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?

Most of you commenting must have had some lovely and very understanding employers.

No, I just haven't been a complete pushover.

You're being exploited, however I don't know if there's anything you can do about it right now. As you said you need this job and could be replaced easily. I'd maybe ask someone more versed in workers rights if there's any action you could take.

@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?

When I worked in the NHS, the consultants in my Trust cleaned their own offices to try to save money on cleaning contractors (too much year at the end of the budget). GPs and practice nurses are expected to keep their rooms clean between patients as well.

I'm being paid as an admin person. Would you be happy if I refused to deal with your child being extremely distressed because I'm not a counsellor? Or if I refused to pass a message on saying they needed to meet you at the bus stop/take them their packed lunch that you forgot to pack because I'm not your child's PA? Or to disinfect the area where a kid has been immediately before being collected because they've got a cough?

If there isn't enough work for you to do, she would be able to send you home and pay nothing or terminate your employment. At least this way, you get paid. And at the moment, getting paid and staying employed is a damn sight more important than feelings.

HMRC may be interested in her claiming tax relief on your wages when part of it is for cleaning her private home.

Would you be happy if I refused to deal with your child being extremely distressed because I'm not a counsellor? Or if I refused to pass a message on saying they needed to meet you at the bus stop/take them their packed lunch that you forgot to pack because I'm not your child's PA? Or to disinfect the area where a kid has been immediately before being collected because they've got a cough?

Poor analogy. Children's welfare is clearly not comparable to the OP's job or what she's being asked to do.

This has been going on for two years? Apparently it's part of the job at that salon, and the precedent has been set. It's up to you whether you want to risk losing the job by challenging her on it.

I don't think I'd mind dishes and general tidying, but being asked to clean someone's home toilet would enrage me, unless I'd been hired specifically for that task.

@MitziK cleaning an office is nothing like cleaning your bosses private home and I can’t believe that even needs saying. The equivalent would be OP cleaning the salon which she does.

She absolutely could not send her home unpaid if there wasn’t enough work. She has a contractual pay with contractual hours.

If her employment was terminated she’d be entitled to redundancy.

We’re talking about no shows which in the hairdressing industry is common. In that time you help other hairdressers or clean the salon/materials, not take on domestic cleaning which you are neither employed nor insured to do.

@IntermittentParps

Would you be happy if I refused to deal with your child being extremely distressed because I'm not a counsellor? Or if I refused to pass a message on saying they needed to meet you at the bus stop/take them their packed lunch that you forgot to pack because I'm not your child's PA? Or to disinfect the area where a kid has been immediately before being collected because they've got a cough?

Poor analogy. Children's welfare is clearly not comparable to the OP's job or what she's being asked to do.

I don't think it's poor. I think it's pretty accurate. I'm not a counsellor. I'm not a PA. I'm not a cleaner. But I am interested in keeping my job. So I do what I am asked/told to do, even when it isn't my job, isn't in my job description, isn't in my contract, all because I want to still have a job.

Haven’t rtft bit o sort of think it depends where she’s asking you to clean. So say dishes are in a kitchen that you use, or windows are “sort of the salon” where a visitor can see - I’d say this is reasonable,

If it’s her upstairs en-suite she’s absolutely taking the piss.

My sister had this. She was working in a shop and the owner lived upstairs. If it was quiet in the shop he would send her or her colleague upstairs to clean his flat. If it was very quiet he would send one of them down the road to clean his mums house! They put their heads together and queried this. His reasoning was that he wasn’t paying them to stand around chatting so if there was nothing to do in the shop he wanted them doing other work for him. They discussed it and told him they weren’t happy with it and only wanted to work in the shop. He sacked them both.

They were very young and inexperienced and eminently replaceable. As a hairdresser you have a valuable skill so your employer might be more accommodating.

You are not employed to carry out any task your employer gives you. You are employed to do a role. You don't have a doctors receptionist suddenly being asked to take blood do you? There is some mis understanding of what employment is and I guess this leads to exploitation and taking advantage.

I don't think it's poor. I think it's pretty accurate. No it isn't. The things you describe are at least somewhat connected with your job; they involve dealing with children/parents (analogous to hair salon customers) at the place of work.
The OP being asked to do her employer's personal dishes and clean her family bathroom (as opposed to the salon and prep area and customer toilet) is not at all analogous with your examples.

Nobody wants to take action against their employer, and not many people can afford to do it. Nor do you want a crap atmosphere in a small business. Sadly OP, all you can do is start looking for somewhere else to work and put up with it until you get chance to move on. Or quit.

To get out of this diplomatically, you want to say you don't have liability insurance in place for accidents or damage to others houses. A professional cleaner would have such a policy to cover any work-related damages if they were self-employed. Furthermore, unless she has special insurance, then she won't be covered for employees who have accidents or cause damage to her personal property.