Should a cleaner wear a mask?

[LayTheTableMabel]

I own a flat in a relatively small house (4 flats in total, 3 owned 1 rented by owners of house but being sold) I just left my front door into the communal area and the cleaner (comes very rarely maybe every 4 months) is cleaning with no mask on. We have had a surge of covid locally with schools heavily affected. My mum has incurable lung cancer so we are especially cautious. Surely if the cleaner is cleaning in 5 houses a week without a mask she is quite high risk? I feel really uncomfortable 😕. Totally prepared to be flamed and wanted to put it here rather than covid board to get a more balanced view....

It’s highly strenuous work, it’s beyond a dick move to ask her to wear a mask.
But why should you care about her, you are the owner, she’s the lowly service worker, just impose your will on her.

If she comes once every 4 months and only cleans the communal area then this a complete non issue. Just keep your distance from her if you’re that worried but I wouldn’t be because she’s literally cleaning everything she touches. I wouldn’t want to do physical work with a mask on, I don’t think it would be fair to ask.

I think kindly, YABU. Obviously you want to keep your mum safe, so you should take all the precautions you feel comfortable doing. I wouldn't impose this on someone just doing their job, lone working by the sound of it, in a communal area. I'm assuming the other residents aren't expected to wear masks walking in the communal area to their doors?

YABU

Yes they should.

Yabu.

Are you asking this of everyone you see who is not wearing a mask and monitoring everyone around your mum at all times?

You are quite within your rights to ask any worker inside to wear a mask. Please tell the owner to ask her to if you feel uncomfortable. I won't let anyone in my home unless they wear one

Let's get this straight. She only does the communal areas? But you think she should cover her face to do physical work? What kind of life have you led for the last two years to think this is in any way proportionate?

If she’s standing very near to you, chatting, yes.

If she’s cleaning, no.

@7Worfs

It’s highly strenuous work, it’s beyond a dick move to ask her to wear a mask. But why should you care about her, you are the owner, she’s the lowly service worker, just impose your will on her.

What a ridiculous and unnecessary thing to to say. The OP is understandably concerned about her seriously ill mother.

I don’t ask the cleaner in my home to wear a mask because it is strenuous work. However we open the windows and ventilate whilst she’s here and for a while after.
Cleaners at work wear one though! (NHS)

It is incredibly difficult to do strenuous work with a mask on. Cleaners are normally subject to really strict time limits as well. So it's not like she can wear a mask and go a bit slower. Do all residents of the building wear a mask in the communal areas?

You could ask her boss but I'd expect her to be wearing a sunflower lanyard and be exempt next time.

Many people do physical work and HAVE to wear a mask pre and post covid. Even some cleaners wear masks when using certain chemicals. They don’t drop down dead ffs

I think as it’s in the communal area (I’m assuming we’re talking about hallway here rather than a common area living room) then it’s not really an issue as other flat dwellers aren’t likely to be wearing them when walking through. Will your mum be in the area when she is cleaning? Ask if measure can be taken to protect your mother if so, windows open etc. Who arranges the cleaner?

She isn't in your home. She is cleaning the communal areas.

She is working quite hard, and you have also no idea whether or not she is mask exempt.

I think you should let it go and not make an issue.

Absolutely not

It's a block of 4 flats, but you say she is cleaning 5 flats a week? Is yours one of them and how do you know this?

I'll also add, if I lived in a block of flats (I used to) then I would not wear a mask in the communal areas either. Not in my flat and not in the communal areas.

In fact, I wouldn't wear a mask anywhere in any building I called home.

I presume the cleaner isn't there for massively long, and your mother would normally have no need to be around her when she is working.

So she’s in communal areas only?
Just stay in your flat or go out for those few hours every 4 months she’s there. You don’t need to be hovering in hallways surely

My cleaner does. By choice as she cleans in multiple homes and lots of elderly and chronically ill people. So it's perfectly possible as she's been doing it for months and months.

Having said that I think as this cleaner cleans a communal area only, I think any additional risk is likely minimal so although I understand why you are so worried, in the kindest way, I think you don't need to be concerned about this. Your mum should obviously take all her normal precautions when she is entering a communal space.

@MichelleScarn

It's a block of 4 flats, but you say she is cleaning 5 flats a week? Is yours one of them and how do you know this?

No. I think OP is surmising about what and how many other properties the cleaner might enter to work in during the week. Speaking hypothetically.

The sooner this is all over the sooner people might start thinking rationally again!

YABU - she is working alone in a communal area, why should she wear a mask?

Do you wear a mask every time you walk through the communal area?

I live in a converted building with 4 flats - 2 floors, 2 flats on each floor - and we have cleaners who come and clean the hallways. They are there for maybe 30/40 minutes maximum once every 4 weeks (it's literally just two tiny hallways and a set of stairs to hoover then the bannisters and one window to wipe down, there is literally nothing else in the hallways to clean) so I would not expect them to wear a mask to do the job especially as none of the residents wear masks to walk to their flats through the communal area - myself included - because it literally takes seconds. My flat is the first one in the building and from the main door and it takes less than 10 seconds for me to be in my flat, the door to the other flat on my floor is about 5 steps past my door and the stairs up to the other flats start just the other side of my neighbours door.

Just keep your distance when she's around, if it's only once every 4 months that shouldn't be difficult.

I live in a flat in a purpose built block. Nobody has worn a mask in the communal areas throughout the entire pandemic. Think our cleaners are here for about 5 minutes every two weeks so if yours are similar can you not just stay in your flat during that time.

YBVU