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

[Merryoldgoat]

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.

Usually I find having a chat with the person involved gives the best outcome to deciding these things.

YABU mainly because you’d all be home so it’s less easy to clean with you all there and she might understandably be concerned about mixing with you all while she goes about her work. Considering you presumably won’t be mixing with that many people over Christmas will the housework not be manageable for all of you to do between cleans?

@Merryoldgoat
sorry - didn't mean to be sniffy - so many people on here are like that though, including all the gazillions talking about what employees do.

FWIW I give my (self employed) cleaner 2 weeks pay bonus at xmas. If she comes and cleans over the holidays I pay her additionally. If she takes the time off that is fine, if so she deals with the inevitable drop in standards in between!

So surprised at all these people getting so much time off over Xmas. Working in the hospitality sector and then nursing, I’ve not had an actual Xmas day or nye off in 13/14 years. I’m actually busier those times of year, and if I don’t go in then I won’t get paid. Just message your cleaner and ask if she’s planning on coming in on those days.

Nye (and Christmas Eve) are both work days so giving one off paid is generous, not offering New Year's Eve paid is fair enough. I've never paid for more than the hours my cleaner does to be honest (feels guilty)

Can't she just come another day

Think you should adhere to the tier rules u r in also.

You’ve had lots of replies for both sides but my cleaner would come Christmas Eve/NYE if her day happened to fall on those days. My DH and I would both be at work and they’re not bank holidays so I’m not sure what the problem is? We are both self employed and can book a day off if we want it but it’s pretty much a normal working day imo.

Could you all go out for a walk for at least part of the time she's there?

It's Christmas and been a shitty year.

Give her the day off and pay her.

Good Lord, some of the comments here! This won't be a popular comment, but British people have a reputation for meanness and pettiness and it's clear why. Bunch of beady-eyed mean people looking for a reason to deny someone else something good because they have tough issues in their own lives. I have never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world.

To the original poster, your question is perfectly reasonable. So many people treat cleaners and nannies like dirt and it's great to hear of someone who is trying to do the right thing.

Good on you for giving her a day off at Christmas (even though you should). I think it would be nice to give her a day off at New Year too.

Yes, as many commenters have said, there are other people who have to work holidays, but why require it if it's not necessary? Sounds like you can afford it and the world won't come to an end if the cleaner gets a bit of a break for a day. Also, I agree with you that it makes no sense to risk infection. The streets and shops are more crowded than usual right now and you can minimize your risk by being kind and careful at the same time.

Good on you.

When I was a cleaner I worked new years day! I don't drink so didn't have to factor in a hangover and the clients were often out so I offered and they accepted.
But I digress, NYE is a normal working day in my world.

It's only here that I come across people who give self-employed cleaners holiday pay. In fact if you actually give then holiday pay you are quite possibly breaking the law in not declaring yourself as an employer and paying PAYE.

My cleaner advertised locally, which is how we found her. She is self employed. If she can't come at all for whatever reason she doesn't need my permission. She simply tells me. It's up to me if I am happy with that. She has the flexibility of setting her own hours, working for whichever customers she wants, and setting her own rates. She has once put her rates up in the last 3 years (that was 18 months ago). We gave her more than she asked for because we were pleased with her work and anyway it was a nice round figure. But the point is that she told us that her rates were going up, she didn't ask us, and that is how it should be.

@LondonStone, oh come on. It is not a normal working day. You might choose to work, but you know very well that it's part of the holiday season. You sound awful.

I would expect cleaners to clean on Christmas Eve and NYE to help get their clients ready for Christmas.
That said, if you don’t need them it would be a nice gesture to give them the time off.

@LondonStone

You’ve had lots of replies for both sides but my cleaner would come Christmas Eve/NYE if her day happened to fall on those days. My DH and I would both be at work and they’re not bank holidays so I’m not sure what the problem is? We are both self employed and can book a day off if we want it but it’s pretty much a normal working day imo.

So is the cleaner. She might like to book those two days off too.

I wouldn't expect to have NYE off.

@Collaborate, why be unpleasant and mean though? These are among the least advantaged workers in our society. They have little job security. Most don't earn enough to live on. And it's hard work.

I need to step back and stop reading the comments on this one because it's too depressing. I have simply never come across the kinds of attitudes here anywhere else in the world. It's shocking how nasty Brits can be. What is wrong with you, Jesus.

Millions of people work as normal on NYE (me included) - it’s not the ‘same’ as Christmas Eve.
That said, do people with cleaners literally let their homes get to the ‘it will need a good going over stage by then’ stage?

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are normal working days, though, for everyone. I’m working both of them. We can’t leave work early either.

I would expect cleaners to clean on Christmas Eve and NYE to help get their clients ready for Christmas.

NYE is after Xmas

Also cleaners don’t help people get ready for Xmas. They clean.

It's entirely up to you if you want to be generous as you have already been with Christmas Eve working/pay. I'm assuming that she is self employed rather than an employee?

Personally, I agree with the posters saying that both Xmas Eve and NYE are working days. As a self employed person I certainly wouldn't get paid if I didn't work on those days or any other day throughout the year. That isn't how self employement works generally. I understand that a cleaner is a bit different particularly if you have known her for years so it's up to you if you want to be particularly generous.

@Sarah24680

Can't she just come another day

No - the only days she has capacity are Thurs and Fri.

Pay her double if you make her work, that's only fair.

It's normal to work on NYE. It's NYD that's a holiday.

Find this thread a bit weird tbh. It's not a holiday. People go out that night, after work. Presumably she doesn't work nights in your home. I've worked NYE loads.