Would it be unreasonable to offer to pay my cleaner less?

[kissthefish]

I have a new cleaner. He started with me a couple of weeks ago. So far, so good. I have paid him so far by bank transfer on the day. However he has asked if I can pay him in future in cash.
Thing is, it’s an awkward amount. £54. I have no issue doing this when I’m at work, as my workplace is very close to a bank. However on school holidays (I’m a teacher) it’s going to be an inconvenient pain in the ass, as I don’t live near a bank. I tend not to have cash floating around, as I pay for everything by card.
Would I be unreasonable to offer to pay him £50 cash during the holidays?
Also, is it the norm for cleaners not to make the bed? He leaves them as they are (roughly made, as the mornings are a rush) but doesn’t straighten them out, which looks odd in a clean bedroom.
Thanks.

Simply say no you can't pay in cash.
Easy.

(I'm deliberately not being helpful because he's obviously asking for cash to avoid paying tax, which makes me irate.)

This. The school can use the extra money and the OP will have much higher take home as she won’t be paying income tax or NI and can also claim UC on top. Where the government will be collecting money from to give the money from the school is a mystery but never mind that.

I'd say I can pay you £54 by bank transfer or £50 cash and see what he says. He's obviously doing that to reduce his tax so is saving by getting cash. I get the round note thing. Even £5 are hard to get hold of and I never have coins. I pay my cleaner cash but it's a round amount.

In fact, if he was my cleaner I'd terminate his employment with me and report him to HMRC.

We had a situation like this and we ended up paying every four weeks in advance. I would make sure you have written communication though so there is no doubt what has been paid for when e.g. “I left £212 on the kitchen counter, this will cover weeks Monday 26th October to Monday 16th November”.

But her initial question was nothing to do with diverting earnings from the taxman, it was just the inconvenience of having to go out of her way to get coins.

I don't pay cash for anything except at a market stall. I think it's better to refuse to pay cash than to reduce the amount though.

People who insist on cash generally are up to no good, either:

• arent declaring it all for tax
• are avoiding child maintenance
• are dodging debt repayments etc

Refuse...you will probably find he offers a lower rate for cash but honestly i dont know why people agree to pay cash these days.

He’s clearly asking for cash so that he doesn’t have to declare it. If you’re comfortable with him working cash in hand and not paying tax & NI, and he’s a good cleaner, just get cash back at the supermarket when you do your shopping, and if the £4 in coins is such a big deal just give him £55.

I’d ask him why he wants cash, and make the decisions based on that.

But if OP can get to a cash machine to get £60 why can’t she get to a shop so spend some to break in to a £10

I might try that in Sainsbury’s

Why only at a market stall?

I would round it up to £55 for convenience. Good cleaners are hard to come by and in the far off days when I had one, I appreciated them very much.

There is no good reason to ask for cash over a bank transfer that isn’t about hiding your true income. I would refuse to pay cash.

Next time I fill up the car I won't worry if I go over the pound, I'll just tell them I'm paying cash so they can round it down!

I never pay a man in cash, as this is how so many of them hide their earnings for their child maintenance payments.

Unless he can't get to a bank, either!
I would round it up to £55. And I wouldn't want him messing with my bed if it had already been made, after a fashion.

Spending money when she doesn’t need to.

Could you go to a bank and ask to change some notes into a stack of pound coins?

Then she needs to say to the cleaner that doesn’t work for me can I carry on bank transferring you £54 instead of trying to pay someone less for their service

He doesn't need to get to a bank if the OP does a bank transfer. He is trying to avoid paying taxes. @kissthefish may not want to facilitate this either. Overall, why should she go to extra trouble to remember to withdraw the correct amount of ££ each work just so that he can pay less/no tax?

Didn’t know cleaners made beds.
Anyway, he probably wants the cash so as not to declare it. Up to you if you’re ok with that or not. Would £55 be easier?

Just that some don't have facility to take cards or if they do it doesn't always work. I almost never go to market stalls any more though! Everywhere else I buy things takes cards and I always pay trades people etc by bank transfer. Nearly all the cash machines that used to be near me have gone now.

Yep, that’s what i’ve suggested.

Many people claim UC while working

It kind of amazes me that you get well earning people, who take advantage of many tax avoidance schemes yet they are so concerned their cleaner might save a bit of tax by getting paid cash that they going into a hissy fit about it. Yes the loopholes they can save £1000s through are perfectly ok for their accountant to use