’t do as well as my DH!

Bimmy76 · 18/12/2019 19:06

Interested woman, I was responding to you saying that it was illegal.

neverornow · 18/12/2019 19:06

If you can afford it then go for it! It's very generous and I'm sure she'll be really grateful!

ginghamstarfish · 18/12/2019 19:07

Ridiculous! Many folks would struggle to spend that much on a family member or best friend at Christmas! Seems a little boastful really to be asking such a question ....

PigeonInTheLoft · 18/12/2019 19:21

Fuckin hell! 100 quid?! Shock

I'm a cleaner. A bloody good one as well. I never get any complaints. Have never lost a client. Have got quite close to my clients and tend to do more than I'm paid to. I'm also very competitively priced and despite knowing I'm worth more than I charge I still haven't upped my prices. My clients are all wealthy with cars and homes and lifestyles I can only dream of, so I buy my clients fancy expensive chocs, wine and gifts for their kids, as I'm all too aware they don't consume 'cheap shit' from Lidl like me

Do you know what I've received this year from my clients?

2 x bottle of supermarket own brand cheapest prosecco
A tiny packet of out of date biscuits
3 x miniature pots of supermarket own chutney

The rest didn't get me anything. Only 2 even bothered to give me a card.

One client was out while I did her last clean before xmas. Her house is very 'lived in' a shithole I go twice a week and it's a bloody slog every single time. I left a lovely card and beautifully wrapped bag of gifts for her, her family and dogs on her kitchen counter.... I haven't even had a text to say thank you. Absolutely nothing.

OP, your cleaner is lucky to have you as a client. VERY lucky!

NoProblem123 · 18/12/2019 19:22

If you think it’s the right amount then it’s the right amount.
Wish you were my boss !

CountFosco · 18/12/2019 19:23

Lets forget for a moment that she is a cleaner.

You've given her a bonus of one month's salary. DH (as a software engineer) has received a month's salary as a bonus (years ago, it was fab!). My bonuses are usually about 1 weeks worth (I'm a scientist). I'd say it's highish but within the normal range of Christmas bonuses.

Now, lets get back to the cleaner. She is on (at best) the minimum wage and may not even get that when you factor in travel time and probably working PT. If you can afford it and think she's worth it give her £100. Because frankly £100 to a cleaner will make far more difference to her and her family than DH getting a month's salary bonus made to us with two good salaries.

I gave my cleaner £60 and we normally pay her £45 a week. And she is working over Christmas as well.

PigeonInTheLoft · 18/12/2019 19:27

Now, lets get back to the cleaner. She is on (at best) the minimum wage

Not if she's self employed

I'm a self-employed cleaner. I'm competitively priced and definitely not the most expensive for the area I work in. But I'm earning well above NMW p/h.

CasparBloomberg · 18/12/2019 19:28

We currently pay our lovely cleaner £10p/h but at the start of last year offered to give her a pay rise which she refused. She is so wonderful for us, always doing little thoughtful things that cost her nothing but mean so much to us. So, we’ve been putting aside the weekly pay rise anyway and just gave it to her as an extra large Christmas bonus which she was completely made up by.
Having good people in your life who you trust, they’re worth their weight in gold.

CountFosco · 18/12/2019 19:29

I work for a cleaning business where they charge £12 an hour but pay us £8 is this normal?

Minimum wage has been £8.21 since April (was under £8 before that), if they haven't been paying you the correct amount you should speak to CAB maybe to find out what you can do.

angelfacecuti75 · 18/12/2019 19:42

God I gave mine a tin of biscuits.
The only reason I have her is because I've got pip and a disability....so we aren't made of money x

Themadcleaner · 18/12/2019 19:49

19:21PigeonInTheLoft
Oh thats awful, id be looking to replace a lot of your customers over next year! Even a nice card with a nice message and a small token of appreciation makes a real difference to morale and goodwill. Id be really upset if i didnt at least feel appreciated x

rededucator · 18/12/2019 19:52

ZforZack you mean a hundred in total? Split between how many?

NamedyChangedy · 18/12/2019 20:01

We gave £100 last year as we didn't have her for two weeks anyway, so half was in lieu of pay (she only gets paid when she works). I think it's a nice thing to do if you can afford it and she's a good cleaner!

SpoonBlender · 18/12/2019 20:05

Generous (not saying don't do it!). I gave mine £50, for a £35-every-fortnight job.

SpoonBlender · 18/12/2019 20:06

Pigeon Time to start ditching your crap clients!

Realitea · 18/12/2019 20:06

I got a £100 bonus last Easter and it was absolutely amazing. Totally unexpected and made a big difference to me, clearing my overdraft.
Your cleaner will really appreciate it, believe me.

Exploring · 18/12/2019 20:29

I've been to half of my houses this week. I've had one box of roses. My week off is my present to myself.

SewButtons · 18/12/2019 20:29

We are paying our cleaner for her week off next week, plus another weeks wages, so £50. If I could afford £100 though I would give it to her, she is amazing and makes such a difference to our lives.
If you can afford it then go for it.

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