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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Cleaner Christmas Bonus

87 replies

Its2021 · 28/11/2020 20:57

How much do you think is fair? I’m thinking about 4 weeks wages as a lump sum in addition to usual payment. What to you all think is reasonable? Thank you :)

OP posts:

mellicauli · 29/11/2020 23:58

A cleaner can’t work at home, so they have to come into their place of work. How are they supposed to get by if no one will let them in their houses to work ?

yellowlabrador · 30/11/2020 00:04

If you can afford it then why not. I'm sure your cleaner would be over the mood and you'd feel good as well.

Nikhedonia · 30/11/2020 00:06

@Molly499

Because they have actually taken the time to read the rules

Hard to justify that a cleaner is necessary really, desirable yes but unlike a nanny not crucial.

So I can’t let my Mum into my house but I could have a cleaner come in who has been in and out of multiple homes and mixing with a lot of people, just evaluate the risk factor there....just crazy.

Depends on the homeowner. I imagine for some a cleaner is crucial.

PizzaForOne · 30/11/2020 01:36

£300 hamper from fortnum and Mason

Meraas · 30/11/2020 01:51

Well when she’s looking to cut back on her number of customers, you’ll make the cut

Crankley · 30/11/2020 01:57

My cleaner has been coming to me for over fifteen years. I will be giving her £50 for Christmas. She is currently not coming because of the second lockdown but I will still pay her for the period. No, I'm not rich, I'm retired and disabled and have barely left the house to spend anything so | prefer to know she is not going without.

coldspaghettio · 30/11/2020 02:01

I'm in Oz and don't know anyone who gives their cleaner extra pay. Are cleaners in the uk on a really shit wage or something?

TomorrowToday · 30/11/2020 02:26

@HotChoc10 she will assume it of every client

TomorrowToday · 30/11/2020 02:26

@coldspaghettio everyone is on a shit wage in the U.K.

Tulipshoots · 30/11/2020 05:28

I had no idea that people were giving this much as bonuses. I give £50 and a card.

Tulipshoots · 30/11/2020 05:28

[quote TomorrowToday]@coldspaghettio everyone is on a shit wage in the U.K.[/quote]
True

Oysterbabe · 30/11/2020 05:42

@Molly499

Because they have actually taken the time to read the rules

Hard to justify that a cleaner is necessary really, desirable yes but unlike a nanny not crucial.

So I can’t let my Mum into my house but I could have a cleaner come in who has been in and out of multiple homes and mixing with a lot of people, just evaluate the risk factor there....just crazy.

It's not crazy. The alternative is that these cleaners completely lose their livelihoods. I'm shut away in my office working while she's here and we have no contact at all. The risk is tiny.

BreakfastOfWaffles · 30/11/2020 06:04

I give £50 and a box of posh chocolates. One thing to think about - if you are somewhat over generous this year (and current consensus suggests you are) then are you setting an expectation you might not be able to continue in future years?

CountFosco · 30/11/2020 06:46

@coldspaghettio

I'm in Oz and don't know anyone who gives their cleaner extra pay. Are cleaners in the uk on a really shit wage or something?

Well generally cleaners will be on NMW. But that's not really the point, it's standard in many jobs to get a Christmas bonus so why should cleaners be any different?

stampsurprise · 30/11/2020 06:48

@Its2021

For context, she is an absolute godsend and know she’s gone over and above every week even going out to buy cleaning supplies (paid for of course when needed).

We’d be screwed without her (I have a ridiculous stressful job and partner is a Junior Doctor ) so if she didn’t help with the house we would live in a hovel 😂

I think that's lovely. If you feel you want to give her a good bonus why on earth not?

Mustbe3ormorecharacters · 30/11/2020 07:24

@Viviennemary

Are you mad. A bottle of wine is quite enough.

HailFairy · 30/11/2020 07:27

@HavelockVetinari we’re thinking the same this year.

I also do give my cleaners holiday / sick pay (5 weeks per year) so feel like I’m a pretty decent client for them.

scentedgeranium · 30/11/2020 07:31

I give ours a nice bottle of booze (I do my research to see what her current favourite is), some smellies and chocolates. Not cash. Wondering if I should now....
But in common with others, I paid her during the first lockdown. She cleans our holiday let so I paid for every cancelled booking.

Nuie · 30/11/2020 07:33

x2 weekly wages + a nice box of biscuits from M&S.

scentedgeranium · 30/11/2020 07:36

I also give our DPD driver a box of chocs, the bin men £20 to stick in their kitty (I assume other households do this?).
I feel posties are probably better paid in terms of pension etc too -so don't tip them - but maybe I'm out of touch and should...

40weekswithno2 · 30/11/2020 07:39

The week before Christmas mine comes out to do a 'double clean' but I always make sure there's not too much so she can knock off an hour early and be paid for it and I give her an extra weeks money in an envelope. I also buy selection boxes for her kids and she leaves one for mine too :)

Nacreous · 30/11/2020 07:39

I view it as a Christmas bonus rather than a Christmas present, so it's on a different scale from my family and friends scale.

I was planning to put £50 in a card because that was what I got when I had a casual job working in a pub at Christmas, so it felt about right. That would be around two weeks wages.

What I wasn't sure about was if it was also normal to give your cleaner (and pay them, two separate questions I guess?) the week off between Christmas and New Year. I don't feel I can ask her not to come and not pay her, and I'm happy for her to come, but I don't want her to feel she must come if she doesn't want to, and it feels like a difficult thing to broach.

My cleaner does it as a very part time job around her kids, as far as I can see as a job to give discretional spending money - she only cleans for me and two others (so 6-8 hours a week total), I don't know if that makes a difference.

NailsNeedDoing · 30/11/2020 07:51

Well generally cleaners will be on NMW. But that's not really the point, it's standard in many jobs to get a Christmas bonus so why should cleaners be any different?

It’s not standard at all for jobs that pay minimum wage or near about. A Christmas tip for cleaner is a personal thing that people choose to give, not because there’s anything standard about it.

This is one of the many MN threads that I find weird because as a low paid TA, any time teacher gifts are mentioned on here people go on about how unnecessary and pointless they are are for people who are just doing their jobs despite the expectation that we will go above and beyond with our time and are looking after the most precious thing in people’s lives for 190 days a year. Yet here we have people falling over themselves to say how much extra they give the cleaner who works for them a couple of hours a week. Not that cleaners don’t deserve it, but it does feel like another one of those bizarre MN double standards.

Nanalisa60 · 30/11/2020 08:03

If you can afford four weeks money and a present 🎁 that would be very nice of you!! It really depends on your financial position!! But one weeks Money and a nice present 🎁 if that all you can afford is also ok. I think it really depends on your own financial position.

40weekswithno2 · 30/11/2020 08:11

@NailsNeedDoing how do you know it's the same people saying teacher gifts are pointless then give tips to their cleaners? There's lots of people on Mumsnet with lots of different views.

Personally I always give a gift to ds nursery teachers and that will continue when he goes to school. I also tip my cleaner.

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