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.

Your update dripfeed changes everything.

You haven't paid her and she hasn't returned.

In your OP she mentioned shielding - if she is in fact shielding she won't be able to clean your house for some time, as the shielded can only meet one person outside their household.

And as she is not relying on your money, because unlike your suggestion that you've paid her, you actually haven't so you have no right to demand she starts back.

If she is a good cleaner and these are hard to find in your area, being nice will decrease your chances of her dumping you as a client. If you've got her from good recommendations then she clearly is usually reliable and doesn't want to risk travelling on public transport just to clean your house.

You also mentioned that she won't be in the same room as you - but if she is cleaning all of your rooms, including bathroom/bedroom then this still puts her at risk of contracting the virus. This will be the same for all of her clients who may have had the virus.

Rhubarbcrumblerules. How are you employed? People who work cash in hand have been caught out because they aren’t eligible for any income support from the government. That’s who you should be complaining* about not one of your customers

I have paid my cleaner in full as she has worked for me for well over ten years and I really like her but as someone who is self employed she should be able to claim gov. support.

Just caught up with drip feed.. sorry got called away half way through posting and took a while to get back.

If you've not paid her.. then just find another cleaner. Shes cleaned for you once, you owe her nothing really and vice versa

Ok, I have followed the advice and sent her a text asking if she can be there next week and letting her know that if not then I’ll have to find someone else.
Thanks everybody!

@LabradorGalore so what do you suggest I do? I agree with what you are saying, I just don’t know what this means for me.

[quote PleasePassTheCoffeeThanks]@LabradorGalore so what do you suggest I do? I agree with what you are saying, I just don’t know what this means for me.[/quote]
I think it means you need to wait for it to be safe for her to work or find someone else. It’s not rocket science.

While paying her or not?

But you’re not paying her.

Ok let me rephrase: when she comes back do I pay her the time she didn’t work?
I was prepared to do that for a reasonable amount of time, not 3+ months, hence my post.

I consider I’m paying her in the sense that I owe her the money, the fact that she doesn’t want a bank transfer and hasn’t collected the cash doesn’t change it. Same as an employed person: on the 15th of the month you haven’t been paid but your employer owes you the money.

She’s going to turn up once (when it suits her) collect the lump sum of “back pay” amd then you will never see her again

Ok let me rephrase: when she comes back do I pay her the time she didn’t work?

Yes, because you told her you would and you didn’t put a time limit on it. That’s unfortunately your lookout and you need to suck it up.

But why @Hoppinggreen? Why wouldn’t she want to continue working? Pre-covid she was looking for work. And the friend who recommended her had her clean for her for years so no reason to think she is unreliable.

She might have other work.
The way it stands at the moment is you are going to give her a lump sum for doing nothing, after that she’s under no obligation to keep working for you
There’s helping a valued employee through a difficult time and then there’s being taken for a mug.

@heartsonacake I think so as well. I will pay the time until now regardless of her being able to come back next week, as this is what I said. She didn’t ask for it so unfair for me to change the rules now. But I won’t pay anything more until she comes back (hopefully next week!)

Yeah, fingers crossed she’s just anxious about returning to work rather than a cheeky fucker 🤞

I think I'd give her the money for the number of weeks to the end of lockdown. Which was what 4 weeks ago??

Beyond that she could have come to work. If she is cash in hand their is a fair bet cleaning isn't her only source of income.

I haven't read this all, but you, OP, are wonderful, but paying someone for three months at home when they only worked for you for one day is over and above any kind of moral duty.

We have a cleaner. She's finally coming back Monday. Couldn't be happier if I'm honest. I'm very poorly. So can't do much and my husband wfh up to 60 hrs a week. We also have w big house to clean.

I offered to pay my cleaner during lockdown. But she refused. She was furloughed with the self employing.

She's a very good cleaner. She's amazing. Without my money. She can't eat. So we help each other. She's also phenomenal at her job and I'd do anything to keep her really.

Thank you @Coyoacan I really felt it was the right thing to do.

OP, I would not pay her.
She only did one shift for you. She hasn't been in touch with you to discuss returning to work/whether you need her to stay off or return/make a plan with you.
She also hasn't provided you with any bank details to pay her. You surely can't just put her weekly pay in an envelope and keep it for her until she comes back ?? Paying someone during lockdown is so they have the money to help them manage with bills and costs.
I wouldn't pay her now. Doesn't matter what you said to her.
If she's not coming back next week, find another cleaner and tell her you have. She won't come back to you for that money - she wasn't entitled to it.

I wouldn't pay her now. Doesn't matter what you said to her.

Junenamechange Wow. I could never respect anyone who wasn’t a man of their word.

She did one clean and you've paid her for 3 months of no work?! Wow, you are incredibly generous and within your rights to stop payment at least.

Get an agency cleaner until yours is able to work that way they can just find the person new work when you no longer need the services

I would stop paying her now! I'd cleaned for some of my clients for 8+ years before lockdown and they didn't continue paying me and I wouldn't have wanted them to becuase I would have had to go back to them

She's taking the piss.

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

Hardly serious consequences though are they? Not like medicine, or teaching, or pharmacy for example.