To be annoyed the cleaner travelled abroad while we paid her not to clean?

[MaroonMacaron]

NC for this.

First of all, I know that I can’t ban anyone from travelling but I am annoyed and wondering if I have the right to be.

Our cleaner stopped coming at the beginning of lockdown. We continued to pay her weekly, I know some clients paid a proportion, some nothing at all. She was very grateful, said it was a huge help as she was skint.

As soon as lockdown lifted, she got on the plane to visit family in her home country (on the list with no need to quarantine).

All this time we’ve been super careful, not seen any grandparents, very little travel locally, let alone abroad (dh’s family is from Sweden and we’d love to visit but we are giving it more time). As I said, I know I can’t ban someone from travelling but then she’s clearly not that skint if she can afford plane tickets. I also think she has increased the risk to herself, and everyone she works for, by travelling at this time. I guess it doesn’t sit right with me that the money i was thinking was helping her through lockdown was actually funding her travelling.

YABU - she can spend her money any way she likes
YANBU - I would be annoyed as well

Good god, OP are you actually serious?! She isn't your slave to own, you have no right to judge or control how she spends or money just because you pay her. I honestly cannot believe you'd even post this.

YABU - she can spend her money any way she likes

OP, these are your own words!

Do you really think you should expect to have any control over how your cleaner spends her own money???

she can do what she wants when she wants, you're not her keeper.

Well I couldnt agree more.

When will those pesky poor people learn their place?! How dare she take your generosity at face value and not realise that actually it was a weekly reminder of her lowly status.

I'm amazed the airline allowed someone of such low social standing on their plane at all quite frankly. I'd be writing to them to complain.

Sounds like she'll be quarantining on unpaid leave to me.

Does your employer restrict how you spend your money OP?

YABU.

Why can't you now see grandparents? It's allowed as long as you've been safe/diligent/socially distanced during the period required.

Her family could have paid for her ticket. And if she's not currently cleaning for you how is she endangering you? Are you planning to have her back in the next week?

The way you’ve worded it makes you sound really unreasonable - you’ve chosen to pay her and it’s up to her how she spends her time and money.
But...
it depends whose decision it it that is not currently cleaning for you. If it’s yours yeah YABU. You can’t dictate what she does.
If it’s hers then I’d be annoyed that she’s not comfortable cleaning for me (when I am ok with her in the house) yet she’s going on a plane. In that case I’d stop paying her and find another cleaner

Once you pay her, the money is hers and how she spends it has NOTHING to do with you. YABVVVU.
So long as she is within government guidelines on travel it's really nothing to do with you at all.

You are being very unreasonable. She works for you and outside of the hours your paying her, her time is her own.

It's not 1820 fgs

You're.

Voice typing isn't my friend 🙄😂

I hate it when the servants don’t know their place

@Jaxhog

Sounds like she'll be quarantining on unpaid leave to me.

Are you serious or being sarcastic? Why would that be justified, she hasn't travelled anywhere that requires quarentine on return.

YABVU. You were silly enough to keep on paying her through lockdown despite her not providing you a service and that’s on you; she doesn’t owe you anything.

If I was that cleaner the first thing I would have done is gone to see my family.

That would of been my priority.
She must of found it really tough worrying about them and them about her.

@Jaxhog exactly, it’s ridiculous to expect someone to quarantine on unpaid leave for doing something perfectly within guidelines, whether that’s go to the pub, catch a bus, go to morrisons, or travel to a permitted country.

Just stop paying then. SE people usually don’t get paid if not providing a service. They have to take the downsides as well as the perks of being SE.

I thought paying cleaners during lockdown was a mad idea in the first place and said so on several threads about the subject. You can't pick and choose what they do with their time. I can see how it's annoying but cleaners were allowed to work during lockdown as long as proper precautions were in place.

Sorry i menat to agree with @GreytExpectations not jaxhog doh

Do you ask your employer what you are allowed to spend your wages on? No? YABU

The cheek of her! Having a life outside of your servitude. I would make her scrub your floors with her own toothbrush OP.

I cannot believe you posted this. YAB so U I sincerely hope you're a troll.

How DARE this woman live her life without getting your express permission.

You're unhinged.