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?

People here are barking. If I pay someone to cook in a restaurant and there are no customers, does that mean I can get them to wash my car? Her house is not the workplace. The boss here is taking the piss. If there aren’t enough customers she could get the OP to do a reasonable number of other ‘hairdressing related’ tasks. Not scrub her toilet. FFS.

Majority of contacts contain a clause which basically says - and any other reasonable task.

Essentially, it is up to you to decide if this is reasonable. If you think it isn’t, you quit.

Your responsibility is to the salon and prep areas, like you mention. Family bathroom and private rooms that are nothing to do with the salon work – no fucking way.
Tell her.

This is very, very bizarre. Obviously if you’d rather that than your hours being reduced, then continue! However neither of you are likely insured should anything happen while you’re cleaning her house.

Total CF.... But I fear you've dug a hole already by doing them and if you now say no she'll get arsey.

Yeah, I'm calling bullshit on this one.

No. It would be appropriate to sweep up hair, wash towels, clean sinks, wash cups that clients have had tea in-so normal stuff you'd do in a ''normal'' salon. But not do her dishes and hoovering her bedroom (for example.)

Don't finish your clients early? Really take your time, given that there's nothing for you to do when finished?

Do you have a contract?

I’m on the fence. If you had a whole afternoon free I’d understand her bulking up your hours (depends if you’re full time or zero hour). If you’re full time I’d definitely find a way to tell her that she’s barking. If you’re zero hour she may be doing you a favour.

If you’re full time and it’s a spare half hour it’s really cheeky and she’s a CF (I’d try to get a new job as hard as that seems). If you’re full time and you’re only working part time hours I do understand her view point.

I'm a teacher (private school overseas). If things are quiet (half day for example) we get asked to tidy up, sort boarding rooms out.

I really don't care. Work is work. I'm not too worried what I do.

@SallyGee1

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

HI Op, of course they would not, because you see a Dr. is middle class and therefore couldn't be expected to stoop so low. You, however, are part of the "service class" and so of course you can be asked to do anything.

You are not being unreasonable and if I were you I would look for another job asap.

I was once employed as a hotel cleaner in Germany (during a Summer, while I was a student in Uni, studying German so had to go to Germany) and they owners used to get us to clean their apartment - even that I thought was exploitation but I could not complain as I was miles from home and it was the only job I could get with limited German. So I understand 100% where you are coming from.

I suspect we are bloody expensive house keepers!

Oh and most replies to date are clearly insane.

But nice to know how much you value your hairdresser.

Maybe she needs to justify paying you. Would you prefer cut hours and a drop in income? Is she paying you as a hairdresser the going rate or above for domestic cleaning? If she is, I'd do it, because I'd be grateful that she is keeping me on when times are hard. She could let you go. Or you could leave and set up on your own.

This is odd partly because every hairdresser I know of in the UK 'rents' a chair in a salon and is basically self-employed, paying rent and/ or a percentage of their fees to the salon owner. Is this not how it works for you?

@SallyGee1

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

No they bloody wouldn't and I think we all know why!

Where you based OP? I was under the impression the English lockdown had closed hairdressers?

@Annasgirl said it better!

This is insane!

I had a boss like this when I was a teenager. I was an office junior for a company owned by a husband and wife team. When I started we had proper offices, but a year or so later they downsized the company and ended up using their spare bedroom as the office with me the only employee.

It was ok at first but after a while I was having notes left for me asking to clean the kitchen or the bathroom. They were filthy sods too so it wasn’t even a bit of tidying up.

I fell pregnant young and to be honest things soured even more then. The female boss turned against me and asked even more of me during my days there. Cleaning out cat litter and tidying the garden for example.

I left at the earliest chance I could take my maternity leave but not before taking great pleasure in giving the loo one final clean with her toothbrush 😉

I once had a admin job in a open plan serviced office.

My boss at the time was one of those old school manager types who thinks whilst you are on the clock and being paid you should always be working, there was no such thing as downtime in her book. It didn't matter to her that efficiency and better productivity was the reason I would get my work done quicker than everyone else.

She would make me go to the cleaners cupboard to start hoovering and dusting the office when I finished my work an hour or so earlier than everyone else. Despite the fact that the building had a contracted cleaning company, she felt that you should always be working from 9am until 5pm even if there wasn't anything to do.

Needless to say I didn't stay for very long.

What does your union say about it?

Some of the replies to this are nuts.

She is absolutely being exploitative.

If she wants a part time cleaner she should advertise for one separately and draw up a contract.

That's horrendous. Of course you shouldn't be cleaning her house!

Do you have a contract? What does it say your duties are? What does it says happens if there is a cancellation - do you get paid regardless? (you should as you had booked out the time to be working)