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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu that I should be at work as I can’t from home? (Cleaner)

97 replies

dibdobs · 07/04/2020 19:15

Hi please be kind! I work thirty hours weekly for a family in their country house. When the partial lockdown started my partner asked me not to go to work as he is 63 and a diabetic with high blood pressure. However I can’t stop worrying I will lose my job if I don’t go and on the government website it just says to go to work if you can’t work at home. To me my work isn’t essential but I’m worried they may replace me. So feel I should go back but keep my distance from the family? Just looking for genuine advice really as I o don’t know what I’m meant to do.

OP posts:
Loooobyloo · 07/04/2020 20:26

@Windyatthebeach so you go to clean for the B & B where the owner has NHS staff, you get it, then go to your next client they get it, they then go out and so on and so on...

Can't you afford to at least afford to give up for the B& B?!

PegasusReturns · 07/04/2020 20:31

I’m still paying my cleaner. At the moment with no expectation of anything in return but if this goes on I might ask that she consider “crediting” me some extra hours when she comes back.

Goodness knows the house will need it!

luckylavender · 07/04/2020 20:43

@AllForAnEasyLife - I don't really understand why you think it's ok for your cleaner to come still. Staying at home, in your own home & not mixing households is crucial to stopping this virus.

Raffathebear · 07/04/2020 21:00

Op said I work thirty hours weekly for a family in their country house

Its a country home that requires 30 hours per week work. My understanding is that its huge enough to be out of the way from each other, doing outside work and that the family has another home which they may not evrn be living in.

The guidance isn't just that essential workers work here, its anyone who cant work from home.

You could offer to return but there is a chance you have been replaced as they didnt come back to you when you told them you wont come back.

feelinguseless78 · 07/04/2020 21:00

@Loooobyloo I'm certainly paying my cleaner. But DH and I are both getting a full time wage. If either of us had lost our job, or even DH be furloughed, we'd have to stop.

BellaVita · 07/04/2020 21:08

Our cleaner is self employed. We told her not to come but we would still pay her as we are still getting paid.

SE13Mummy · 07/04/2020 21:29

Our cleaner isn't coming at the moment but we're continuing to pay her because DH and I are continuing to be paid. It's the right thing to do in our position.

PuppyMonkey · 07/04/2020 21:34

You can’t work from home OP, that is true. But surely the lockdown also means you can’t go to someone else’s house?Confused

AllForAnEasyLife · 07/04/2020 21:40

Home carers are going into other people’s houses, same with supported living houses

PuppyMonkey · 07/04/2020 21:48

Yes, but that’s permitted under the lockdown rules isn’t it? A cleaner isn’t providing health care.

LaurieFairyCake · 07/04/2020 22:01

Yes, you're allowed to go to work as you can't work from home

Mixing households is the 'social distancing' rule - it's a social rule, not a work rule

People saying 'no mixing households' are not taking account of the work rule

Obviously it's better for you not to go as your partner is in a vulnerable group. So I wouldn't go if I were you.

But you are not prevented from going legally.

ceeveebee · 07/04/2020 22:14

I asked our cleaner not to come but am still paying her in full. Same with personal trainer, kid karate classes etc too. I want to support them and want a life to come back to! I appreciate I am lucky as on full pay and actually saving money (no travel, eating out or clothes shopping!)

roarfeckingroar · 07/04/2020 22:17

My cleaner is still coming. I go for a walk while she is here, we don't actually see each other. I can't really clean my house right now (pregnant, don't want to handle chemicals) and she needs the money too. Works for us. We speak via text and trust each other to say if we have any symptoms.

AlandAnna · 07/04/2020 22:36

I’m paying my cleaner while she can’t come.
I’m being paid and I respect her. I offered, she didn’t expect it at all.

Iloveplacentas · 07/04/2020 22:45

My cleaner offered to keep coming and I did think about it as I’m still working full time abs have 4 young DC and ADHD DH making a huge mess. The cleaning is constant abs my standard are not even high. But in the end I couldn’t let her come. I’m NHS and would be putting her at risk. I paid her 3 months in advance, if lock down ends she can come as normal. She’s a very good cleaner and has been coming to us for years.

Shopkinsdoll · 07/04/2020 23:16

roarfeckingroar
You do know that when your pregnant you are allowed to clean and use a bottle of bleach or disinfectant? Even water and vinigar 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

saraclara · 07/04/2020 23:56

People can continue going to work if they are unable to work from home. Cleaners are unable to work from home, so can continue to work

Yes. The OP goes to work in ONE PLACE. Just as anyone else who goes to work..and as I said before, she probably sees virtually no-one while she's there (unlike most people who go to work)

Why are people so fixated on her place of work being someone's home, as opposed to a factory floor or an office, or a school?
They'd have a point if she was a casual cleaner doing a couple of hours each in fifteen homes a week. But she's in one place for 30 hours, and the fact that it's a domestic residence has no relevance at all.

ClapForCats · 08/04/2020 00:08

roarfeckinroar

You can be infectious and have C 19 without showing any symptoms, so your idea that you tell one another you're okay is a nonsense.

Also - you can still clean your house when you're pregnant FFS.

Loooobyloo · 08/04/2020 05:24

I've told a few clients who still wanted me to go that I couldn't. A few have lots of carers coming in and out. One has family (well used to) in and out. So am I ok to tell them I can now come if they still want? As some of you are suggesting it's fine.

Kinneddar · 08/04/2020 06:46

Loooobyloo . Why on earth would you want to put yourself at risk though. You're considering going to houses with multiple carers going in and out and another house where they're ignoring the rules. Why on earth would you want to step foot In their homes

ittakes2 · 08/04/2020 06:57

We asked our cleaners not to come but then after a month I was losing the battle so my cleaner came in for a day. She wore gloves and a mask (she was ok with this) and we opened all the windows and she worked on one floor while we stayed upstairs and then we swapped.
I won’t have her every week but I would consider her coming again to help as it helps our mental health having the house tidy and clean.
I have also given her an option of working on things outside the house like she is brillant at sorting, so is sorting in the garage a whole pile of clothes and shoes we have not worn for a while.
We are living in savings but trying to keep her on for half the time as she is a good cleaner and a single mother.
Good cleaners are hard to find so if the family is happy with you I am sure they will want you back when this is all over.

vanillandhoney · 08/04/2020 07:02

Lots of people giving poor advice here.

You shouldn't be working in other people's homes unless that work is essential - eg, care work, emergency plumbing, gas safety checks etc.

Working in someone else's home in a non-essential capacity is against the current guidance. It's not the same as doing non-essential work out of the home.

And PP saying "well she wouldn't see the owners anyway" are spectacularly missing the point - she's going into their home and touching all sorts of surfaces, door handles etc unnecessarily.

Unless the occupant is disabled and needs you to clean for their wellbeing you shouldn't be doing it. I'm a dog walker/pet sitter and the advice is you should not be doing unnecessary work that involves you going into people's homes right now.

Loooobyloo · 08/04/2020 07:15

@kinneddar I don't and I won't. It's just a few PP are saying it's fine. People still aren't getting it, stay at home!

screwcovid19 · 08/04/2020 07:25

Why are people so fixated on her place of work being someone's home, as opposed to a factory floor or an office, or a school?
They'd have a point if she was a casual cleaner doing a couple of hours each in fifteen homes a week. But she's in one place for 30 hours, and the fact that it's a domestic residence has no relevance at all.

It is relevant though as the government have specifically advised against non essential workers in your home.

screwcovid19 · 08/04/2020 07:28

My cleaner is still coming. I go for a walk while she is here, we don't actually see each other. I can't really clean my house right now (pregnant, don't want to handle chemicals) and she needs the money too. Works for us. We speak via text and trust each other to say if we have any symptoms.

Do you think cleaning the house is somehow going to hurt your baby? Do you suffer from anxiety? If so surely your dh could do the cleaning?

We usually have a cleaner, she needs the money so we're still paying her. Dh and I are taking turns with the cleaning, I'm pregnant too btw.

As a pregnant woman you're even more meant to follow the advice. A prolonged fever could actually be harmful to your baby, cleaning the house couldn't. It's irrelevant if your cleaner would tell you if she had symptoms as she could potentially be infectious for up to 14 days before her symptoms.