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.

@CrotchBurn

'Ave an 'eart, guvna!

🤣🤣🤣 very good

What''s with the attitude "it's not up to you to let her have the day off"? Op's trying to do a nice thing. Are all the pp that are having a go jealous because they have to work? I'm working nye so what?

As if life is'nt shit enough atm let's all be horrible to each other as well ffs.

Christmas Eve is a working day, as is NYE. Why are you giving her paid time off?

Ask her to come on Wednesday or Tuesday instead

I'd just ask her? Give her the option of a different day? But you should head out for a walk if she does come.

Some people really detest that people have cleaners and if we do, we are lazy and should be happy to have that pointed out to us.

Afraid so. There is a certain contingent on MN that believes the only people who have cleaners are lazy slatterns who see themselves as too important and somehow ‘above themselves’ to do their own cleaning. That’s why so many people on MN who do have cleaners are so desperate to share that they pay them three times the going rate, never complain if they’re off sick, send them diamonds every Christmas and absolutely never expect them to do anything more than the lightest dusting.

@unchienandalusia

Christmas Eve is a working day, as is NYE. Why are you giving her paid time off?

Because it's nice to be nice?

Of course OP could just say "I don't need you next week" and not pay her, but it's nice to be considerate about how your actions impact other people. If OP can afford to give her a paid day off, then good for her.

@lemonsquashie

Ask her to come on Wednesday or Tuesday instead

OP has said she only has spaces on Thursday or Friday.

@unchienandalusia

Christmas Eve is a working day, as is NYE. Why are you giving her paid time off?

Because it seemed like a nice thing to do? I get it as paid leave, my DH and children will be here and hopefully doing nice Christmassy things.

I thought she might want to do the same with her family... is it really that weird?

Yea but the real question is, WHY AREN’T you paying her!?

I would go with your original plan of asking her to “just do the kitchen and bathrooms if that’s ok, obviously I’ll pay you for 3 hours, but the kids have got stuff everywhere, so I’ll tackle that in the new year :) x” I’d preempt it by texting her though so she knows and can book extra stuff around you if she fancies it

@unchienandalusia

"Christmas Eve is a working day, as is NYE. Why are you giving her paid time off?"

Because it's the OP asking her not to come, not the cleaner wanting the time off.

Not everyone has plans for NYE. I used to work nights and upto 10pm, the only night I wanted off was Christmas Eve and/or Christmas night if possible. My DD will work in retail upto 6pm Christmas Eve and NYE. My other DD's may not have it off at all. Only one of them earns more than a cleaner. All of the Care Home Assistants are on the same or less than a cleaner. I've been a cleaner, it isn't the worst job. We need employers and that includes private individuals.

It would be more about the transmission risk for me.

My cleaners next visit is on Christmas Day. She's not offered to come earlier that week. I pay her on a standing order. Since I've not given her a bonus I figured she can have the Christmas payment as her bonus(£40). Is that stingy?

I'm a cleaner working new years eve and getting double my pay. Maybe you could offer that to her?

YNE isn't a holiday though, couldn't understand if it was YYD. Many jobs have both CE and YNE as working days, so treat it like a normal employer. Its your holiday too. Otherwise I would be saying to my employer I am not coming in, when in fact I book them as holiday There is no point in having a holiday if it isn't one for yourself, especially if you are working fulltime.
If its difficult maybe limit her to just the kitchen , bathroom, lounge for example and tell everyone to do their own bedrooms, so its less for them to do and you get some help.

@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 dont have a cleaner, but presumably it's just a standard job. It's not care in the community or charity work.

Maybe the ultimate moral thing would be to never a cleaner (like the cleaners needing their jobs and wages come into it?!)

It's a mutually beneficial job, not modern slavery!

If I said I could save thousands by painting my house rather than get a traditional Male employed painter in, MN would say it's unfair on breadwinners who paint for a living. But cleaners who are traditionally more female are modern day slaves.in fact both really are service providers that arguably homeowners can do themselves.

If you can offord to hire a cleaner why not?

I'd ask if she wanted to move the day but I have never had a cleaner.

PP are correct to point out it is a normal working day. If she is willing to work, I might be tempted to offer a top up though.

You get a clean house and no guilt. Cleaner has extra money.

Christmas Eve off is fair enough, New Year's Eve not so much- unless they had specified they were taking Christmas and new year off I'd expect to see them on 31st.

Self employed cleaner here. I'm taking Chrismas eve and NYE off. Unpaid of course, being self employed I dont get or expect holiday pay. However my clients dont "let me" have the day off, it's one of the few perks of being self employed. They may be working days for other people but I would like them off to spend some extra time with my family. I have offered alternative dates inbetween Christmas eve and NYE though.

@Iwantafuckingbreak

Self employed cleaner here. I'm taking Chrismas eve and NYE off. Unpaid of course, being self employed I dont get or expect holiday pay. However my clients dont "let me" have the day off, it's one of the few perks of being self employed. They may be working days for other people but I would like them off to spend some extra time with my family. I have offered alternative dates inbetween Christmas eve and NYE though.

Exactly. You are allowed to take days off if you are self employed.

As cleaner myself I work Christmas Eve and NYE, just saying customers want to leave earlier. Usually family I clean for leaves house for cleaning time.

My cleaner is not an employee. She is free to clean or not clean over Xmas/NY and will get paid accordingly. I myself am working in my office job both Xmas Eve and NYE and the working days between.

Sorry if I missed this, but OP I’d be very careful paying the cleaner ‘holiday pay’ (eg pay her when she doesn’t come because she chooses to be on holiday) or she could claim employee benefits.

I don’t have a complicated top up or pay arrangements (except we paid her during lockdowns just to be nice). But we do give her an Xmas bonus equivalent to the two sessions she usually misses.

I don't think some posters read the full thread op including the bit about your 2 dc being autistic. No one knows what hard work that can be unless they live along side it, and more so you want to do the best for your dcbut it can be relentless.
I know, i for one, have been there.

There is a certain contingent on MN that believes the only people who have cleaners are lazy slatterns who see themselves as too important and somehow ‘above themselves’ to do their own cleaning.

But it's quite possibly the same people who, when an OP posts about her husband being a lazy arse, tell her to get a cleaner

I would say give one or the other but not both (as they are neither of them bank holidays). We have a contract though and it is specified which days are holidays and what the pay, Christmas bonus is etc.