If your cleaner offers you a half price clean to make up for cancelling last minute

[GlowUp2022]

There’s no way in hell you can accept it, is there? I think absolutely not, DH says if they offer why not

Op, I say this as a self employed cleaner - if your cleaner has offered you a half price clean for mucking you about THIS time, it’s most likely because they KNOW they’ve mucked you about a bit in the past, and don’t want to risk losing you as a client. If it’s happening regularly, they’ve either put you in a ‘flexible’ category (without actually asking if that suits you, which really isn’t on) or have had changes to their schedule which means it’s difficult to keep to your original slot (eg no other bookings close to you - but they should have talked to you about that).

NMW is completely irrelevant in your case, as you’re not an employer - so don’t worry about that. Your cleaner is running a business, and setting their own rates which work for them.

Some options:

1. Accept the half price clean
2. Accept the half price clean and ask for more commitment to a set day/time
3. Decline the half price clean
4. Decline the half price clean and ask for more commitment to a set day/time

You’ve said that you’re happy with your cleaners service and rate, so based on what you’ve said, I would suggest option 4.

Personally I wouldn’t accept it

I mention minimum wage not in terms of the legal sense, but in the moral sense. Morally, I couldn't have an individual work for me for below minimum wage, whether they are self employed or not. They need to be able to afford to live, and the living wage reflects the minimum that is required for this. I pay my cleaner significantly above this, and am happy to.