Cleaning client ignoring social distancing

[B3ttyBoop]

AIBU?

I have been working for this household for several years. We had a break last year due to the pandemic and resumed when it was safe on the understanding we would keep our distance. Currently both parents and children are at home full time so I agreed to do a shorter clean. They all have separate spaces where they can study/work away from where i'm cleaning.

However, the last few times the husband has been in and out of the kitchen whilst i'm cleaning. He ended up standing next to me to get a cup. I moved away quickly. Most of the family are coming in and out of the kitchen whilst i'm working there. Wet floors aren't an issue either despite me raising concerns that they could fall over. I wear a mask in the communal areas and make sure windows/doors are open for ventilation.

I've previously raised concerns about distancing etc which is effective for a few weeks but is then disregarded. I'm getting annoyed and jumpy about this situation and their disregard for distancing. If I stop cleaning for them, i will lose income at a time when it will be hard to replace. Am i overreacting or not?

You** said "If I stop cleaning for them, i will lose income at a time when it will be hard to replace."

My view is that if you get coronavirus you could lose ALL your income.

They need to treat you with respect.

Tell them that unfortunately they are not sticking to the guidelines that you all agreed and so you will no longer be cleaning for them.

Please if you aren't in one already ,join a trade union. These people are bloody thoughtless and should have furloughed you. Honestly ,OP ,your health is your wealth .

They already know you're working for someone vulnerable and have had multiple reminders.

It doesn't matter if they aren't worried about covid or simply forget because they're at home or don't respect you, the end result is exactly the same.

I'd start looking for someone else. And I'd make very clear that you're only willing to work for people who leave you alone due to Covid and other vulnerable clients.

You're being clear, and for whatever reason, they're not caring. You're not a match for each other. Find someone who respects your working conditions and then leave.

Alternatively turn up to work for them and get very close to them all and start sniffing. They feel safe around you. Cough and they'll back off!

Find new clients and dump them.

We open windows and shut ourselves in the office when our cleaner comes. We want her to keep coming, so why wouldn’t we? It’s not exactly easy to find a good, reliable cleaner.

@Jumpintothefire

Please if you aren't in one already ,join a trade union. These people are bloody thoughtless and should have furloughed you. Honestly ,OP ,your health is your wealth .

That really isn’t how being a cleaner works is this the first time you’ve heard of them?

I open all upstairs windows, leave the house, and stay out for 2 hours while my cleaner is here.
She texts when she leaves, I go home 15 mins later and shut the upstairs windows.

Ultimately it's their house and they can do what they want.

You don't have to like it though. You do sound anxious about covid; for your own wellbeing I would leave the job.

I think at this point you have 2 choices - carry on as it and just accept that they’re not going to social distance or drop them as a client.
You’ve asked them to stay out of your way repeatedly and they haven’t. They don’t respect you at all.
I’d be worried that they’d not tell you if they had symptoms and just let you come into the house.
I think it’s now standard practice to ask a client to stay in a different room whilst you’re cleaning.

Just be on your guard and walk away from them when they come into the room. It’s is disrespectful to you though. We all wear masks if our cleaner is in the kitchen but we stay more than 2m away. If we need to use the sink we let her know politely and she goes to another room for a few minutes to do folding while she waits. Maybe have a job like folding in another room and go do that if someone comes into the kitchen.

@TravellingTilbury

I think this is tricky as there is clearly a mismatch in covid anxiety levels - not uncommon throughout the country atm I guess. Some people are, understandable, at peak anxiety and others have gone the other way.

I will be honest that I fall into the latter camp, however, last March I was completely at peak anxiety so I do get both sides.

If you were my cleaner I would obviously respect your anxiety (and the overall copied situation) but I would, honestly, keep forgetting that you are actually as anxious as you are (as I don't go to shops etc so I don't see people in masks). Honestly - I would also think (in my head) that you need to stop believing all the mainstream news (sorry, just being honest). So this might be what they are thinking. That said, I wouldn't intentionally want to come near you/scare you. But I would keep forgetting. And actually seeing you in my house in a mask would be really stressful too.

I'm sure it is v frustrating for you and you must be in high demand so it might be a case of dropping this particular client?

These are difficult times to be working in other people's houses. We are responsible for someone who is CEV and the customers know this. I am wearing a mask in the communal areas or when i'm likely to be around others. The problem is when people are yo-yoing back and forth, and trying to stand next to me, i can't do anything other than try to get out of their way. The windows/doors are opened where possible. I'm following the recent govt guidelines as much as i can. I've reduced my hours (and income) so we are less likely to bump into one another. At times, you will pass each other but this regular back and forth comes across as deliberate. What the hell are they playing at??!

Our area has had some of the highest rates of infection in the country and it's still in circulation. I don't particularly want it, but more importantly, i don't want to pass it on. There are no guarantees as to how each person responds to the virus so it's best to be safe rather than sorry.

Replacing this job will be difficult. Our area has seen a big increase in unemployment and reduced hours for others and some folk who were considering getting a cleaner are now put off because we are still in lockdown with lots working at home with children. Domestic cleaners aren't essential for most people.

No entry sign that you hang on the door handle of the room you are in?

@littlesheepdog

I open all upstairs windows, leave the house, and stay out for 2 hours while my cleaner is here. She texts when she leaves, I go home 15 mins later and shut the upstairs windows.

Can i come work for you?

@B3ttyBoop

It is very simple: either you re ok working for this family the way it is or you are not.

So make a decision. It is their home they wont change. I believe you are precious and the risk is minimal. But if it doesnt suit you LEAVE.

You cannot say in the same breathe that you need the money AND you dont feel safe. And you cannot blame them for a decision you are not making.

I keep telling my cleaners to put themselves first and do whats confortable to them. I try to go out when she is there but there is nowhere to go so cant stay out for 4hrs. So then we ll all have to compromise and make an effort. If she isnt happy, she should leave.

So make your decision and stop complaining.

Ps depending on the client it may be that the clients risk to you is lower than you to them. Eg. In our house we work from home, ds is schooled at home and we really stick to the rules, dh goes out once per week at 6.30am to do the big shop when it is quiet, I most likely go once to a little shop locally (where there are currently 8 cases across the 3 villages so low local risk) once a week for bits and ds and dh go for walks from the front door with no household mixing and we do not see anyone. We pose V little risk to the lady that provides our cleaning. From a number of things she has told me about she poses more risk to us, but we take precautions such as. Distancing, windows etc and so far we are OK and I am not concerned about the extra risk, which is also helped that she also works for a school as a cleaner and gets testing twice a week.

They suck. YANBU to be pissed off with them. If you can’t afford to lose them as clients you are in a really difficult situation and there really isn’t much you can do.

It sounds like you’ve reiterated things a few times and they’ve gone back to doing what they are supposed to for a while It’s a pain, and it indicates that they don’t really care, but it’s probably low risk to come back with the same reminder each time they grow lax again.

If you would prefer not to lose them as a client, but won’t continue to put yourself and others at risk like this, and you can scrape by if needs be, you could start getting a bit stroppy with them. Every time they start to breach distancing practices stop them - at the time, not a general reminder after - say Something like “Our agreement was that you would X. And I need you to stick to that.” Then wait for them to comply in another room if necessary and cut what you clean down to account for lost time.

If they say something along the lines of “ its only a few minutes” you can try something like “your not my only client and it’s cumulative” or “ it’s a few minutes extra risk that I need to avoid” or something. Or just “We agreed the terms of my working with you, I’m not going to argue about that now, I just need you to stick to it.”

Dear OP,
YANBU at all. We stay out of the rooms where our cleaner is working. She doesn't do the dining room as my daughter and I are always working in there. You are not being overly "anxious" as some PPs were implying. You are following government guidance in order to protect yourself, your vulnerable contact and the family themselves. It seems to me there is a bit of a power thing going on here and you are on the receiving end of it. If it is at all possible I would drop them.

I don’t think OP is being over anxious.

When I go into my employers’ office (necessary) we have to maintain social distancing and wear a mask unless we’re at our desks. It’s basic health and safety right now.

I agree with a pp who said this is not essential work. If they are still in work (ie not financially impacted by the pandemic) then they should be telling you not to come, but still paying you. That's the decent thing to do to keep everyone safe and financially secure.

We’ve had the same thing but the other way round, it was making me anxious when my learner would stay in the same room as me for a chat, so I asked her to stop coming. I would just drop this family, tell them the lack of social distancing is making you uncomfortable so you want to stop working for them till the pandemic is over. And then find a family who are delighted you’re taking distancing seriously and don’t go back to them. They have made it clear them don’t respect you and don’t want to change.

*cleaner

@Princessdebthe1st

Dear OP, YANBU at all. We stay out of the rooms where our cleaner is working. She doesn't do the dining room as my daughter and I are always working in there. You are not being overly "anxious" as some PPs were implying. You are following government guidance in order to protect yourself, your vulnerable contact and the family themselves. It seems to me there is a bit of a power thing going on here and you are on the receiving end of it. If it is at all possible I would drop them.

Thank you, it is frustrating when you're trying to do your best with these guidelines and people are pushing the other way. Given their behaviour overtime, i agree that this is powerplay. There are some very strange, bored folk out there and lockdown is probably making it worse.

They sound ridiculous. You can't be in the kitchen for hours on end so they should manage to avoid it while you're there.
If it's more than just an occasional visit to the kitchen they can't be concentrating on their work. The husband particularly sounds as if he's deliberately putting you in your place.

However I don't think there's much you can do about it except keep moving away from them.

But the people who are claiming you are only allowed to do essential work are wrong. You can go to work if the work cannot be done from home. you don't have to be a key worker.

My friend's cleaner has requested they leave the house when she comes to ensure social distancing. My friend goes out to collect her shopping, goes for a walk etc etc. Not tons of fun in this really cold weather we've been having but doable. Maybe say to them that until Easter you would prefer to clean an empty house, or for them to stay on a separate floor of the home.

I had another client tell me that they (couple) would not be socially distancing themselves from me, they would be sitting in the main room I had to clean and that I had to clean around them. Even though they had 2 rooms I didn't have to clean available.

They were sacked.

Yanbu. I don’t necessarily agree that they should have to leave their home to allow you to work, particularly if they are working, but there is no reason for them to be in and out of the room you are working in. I would leave and advertise your services elsewhere. People will definitely be looking. I am desperate for a cleaner but most of the local ones are fully booked or have suspended their domestic services.