To ask cleaner to wear a mask while cleaning

[Avocado1234]

Thinking about having our cleaner back. She said that she's not wearing a face mask in other families houses at the moment as it gets hot.

AIBU to ask her to have a face mask on while she cleans our house? (We will be out while she is here) If it's too much of an ask I might just postpone having her back until I'm more comfortable...

[Viviennemary]

If I was as worried as you about infection then I wouldn't allow anyone into my home at all. Even somebody wearing a mask can transmit germs.

[Jaxhog]

You are far more likely to be robbed by an untrustworthy cleaner than to catch Covid.

And I thought I was paranoid expecting them to wear a mask! On the other hand, theft is rather unlikely to kill me.

[callmeadoctor]

Ha, love it when an Op asks a question, then ignores 90% of opinion...............................

[welliesarefuntowear]

I don't have a cleaner, where I work which is a GP surgery I quite often see the cleaners. They don't wear masks when they enter the building but they do have to wear them when they clean the clinical rooms. Non clinical staff are not allowed in them and everyone who enters the premises eg, patients, carers now has to wear a face mask. You are absolutely not being unreasonable. She is working in your home.

[moofolk]

Pretty out of order to sack someone for this.

Transmission is very unlikely in the situation you describe and as she is cleaning then more likely to catch from you than give to you.

[CrowdedHouseinQuarantine]

The cleaner where I work is now wearing one, the advise being to wear one if other people are around

[Tsubasa1]

Yab V u

[KindKylie]

YABU

A) for asking her to wear a mask while carrying out a ohysicly demanding job, when you are not there. It's not in the guidance and it's of unclear benefit since you will be out of the house

B) you are incredibly unreasonable to replace her with no warning and stop paying her with no notice, because she doesn't comply with your workplace requirements. She's had no warning and there is no formal guidance to say she has to wear ppe, so she's lost income for failing a test you devised at no notice and with no discussion.

The new cleaner has been selected on mask-wearing agreement alone - not my main criteria in a person I'm allowing into my house tbh.

[cologne4711]

If nobody is in the house why on earth would a cleaner wear a mask

Exactly.

And covid isn't spread in the air - why are people still claiming this? It is complete nonsense. No wonder so many of you are so anxious if you believe it's hanging around in the air like radioactivity. It isn't! Go and read a robust fact checker and stop believing what you read on Facebook!

[BatShite]

I could understand this if you were there when she cleans.

My friend let a cleaner go last week for refusing to wear a mask though. I found it very harsh as the woman said she would wear one (even though shes not in the house at same time) if it made friend feel better, howevr shes been told NOT to wear one by her doctor as she has breathing issues. So she was willing to comply with the (quite unreasonable) request but she medically couldn't and lost a job because of it.

I did wonder vaguely about someone with severe breathing problems being a cleaner to begin with though, surely the amount of stuff they sue would be bad for her?! But I guess thats her choice again.

[Catastrofuck]

welliesarefuntowear In what way is a home like a GP surgery?

[NotIncandescentWithRage]

@holidaydisaster2020

Thank you everyone for your comments. This matter is now sorted.

I have NO idea why you posted in AIBU since you were convinced from the outset that you were right and have steadfastly ignored any other opinions. Very frustrating thread

This with bells on.

But the op has shut the thread down now so it’s not open for discussion by her again.

[JRUIN]

That would make as much sense as your cleaner asking YOU to wear a mask in your home at all times before she agrees to enter it. Why do you think the risk of you catching covid off of her is greater than her catching it from a member of your household?

[BillywilliamV]

Can someone explain exactly what the risk is that we think the mask will be mitigating in this case? Presumably the OP will not be within breathing distance of the cleaner at any point?

[Daisydoesnt]

OP I understand if you are feeling anxious, but surely the risk isn't in her breath but in her touching things? Yes of course I'm sure she washes her hands when she arrives etc but we all touch our faces, eyes, rub our noses many, many times an hour and is she is at risk of spreading it to you, she's much more likely to do so by touching things - which she will be inevitably doing. Surfaces, the vacuum, all the cleaning products bottles, light switches, surfaces, doors and handles, everything in your bathroom and kitchen... it goes on!

I think you are entirely focusing on the wrong thing!!

[AntiHop]

As you are out, I don't see the point. The cleaner at my office isn't wearing a mask, even though there's people in the office.

[Mumto1andthetinybun]

Have you tried cleaning (the level of cleaning at the speed you expect your cleaner to do) while wearing a mask?
I work in community care and right now we are having to so some cleaning for clients as they can't have cleaners back due to shielding and it's really hard to breath when you're rushing about and doing physical work.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

I think YABU especially as you are out when she’s there.

[Rockbird]

YABVU to sack someone over this. If you were there it might be different.

I have great admiration for anyone who can tolerate a mask. I wore one on my first trip out to Homebase this week and it gave me the heebee geebies. I felt like I couldn't breathe, I got sweaty and panicky and couldn't wait to get back to the car. Wearing them is essential in lots of circumstances and that's fine but I can see why you wouldn't want to wear one unnecessarily.