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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want my cleaner to work New Year’s Eve?

335 replies

Merryoldgoat · 13/12/2020 12:04

This is obviously a first world problem - I’m not ‘seething’, ‘in a quandary’ or ‘really concerned’. I’m just not sure so asking for opinions.

My cleaner works for us on Thursdays. This year Christmas Eve and NYE are Thursdays.

I’ve already told her I don’t expect her to work Christmas Eve - I will pay her as normal.

Should I give her NYE off too? If I did I’d pay her.

On the one hand we’ll all be home so cleaning won’t be so easy for her, on the other the hand it will need a good going over by then.

The money isn’t an issue - it’s more will I value the clean or will it be more hassle to get the house in a reasonable state to clean beforehand?

YABU - of course you should give her NYE off

YANBU - NYE is a normal day for most so let her come.

Also concerned about the household mixing - normally no one except for DH is here when she cleans - I don’t want to put anyone at risk unnecessarily.

OP posts:
Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 13/12/2020 12:21

We obviously do clean I’m the interim - but she does the stuff we don’t have time to do on a regular basis.

The ‘family’ is me, my husband and two autistic children. The older is 7 and keeps his room very tidy. The younger is 2 and like a wrecking ball.

The implication that just because we have a cleaner we won’t don’t do anything else in between visits is a bit daft.

OP posts:
chipsandpeas · 13/12/2020 12:22

NYE is a normal working day (same with Christmas eve) for a lot of people even in scotland where hogmanay is a big deal

DontStopThinkingAboutTomorrow · 13/12/2020 12:23

Could you ask her to come on the 31st or 2nd ietc nstead? Obviously that will be dependent on whatever other work she has, but will mean you'll still have the cleaning done.

cansu · 13/12/2020 12:23

NY is not a special holiday. I would expect her to work but you could say she is welcome to take it off unpaid.

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 13/12/2020 12:24

@user1493413286

I’d of expected her to be there Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve unless she wanted to take them unpaid as they’re normal working days. If you don’t want her to come because of mixing then that’s a different issue and you’d need to pay her. Could you not see if she can come a different day? My cleaner comes on a Monday so when it’s a bank holiday she comes on different days.
She doesn’t expect to be paid but I like to pay her regardless. My budget includes costs for her 52 weeks a year which is fine for us.

She has a full week except Fridays so can’t swap.

OP posts:
Sally872 · 13/12/2020 12:24

If you or cleaner are using the 5 day window to see 2 other households i would probably avoid NYE clean (but pay)

Otherwise a diplomatic way might be to offer to switch days if she wants NYE off, she might not be bothered, i doubt anyone is doing much. I would take family out a walk or drive to allow her to clean.

roarfeckingroarr · 13/12/2020 12:24

My cleaner comes on a Friday - Christmas Day and NYD this year - and I've just text her about this. Interested in responses for right thing to do. I've suggested she just comes once during this time and asked if there's any time between Christmas and NYE she could squeeze us in.

YesMeLady · 13/12/2020 12:24

Does she want nye off? can she afford not to work. It seems a bit risky for you all to be there and you shouldnt have to go out, supposing its pouring with rain. Can she work on another day instead giving the house a good clean then you clear up yourselves on nye.

fmlfmlfmlfm · 13/12/2020 12:24

I've worked most Christmas eve's during the day. The general consensus it it's not past 3 or 4 x

Ohtherewearethen · 13/12/2020 12:25

@PerveenMistry - Be kind?! Really? What if all staff, all over the country wanted the day off, paid? And as for asking why the family can't do the cleaning, well, cleaners would then be redundant wouldn't they?

You'd best best is to just ask her. She is self employed and can dictate her own hours of work and Ts&C's. It might be that she'll prefer to come in, it might be that she would appreciate being able to be flexible with when she comes in or she might be very glad of a day off before Christmas. It's not really up to us to decide.
I actually don't think it would be bad to keep to her days and expect her to come in on Christmas Eve and New year's Eve but I would give her a little extra.

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 13/12/2020 12:25

Maybe offer her a bonus/over time/unsocial Hours pay?

I will give her her usual Christmas bonus and gift in addition to pay.

OP posts:
Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 13/12/2020 12:26

@YesMeLady

Does she want nye off? can she afford not to work. It seems a bit risky for you all to be there and you shouldnt have to go out, supposing its pouring with rain. Can she work on another day instead giving the house a good clean then you clear up yourselves on nye.
No idea - knowing her as I did I suspect she’d expect to work.
OP posts:
tootiredtothink · 13/12/2020 12:27

I said YANBU as I wouldn’t have a problem working on New Year’s Eve. And it’s lovely paying her for Christmas Eve. However, I don’t think it’s great her working when everyone is in.

If you can’t take your boys out then perhaps get her to just clean downstairs and the bathroom while everyone stays in their bedrooms? They can have a good clean when she’s next in when they’re back at school.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 13/12/2020 12:27

I agree with those saying NYE is a normal day

If she was working in the evening that might be a bit different

And i love Christmas eve, dh always has the day off so its very kind of you to pay for that as well

fmlfmlfmlfm · 13/12/2020 12:27

Nye that was meant to say. X

Scottishskifun · 13/12/2020 12:27

Usually I would say give her the night off but given no one can go anywhere, there are no events on and no household meetings indoors (unless you live in Cornwall/IOW) then I would say just let her come unless she has asked you for it off.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 13/12/2020 12:28

Oooh what tootired said sounds good

roarfeckingroarr · 13/12/2020 12:28

@YellowEllis

Right. Be kind.

*Why can't the family do the cleaning?
*
She's not doing her a favour by cleaning her house, it's quite literally her job. I have to work NYE, as do many people.

I don't understand everyone asking why the family can't clean. This is the cleaner's job, they are working days, the family choose to have a cleaner for their own reasons, the cleaner is self employed not a charity...
Lonecatwithkitten · 13/12/2020 12:29

As @RoomOfRequirement says as she is almost certainly self employed she is free to set her own hours. You can ask her to work New Year's Eve, but she is under no obligation to work. Equally she is not entitled to 'paid holiday' unless this is in her contract.

HitthatroadJack · 13/12/2020 12:30

It's a normal working day, and I don't know any business giving the day off to their employees, at best you leave 1 hour or so early.

It's much more common to give at least half a day off on Christmas Eve, you are being lovely to pay her for not coming that day.

Of course you could clean yourself Hmm but why should you.
Unless you expect her to come and clean from 6pm to 8pm, I would treat it as a normal day.

Laiste · 13/12/2020 12:30

Surprised to see so many posters ''expecting'' someone self employed to be working as usual on xmas eve or new years eve. Some do some don't, but i wouldn't ''expect'' it Hmm

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 13/12/2020 12:30

I’d expect a self employed person to work or to state they are taking holiday and it be unpaid. I wouldn’t pay for a service I’m not getting.

Nobody I know though has a cleaner so its only the window cleaner here most have and he changes days around holidays so it’s not an issue.

ShirleyPhallus · 13/12/2020 12:30

@CrotchBurn

'Ave an 'eart, guvna!
This actually made me lol Grin
MimiDaisy11 · 13/12/2020 12:30

You sound a reasonable person but I'd be worried about the mixing if the house is busier than normal.

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 13/12/2020 12:31

Ok - I know that I’m her only job on Thursdays and she comes AM for 3 hours. She’d be finished by midday.

I think I’ll talk to her Thursday and say if she can come and just give Kitchen and Bathroom a good clean, hoover upstairs and that’s that on NYE. I’d obviously still pay her for the full 3 hours.

I’m happy to give her Christmas Eve off absolutely no issue.

OP posts:
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