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.

I think you’re being too nice, in a good way 😊

Surely collecting the self employed furlough and being paid like this must be benefit fraud?

I’ll be amazed if you see her again but ffs stop paying

Yep. I will not be employing a cleaner because there appears to be an expectation that they can check out of protection provided by paying taxes, and expect their employers to make it up. I’ve seen people lambasted for not paying their cleaners at home. I don’t want any part of that. No cleaners for me, it’s my choice after all.

There is no way I'd be paying her through lockdown after one clean! She's taking the piss. Ask her for a start date and if its not within the next fortnight, move on.

• lambasted for not paying their cleaners to sit at home

Pleasepass - yes I understand the go to work if you can point, but I didn't think it applied to non-essential work in people's homes. Why then are we all not allowed to hang out in each other's houses? Its still a health risk that isn't essential really isn't it? I could understand if it was for an older person who couldn't cope on their own.

I was discussing this with a friend the other day who was having builders come into her home. Seemed risky to me and not in the spirit of the rules for non-essential work.

@TryAnotherNickname

No it’s not fraud, just like being employed on furlough and being paid by someone else isn’t fraud unless your Contract of Employment specifically states you must not take work elsewhere.

The SEISS grant may help the cleaner.

She clearly has been taking the mickey out of OP so on that basis, I would not take her back.

We paid our cleaner through lock down. She came back two weeks ago and did extra hours. Then she broke her arm in two places and has had it pinned. We will be paying her until she comes back. She has been devastated by this but we can deal with it.

You've been very kind - time to ask for a set date or move on. She must have been counting her lucky stars after only a week cleaning your house to have been paid through lockdown. It's fair enough if she isn't comfortable going back to work yet, but she shouldn't expect to keep being paid, then.

I’d stop paying her and look for someone else, it’s unlikely she’s ever coming back.

I’ve had a cleaner for years - a woman runs it and she has a couple of employees. I haven’t paid since she stopped coming, mainly because it didn’t occur to me and I wouldn’t have known how to. I pay her in cash which she collects when she comes to the house (her choice). If I had a standing order and paid into her bank account I wouldn’t have stopped it, but she has always just wanted cash.
OP I suspect you may find your cleaner returns when you say you’ll stop paying.

We had ours for one session too, but haven't paid them since. DH is shielding. When we feel safer I will ask them if they can come back. If not I'll find someone else! I certainly wouldn't have paid someone I didn't have a long term relationship with

I didn't agree with paying cleaners during the lockdown in the first place. They should have claimed furlough. It has now put you in a difficult position. That must be the most expensive 4 hours cleaning ever. If people continue to pay her she has nothing to gain by coming back to work.

makingmammaries I’m with Northernsoullover

Take your judgement elsewhere. For the record I even put my cash payments onto my spreadsheets, into my SA302s and tax returns because I knew I’d need them for a mortgage.

So be quiet!

Stop paying her and get off your bum and clean your house yourself? Problem solved.

Surely collecting the self employed furlough and being paid like this must be benefit fraud?

Furlough isn’t a benefit. Even people who aren’t self employed and are furloughed are free to work elsewhere.

So you are paying someone for WORK THEY HAVE NOT DONE in the hope they will come back and work for you?

You have more money than sense.

I have been very surprised by the threads on Mn regarding cleaners, and people continuing to pay them.

My cleaner is self employed and completes a tax return, therefore furloughed her self, and returned once the green light came for cleaners to return.

Clearly cleaners who are taking money from their clients through out this, are cash in hand.

By continuing to pay, you are saying it’s okay to not pay tax. Our tax money right now is propping up the country, why should people work and not pay tax, it’s immoral.

I don’t know if it makes a difference, but she only wanted cash, so I actually haven’t paid her anything - I offered at the end of March for her to come by and collect the money for the month which she declined, saying she would get it when she comes back.
This makes me believe she is genuinely worried about the virus, not taking the piss!

So when you engaged the cleaner she told you that she would be unavailable for 2 weeks but inferred she would recommence work after that. Therefore a verbal contract was created for which you paid a retainer.

I would be writing to her wanting all or part of that money back otherwise taking her to the county court for the money owed.

Why are people so hostile about hiring a cleaner?

I can understand paying her when she couldn’t come for reasons outside her control. I did this for a new cleaner. She has been back for a month now.

Your cleaner is deciding not to come, so it’s absolutely okay to stop paying her.

In Wales we’re still not allowed to meet other people indoors so there’s no way we’ll be having our cleaner back until the lockdowns is considerably more relaxed.
I still don’t consider it safe to have someone in my house who is going to a considerable number of other houses.
We’ve been paying 50% from the week before lockdown.

I would not have carried on paying someone for months who only came once. If she had been working for you for a while, then that would be fair, but after one clean ? She is taking advantage of you.