Cleaners increase in hourly rate

[user1478790138]

Hello

First thread here so pls be gentle.

We have a largeish house in the Nottinghamshire, 6 BR, 4 BA and a fairly large ground floor, 2 children and dogs. Have had a pair of cleaners who come twice a week (initially three times but then it was to hectic for us) for several months now and paid £12ph, they want to increase it to 13.5 now. They do the cleaning and tidying, of which there is a fair amount but I don’t limit them time wise. Not sure now how to react, we’ve had them since March, somehow an increase of 100+ quid a month seems a bit steep in such a short period of time? What would you do??
Thank you

@MrsRobbieHart wonderful piece of sarcasm because you couldn't think of a measured reply. Most employers cannot afford to give people more than their set rates. Otherwise why bother setting a bloody rate? You're a cleaner. Most employees think they are worth more but my cleaner is self employed so if she needs/wants more I trust that she will tell me. Until then, it's the rate we agreed and a present at Christmas. Like most employees get 🙄

You’re not her employer. You are one of her clients. Probably not her favourite

If it is genuinely the case though, that everyone who has a cleaner pays them more than the rate agreed, I am very mean and hope my cleaner isn't a MN'er 😂

Most employees think they are worth more but my cleaner is self employed so if she needs/wants more I trust that she will tell me.

My cleaner is self employed. I didn't call her my employee. Because she isn't. If you aren't going to read the posts properly then don't make such sure replies.

I did read it properly.

I read you saying “Most employers cannot afford to give people more than their set rates.”

And “Most employees think they are worth more”

And “Until then, it's the rate we agreed and a present at Christmas. Like most employees get”

So whilst I am aware your cleaner is self employed. I’m also very aware of the 3 separate references you made in one post to employees and employers. Which gives you away.

Increase your prices ASAP. Anyone worth cleaning for will pay it happily.

I was generalising. Most people are employees with an agreed rate. My cleaner is self employed, with an agreed rate with her client (me). I don't see myself as her employer, although I accept it has come across that way. But here is a definition of employ

1. to engage or make use of the services of (a person) in return for money**

My cleaner does a good job, there's no doubt about it. But I'm not in the way of giving people extra money for a service with an agreed rate..

If this is the case and all people who make use of the services of a cleaner, then maybe I should become one. If my cleaner didn't like me or want to do it anymore because I'm a stingy bitch then I'm sure she make her excuses and leave.

@ThinWomansBrain

pay initially - shop around to find average rates locally, then decide if you want to continue sounds as if it's the 12.5% increase irking you rather than the actual cost, but consider having one visit a shorter top up, and one longer thorough clean. Or tidy yourself and they just do the real cleaning?

Sounds a good plan to me.

I pay £15 per hour for my cleaner to clean 2 hours per week. I do not expect her to and pick up after me. I do not expect her to do my washing up. I do not expect her to do my ironing. Some people think that cleaners are their own personal maid. When she was on holiday I thought I would do her job and timed myself to see what she does in 2 hours and its really hard work. I think its a bargain at £15 per hour. Dont forget that she also has to travel to your house and she isnt being paid for that time or petrol.

@havesomepatience you could always give her more money than she is charging you, apparently it's the norm.

@havesomepatience

I pay £15 per hour for my cleaner to clean 2 hours per week. I do not expect her to and pick up after me. I do not expect her to do my washing up. I do not expect her to do my ironing. Some people think that cleaners are their own personal maid. When she was on holiday I thought I would do her job and timed myself to see what she does in 2 hours and its really hard work. I think its a bargain at £15 per hour. Dont forget that she also has to travel to your house and she isnt being paid for that time or petrol.

See, this is where I get really confused. Please explain why a person who works as a cleaner should find ironing tasks to be in some way offensive? Why on your head is ironing a worse job than wiping toilets and mopping floors? Your cleaner might find travel to and from your house for just 2 hours of work to be much more annoying than having longer hours at fewer houses.

I find it a particularly odd mumsnet only thing; I've had 4 cleaners in 20 years and I've never had one who didn't do the ironing. They just let me know if there's any extra time to pay. The current cleaner has one customer who doesn't have ironing, I only know that because it's so unusual she mentioned it! (And they are only staying a customer despite short hours because they live next door to another customer.)

@MRex I don't think it's offensive atall aslong as it's agreed that you want them to do the ironing. I discussed with my cleaner what we needed and we agreed how many hours it would take and that she would fill the hours. So sometimes she will clean the cupboard doors if she has time, she did the microwave last week. I don't see these things as extra, as I've never specifically asked her to do anything but fill the hours. A lot of people on MN seem to think cleaners do it from the goodness of their hearts, when really they are self employed and set their own rates.

I know this isn't the point but I find it really funny that I was feeling that it would be extravagant for me to have a cleaner for 2 hours a week in a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house that I run a childminding business from, as well as having 3 children of my own. It suddenly seems completely reasonable, especially if theyd tidy up too! I think the pre tidying is probably why I haven't already done it tbh.

@PyongyangKipperbang

I'm not normally an arse about stuff like this but fuck me.....how the other half live.

What do you mean by this?

I’m sure. But a) you don’t know me or if I am rude etc or b) how rude patients can be. My point was that I had to undergo rigorous training, on a constant basis. And put up with daily abuse. Cleaning, which I have done, once, was a picnic in comparison. If my cleaner doesn’t like my rates, I’ll manage without her. I’m ok with that.

If my cleaner doesn’t like my rates, I’ll manage without her

I'm not sure why posters are giving Electrician a hard time. She only said she can afford £10 and she has found someone who is willing to provide the service for that amount. Why so much outrage?

@mustlovegin she outed herself as a GP receptionist, I think that's why she's getting stick. It is not unreasonable to not pay your cleaner equal to or more than you get per hour. Self employed cleaners set their own rate - if people aren't willing to pay it they will find work elsewhere, it's a non issue IMO.

Thank you. Everyone loves to hate gp receptionists. As one doctor told me, we get it from the public and from the gps, nurses etc. We can do no right🥴

I agree with everything gamerchick said

I pay £15 per hour for my cleaner - I’d happily pay her more , she is fantastic.

Most cleaners I know wouldn't put clothes away or do a big tidy up.

No, I don’t get a buzz. As a patient myself, I feel really bad that there aren’t enough doctors. I had to wait three weeks at my own go surgery for a telephone appt. What had that to do with the point that many of us suffer from under pay? Cleaners do not deserve to be paid more than anyone else.

@ElectriciansMate

As a gp receptionist who gets paid under ten pounds an hour, I refuse to pay my cleaner more than ten pounds an hour. She accepts it. I tidy up before she comes. It’s up to her. She wants the work. She can go elsewhere. I can’t afford to pay her more.

You're absolutely right. Cleaners are free to set their own rates and yours has set hers at £10 ph. If that's what she wants that's fine. It is entirely up to her.

She's doing herself a disservice, though, considering she's self-employed and doesn't have the benefits you do of paid holiday and a couple of weeks of sick pay, and also you have the option of a pension that your employer contributes to.

She will have to pay her own insurance premiums and sort out her own private pension.

Your employment is different to her self employment so she is actually paying herself less than NLW.

Thankfully none of them ever fill the mop bucket for me.

That's a bit bizarre isn't it?

@mustlovegin

If my cleaner doesn’t like my rates, I’ll manage without her

I'm not sure why posters are giving Electrician a hard time. She only said she can afford £10 and she has found someone who is willing to provide the service for that amount. Why so much outrage?

Quite. But I think too that she isn't appreciating the difference between being employed at say £9.50 and hour and being self employed at £10. Yes the latter sounds more but when you take into consideration the benefits included with the £9.50 and the extras that take away from the £10, that £10 suddenly becomes £8.50 or similar.