To be uncomfortable with my cleaner bringing her child

[Panapan]

We have a cleaner who comes for a couple of hours a week. Sometimes she brings a colleague and only stays an hour. Today she brought her teenage son - said he was going to help her as he’d finished his GCSEs. I assumed he’d just be hanging around with her but she then only stayed for the hour and charged me for two (ie she charged me for her son). He worked hard and didn’t do a bad job - not perfect but adequate - but I’m not completely comfortable with paying a 15 year old the same as I pay his mum. I’ve paid and won’t say anything as I’m hoping it’s a one off. But if he comes back next week, would it be unreasonable of me to gently suggest that I’d rather he didn’t come the next time?

You don't know how much she is giving the son out of the pay but to think he deserves less pay for the same work makes you look like an arsehole.

It really doesn't. OP is paying top rate for skills and experience.

It's very unlikely the cleaner is employed by the OP. The cleaner is most likely self employed and there is a service contract in place

No, it doesn't. A new member of staff doing the same job as somebody who had been working in the same role for a few years wouldn't be getting the same wage.

oh it should be worded a bit differently then but I would still address it in advance rather then on the day.

Its like that Channel 5 drama Too Good to Be True

I'd expect to know ahead of time (and be asked for approval) if it was going to be 1 person for 2 hours or 2 for one hour. She should at least have checked what her son was doing to ensure the cleaning was as good as if she'd been doing it herself. If the cleaning isn't up to the usual standard, I wouldn't be happy paying the usual amount.

YANBU to raise it with her.

I wouldn’t personally allow it. What if he hurt himself like knocked himself out slipping in the bathroom when mopping because he’s still a child and hasn’t realised it would get slippery as it’s his first time etc ( yes I know he’s 15 but still a child and everyone is dafter at that age ) also, what if he’s being forced to work and not be paid, like fuck am I going to be accused of child slave labour.

Tbh I think her attitude is wrong in the sense she expects to be able to swop and change. Regardless of two people doing one hour, but sure that’s 100 percent as time effective as one person doing a deep detailed clean in 2 hours

easier to rush over and miss bits in two one hour slots …

On a professional footing your cleaner is self employed and thus chooses how tbe work is done and can substitute others for herself.

And the work is being done in half the time. Win, win.

If the work is bfing done to standard, there shouldn't be a part.

Understood.
It happened here once in the past,
I was also uncomfortable (two small kids).
We are child free.
Not employing a cleaner atm anymore.
🙂

Just text to say that you’re only able to have her to clean from now on for the agreed two hours.
Don’t engage further.

Is the boy 15 or 16? As most kids are 16 when they finish their GCSEs.

I wouldn't be happy with a 15 year old cleaning but 16 year olds can be insured in workplaces as long as they aren't doing certain things.

So if he was 16 plus not cleaning the kitchen and any bathrooms then fine.

This!

Well it doesn't matter who she brought - as long as it's the same standard, right?
I presume you were not watching them the entire hour. So, if you can clearly tell the difference between the bits son cleaned, and the others, it wasn't 'adequate', no.

I'd be taking pictures and complaining about the difference personally. If she wants to train son she should take on the burden of covering for his inadequacies.

I guess my issue is just that other teenagers wouldn’t be getting £18 for an hour of work

But not many other teenagers would be willing to clean peoples houses, nor work with their Mum.

I think, if you employed your cleaner to do 2 hours, and she suddenly switched to this arrangement without checking with you, you would be within your rights to think about it.
But you said she switches it about and brings 'colleagues' with her sometimes and they have 2 people for an hour (rather than one person for two hours). So, if you are happy for her to do this, then YWBU to object just because the 'colleague' this time is her ds. You have admitted he did a good job.

I would not be happy either. So many things could go wrong by her bringing all these other people into your home. That's her son but should he do something wrong, you wouldn't be able to deal with him like you would her. Sounds like she's become to comfortable and you've allowed this.

I didn’t say it was on her to provide work experience, she has every right to be arsey about not being told beforehand that the cleaner was bringing someone else as I’m assuming their agreement was for the cleaner to do the whole 2 hours alone but op didn’t call her out on it the last time she brought someone, op is more miffed that the boy is getting paid equal to his mum even though she admits he done a good job, that was my point!

A friend does this but charges a slightly reduced rate for her son’s working hours, seems fair

If he did a decent job and the house is just as clean then YABU. If you can find fault with his work and you think you are getting a lower quality of service then YWNBU to say that his pay rate is 15% lower until he cleans to the same standard as his mum.

So she’s employing her son as an assistant? You’re paying the same price for the same work?

Is he not 16 if he’s finished his GCSEs? I guess he could be an August birthday. But why shouldn’t she employ him?

So can 15 year olds? My ds has had a part time job since 14. He had to wait until he turned 16 to mop the floor because of the chemicals 😂

Well fair enough.
At one stage in my life I worked as a cleaner - in someone's home, as well for professional cleaning companies cleaning doctor's surgeries, banks, sports clinics etc.
So turning up at someones house with your son in tow and expecting your employer to pay him as your assistant without even ascertaining the employer is OK with this before hand absolutely beggars belief to me.
This is not professional behaviour.

I think 15 year olds are paid less because they are not as knowledgeable or thorough. That's according to the food industry.

My old cleaner did this but she asked me in advance if it was ok and most importantly, charged her daughter out at half the mother’s hourly rate as she said she ( the daughter) wasn’t as thorough. It worked well though as the daughter did things like emptying dishwashers/taking out rubbish, some hoovering.

So turning up at someones house with your son in tow and expecting your employer to pay him as your assistant without even ascertaining the employer is OK with this before hand absolutely beggars belief to me

But the point in the OP's case is she set this precedent some time ago and the OP was okay with it.

I'm inclined to agree I wouldn't be happy with my cleaner bringing someone with her I hadn't agreed to, but that isn't what the OP is complaining about.
Therefore it puts a very different slant on it.
If she is happy for her cleaner to bring randoms into her house, then there is no reason why one of those randoms shouldn't be the cleaner's ds - particularly as she says he did a good job.