New lockdown- do I pay cleaner?

[Bizawit]

I’ve had my cleaner since the summer. Best cleaner I’ve ever had, and she really makes a difference to my well-being. Although it is still allowed in the rules, she
texted me this evening saying that she wouldn’t be coming for the next few weeks because she doesn’t feel safe using public transport and mixing in different households etc, and with schools closed she has her children at home (her youngest is 14 so not small children).

The question is do I need to continue to pay her for the weeks she doesn’t come? I’m thinking that she might be expecting me to offer, and she is such a good cleaner I don’t want to lose her. Plus she’s a lovely person and I don’t want to be an arsehole/ put her in a difficult spot. On the other hand it is her choice not to come to work, and it is a fair amount of money for a service I’m not receiving. My DP says there’s no need to pay her and I shouldn’t , but I’m not sure he is right. So:

YABU - no need to pay the cleaner during lockdown.

YANBU - yes you should pay the cleaner.

Eh?

I'm self employed. Never heard of getting paid when you've actively chosen not to work. Sounds like a good gig....!

And what if this stretches out until June OP? Are you going to keep paying?

@happystone
Do it for britian
.😂😂😂

I would pay her, no question.

I paid my cleaner in the first lockdown but I won't be this time. I'm on maternity leave now and my dh income has halved.

During March lockdown my cleaner of 3 years said she did not feel comfortable coming. She is not vulnerable or anything. She cleaned for me twice each week for 2 1/2 hours each time. I paid her through until July, then I text and asked her if she would return as R rate was much lower then. She said she needed another month. I was not very happy but thought she would come back at beginning of August so paid her through July. Then August came so I asked her when she was returning and she said she was giving up cleaning as too risky to go out. I got another cleaner who is good but slower she came during November lockdown and whilst she is there we both wear a face mask and I stay in bedroom working a lot of time as she does not clean our bedroom. I am very much hoping she will still come and I will stay in bedroom whilst she is there but I would agree to pay her half if she did not want to come, but not full rate, as infection rate is high ATM. My previous cleaner claimed the government money for self employed and if I had known this at the time I would have only paid her 20 percent to top her her self empoyed earnings. She ended up being better off claiming self employed pay and me and another neighbour paying her full pay too.

Nope choose not to work you choose not to get paid.

No. She can work but is choosing not to do - why should you pay her?

I'm self employed and working as usual through lockdown. I'm not a cleaner but I do go into peoples homes. I can work and will be continuing to do so.

If she doesn't feel safe working, that's her choice but I wouldn't be paying her for it!

My cleaner wants to come. I think we will ask her not to but will pay, as we did for the first lockdown.

I paid mine throughout the last lockdown and will do so again

I don’t imagine it’s a huge sum, pay the woman and be decent. There’s been little help for self employed ppl, Immsure she’ll appreciate it.
Some mean tight fisted ppl on here.

I would make her feel that you are absolutely fine with her decision not to work at the moment, but I wouldn't pay her.

No because if she decides to quit at the end?

@Bizawit I pay by bacs so I just overpaid and sent a text saying 'I was sorry she couldn't come, I've paid x and keep safe see you when over'
FWIW I was one of her only clients who did anything and she was very grateful.

What i mean is either pay her or don't, you can't attach terms to it like calling it a retainer.

Just text back and say sorry, totally understandable, hopefully you will be eligible for furlough, we would love to continue your services when you are able to.

No under those circumstances I wouldn’t pay, she has made the decision not to work. Why would you pay someone & do the cleaning yourself?

We’re not paying ours. She’s SE and claimed furlough last time and will do the same again this time.

I paid mine and would do so again. She is worth her weight in gold. When mine returned she got rid of quite a few of her clients ( i did not ask why but presume they did not pay anything). She has a waiting list so

Oops! So could do this. I was still working so could afford to do this. A good cleaner is worth keeping hold of.

No I wouldn't pay her, she's been advised in the guidelines she can work so it's not like last April. She is choosing not to, if you decide you don't feel like doing your job, will they pay you? I'm sorry but I would not be paying more than a retainer for her, you can't just decide you don't want to work and should get paid for it. If you cannot work from home, you can go to work.

I paid mine last time. Not sure what I’d do if she decided not to come now. It would be a choice for her this time which complicates it I think.

She’s a new cleaner and choosing not to come. I wouldn’t pay. She’s probably entitled to the self employed grant. If you’d have her years and you told her not then I would pay.

@HerMammy

I don’t imagine it’s a huge sum, pay the woman and be decent. There’s been little help for self employed ppl, Immsure she’ll appreciate it. Some mean tight fisted ppl on here.

How is it mean or tight fisted? She's allowed to go to work - she just doesn't want to!

Surely if people are going to refuse to work then they can't expect to receive full pay for weeks on end?

Presumably she's also self employed, and can claim against her SE status for furlough / loss of earnings?

This.

No chance, she is under no obligation to return to you when she feels like it either so you could be paying for nothing.

I don't think I would in those circs. If she is driven by her son's health anxiety this could go on for a long time. Once you start, it's harder to stop