WWYD Cleaner still not back

[PleasePassTheCoffeeThanks]

I need some advice please! I hired a new cleaner shortly before lockdown, highly recommended by a friend, she came one time, did a great job. Fair hourly rate. All good, scheduled to do 4h/week.

Then the week after that she sent a group text to all her clients saying she was self isolating for two weeks. Fair enough, I sent her a message to say we would continue to pay her.
This was almost 3 months ago... I asked her two weeks ago if she believed she would be back soon and she said yes in a week, then the next week came and she said actually she is not comfortable taking the train so doesn’t want to come back yet. She has other clients in my neighborhood and I know she doesn’t clean for them either.

WWYD? I don’t really want to continue paying her to stay at home when the guideline is to go to work if you can’t WFH. I don’t want to go without a cleaner for longer, I hate cleaning the house and work hard do be able to afford to have someone do it for me. But then I don’t want to loose her as she seemed really good.

Speak to her, ask for a fixed return date and tell her if she can’t commit to it then you’ll need to find a new cleaner and stop paying her. Sounds like she’s taking the Mickey a bit.

Yeah, and for anyone who needs a haircut, cut your own bloody hair.

🙄

OP, I agree with Monty's approach

I wouldn’t have been paying her through lockdown if she’d only just started with you. Have you worked out how much you’ve paid her versus how many hours she’s worked?

@BananaChocolateLump lol

I’m shocked you’ve carried on paying her so long tbh.

She’s (understandably) going to choose to stay home while getting paid as long as possible.

Tell her you can’t keep paying for no service so will stop paying immediately. Say she should let you know when she’s working again and if you haven’t already found a new cleaner you’ll be happy to have her back.

@BananaChocolateLump it’s not always that simple , I’m in a similar situation and disabled plus working full time at home - having a cleaner is my way of coping with all that that plus running a home.

eatsleepread

Yeah, and for anyone who needs a haircut, cut your own bloody hair.

Hair cutting is beyond the skill of most people and comes with some consequences if done badly.

Everyone can lift a finger to clean their house and it's hard to get wrong.

OP, stop being a doormat, get rid of your cleaner and hire a new one.

Stop paying her , I haven’t paid my cleaner as while I was happy for her to come childcare issues made that not possible

You've continued to pay her all this time? After having her once? Bloody hell op. I think she's absolutely taking the Michael.

To clarify, she’s only cleaned for you once before lockdown ?

I know @Twooter but both DH and I are still on full pay so it seemed fair. Plus I didn’t know it was going to last such a long time...

@BananaChocolateLump

Hi! I have an amazing idea for you that will really help you!

Clean your own bloody house.

Hth.

You're a veritable genius.

Argh I sound like a mug don’t I...

I think at this point I’ll ask for a fixed date to return and find someone else if she can commit to that.

I think it was very silly to pay her when she wasn’t providing you a service.

You just need to be firm. Let her know that you understand if she doesn’t feel ready to come back, in which case you will withdraw the money, part ways and find a new cleaner.

Yes, clean your own house, sack your cleaner and... increase the unemployment rate? What on earth is wrong with people who have money distributing wealth via employment to those who have less? (Sorry, not relevant to the OP's question.)

Just send her a note saying you've had to review finances and unfortunately can only pay for services provided. Would love for her to come back but if can't you will need to find another cleaner.

I am not sure that someone who has only ever cleaned once for you, has really built up the relationship sufficiently to justify continuing to pay her.

It was a decent thing, to pay her for the original two weeks: I would now as PP suggested, be asking her to commit to a return date, and not continue to pay thereafter.

The only thing that would mitigate against it, would be how easy it would be to find a replacement. Good people are like gold dust around here. People only share contacts if the actually leave the area. If you just don't want the hassle of finding someone else, then I would go ahead. I would start to keep an eye out for any alternatives.

There may be people looking around for flexible employers.

So a cleaner has done 4 hours of decent cleaning in your home and you've paid her for 52 hours? Of course she is not going to come back until the money stops, she hardly knows you yet you've probably paid her more than clients she's had for years. It wouldn't surprise me if she has started going back to work already for people who chose not to pay her.

Have paid mine throughout but she has been coming throughout

I would give her a week's notice to come back or you will get someone else
@BananaChocolateLump
I could clean my own house (badly) but I choose to pay someone to do so

My rate is £210/hour so it makes financial sense to use my time to work which I am very good at rather than clean which I am very bad at

HTH

Sorry has been coming for years !

Yeah stop paying her.

@BananaChocolateLump If we all took that attitude to things we "could" do ourselves, alot of people would be out of a job!

Time to stop paying her. I would send one last message saying you would be happy for her to return on whatever date she is due her next clean but if she chooses not to attend then you will have to part ways. Make it clear she will only be paid next week if she turns up. She can wear a mask and travel on public transport etc. It's her choice not to do so.