AIBU to think that my boss shouldn’t be asking me to clean her house if we are quiet in work?

[SallyGee1]

I’m a hairdresser working in a salon run from my bosses house. If we have a cancellation in the day she’ll ask me to do some cleaning jobs in her house, these can range from dishes, hoovering, cleaning her family bathroom, cleaning windows etc. I oblige because I need this job and scared of being replaced but I’m starting to feel taken advantage of as I’m employed as a hairdresser not a cleaner. I’m more than happy to clean the salon in between clients but is being asked to clean her house taking the pee a bit?

What?! This is crazy?! Of course you shouldn’t be doing any of that, what does your contract say?

Massively, massively taking the piss. Is the salon ‘in’ her house or is her house the salon? So can you reasonably separate the two and say ‘My workplace is the salon and I’m happy to keep it customer-ready, but the rest of the house is your private space and I don’t want to go in it’?

This cannot be for real. Why on earth didn't you laugh her off the first time she suggested you be a free housekeeper for her? Genuinely one of the barmiest things I've read on here.

That’s shocking! Surely your contract says what you’re employed to do?

You are expected to do a little more than your job role in any job and if you are “working from home” aka her house then being asked to clean is like being asked to sweep the floor of the salon so YABU. I wouldn’t do dishes though unless you eat and drink there.

Sounds really cheeky to me!

Maybe you should sit with her and agree a list of your duties. I agree she'd taking the piss but also she presumably is paying you for the time you have no work so I don't think it's unreasonable that she adds duties to ensure you have a full work day but what is acceptable/unacceptable should be agreed in advance.

This is shocking. She is taking advantage of you and exploiting you.

She's being hugely unreasonable (so are a couple of posters!!)

You're not employed as her house cleaner!

Have you considered being a mobile hairdresser instead or just looking for a new job?

This is more common than people realise. If you are working from your home, I am assuming you use her toilet and her kitchen or dining facilities to make drinks / food? If so these areas could arguably be part of the business. I'm guessing she pays you to do this, so if you weren't doing these things for her, what else would you be doing? Are you contracted to work a certain amount of hours? Would the alternative be taking an unpaid break?

When I was a teen I had a job washing up in a restaurant on quiet days she got my to vacuum the stairs of her flat upstairs and one time wash the crockery and cutlery her son took to university with him. I did it it as I didn't feel I could refuse, but had nothing but contempt for her son and her parenting that "the restaurant staff" did that job for him. I was working to fund my own university visit!

No way should you be regularly doing her housework during your works time. What if something happened to you or her house/possessions, surely that wouldn't be covered by her insurance?

I'd see the other side of it. She's not paying you to sit around. If there's lots of quiet times and you're refusing to do anything, she may decide it's not worth paying you at all .

You are getting paid ? Just do it.... Whilst I loathe cleaning, and you probably feel like you been used but if you are been paid then sorry but you need to just get on with it.

We don’t have a set break, just grab a snack when we can which is pretty much how the hairdressing industry works. I’m happy to clean the salon and where we prep colour and customer toilet but going upstairs to clean her family bathroom and her private quarters I feel is not my job to do

Meant to add you shouldn't be cleaning her house if you were the salon cleaner, the fact you are the hairdresser is disgraceful, she is massively taking the piss!

Next time she asks say you're more than happy to clean the salon or cover for her whilst she goes to do her own housework but you will not be used to do her housework.

Now there’s two ways you can look at this. On one hand it’s not part of your job description, so it does come across as cheeky and you have every right to refuse. On the other if there’s not enough clients coming in to get their hair done and you’ve got nothing to do, then your job may be at risk as it may make for sense to let you go than pay you for nothing. At least this will keep you ticking over until this latest shit show blows over and business picks up again. Neither of you are BU

I’m being paid as a hairdresser. Would you say the same to a Doctor if he had a spare half hour between patients?

@Veiaola

You are getting paid ? Just do it.... Whilst I loathe cleaning, and you probably feel like you been used but if you are been paid then sorry but you need to just get on with it.

So if you have a quiet afternoon in your own work, do you go and clean your boss' car? Hoover it, polish the bonnet? No, because that's bloody ridiculous. The boss is paying for a hairdresser and getting her own house taken care of for free. It's completely not on. Communal areas of the workplace, yes. If the OP uses the boss' toilet or kitchen as part of their work, yes. But not windows or the family bathroom inside out, that's actually pretty gross.

I read the title and I thought “I remember I got made to do stuff like this as a hairdressing apprentice”.... then I read you’re in the industry too. Wtf is with these people!

IT is cheeky, but if there’s not enough work for your hours, would you rather she reduced your hours? If so, you could suggest that maybe?

I think you would be reasonable to refuse and I don't think she would have much luck advertising for a "qualified hairdresser with domestic cleaning duties" but she may reduce your hours if the salon isn't busy enough to keep you in full time hairdressing. So that's the risk. Have the discussion rather than suffering in silence though.

It's cheeky, BUT is it a case of if you weren't doing anything, she'd send you home without pay?

Of course she's a cf.
She should advertise for a cleaner and ask if you want to apply.
Your job is downstairs in the salon, and maybe customer toilet and kitchen area if you use one. Not cleaning her house, ask about insurance, as only th salon will be registered surely.

Is she likely to reduce your hours if you don’t?

It will be if I finish a client early and I have half an hour to spare