How would you have paid me?

[Halloweenbecominglikehristmas]

Asked last week to work this week daily fir a couple of hours during school holidays. Set time every day from X to X, fixed amount of hours and my price given. Organised working week, prepared for the work etc.
Today told only needed for half that time for today and tomorrow they have an appointment they forgot about.
Very pleasant person, paid for the hours i'd done

Would you, or would you pay for whole week as it was you who changed the days/time needed very last minute.

What does your contract/terms and conditions say?

I would pay for what I had booked, my husband would pay for what we had used

Well you should have put terms and conditions in a mail somewhere - yes they should pay you but cancellation terms should have been made clear and. They shouldn’t pay until you sent an invoice

you have to make things formal

I’m not paying anyone for hours they didn’t actually work unless contract obliges for me. I don’t know many business in this economy with that kind of money to throw away either

cleaner? Childcare? Depends on your arrangement and what you agreed. Those kind of roles can be so flaky if they can be cancelled on a whim and at short notice.

Cancellation fees should be part of the original contract or agreement.

As a childminder i would have charged the full amount upfront and not refunded you. If it was a favour for a friend and not your business I can see why someone might only pay for the time you actually worked. Up to you to decide how to pursue it though.

Yeah, you need very clear terms and conditions. I get they only want to pay for what they need rather than what they booked, but ultimately what they did might have meant you turned down work elsewhere and were now out of pocket. T&Cs avoid all this.

Yes, you should be asked to be paid for the agreed hours. It's not your fault you were no longer needed.

There may not be a contract but there is a verbal agreement they should honour.

I would carefully check what the T&Cs required me to do. Before I arrange any work or service, I check the cancellation policy. I assume, you have none so no, I wouldn't pay you for the hours you haven't worked.

Didn't have as just a one off, quick job

Yes within those roles

Is this your regular job or an ad hoc arrangement? I'm assuming no contract? How are you normally paid if clients cancel? What time line do you give them? Full payment if within 24hrs, a percentage???

I think you’ll just have to suck up whatever they have paid you this time, and make sure next time, you state what your cancellation terms are.

This was a one off job, no formal contract & terms etc, I accept that.

I'm solely asking if 'You'
would pay it out of decency basically and also apologise.

Personally, I would.

But surely you have them generally re cancellation you could apply?

I would pay the full amount agreed

I think most people would pay as little as they could get away with paying. The cost of everything is borderline dystopian right now, so I have some sympathy with that attitude, even if it feels pretty mercenary when you’re on the receiving end of it. Which is why contracts are important.

Edit: That said, if someone can afford a cleaner they’re probably not all that hard up and could, I imagine, afford to pay what was initially agreed.

If no contract otherwise, I’d pay for the hours you worked.

Same.

If you're picking up random hours then you have to have a solid cancellation policy in place to prevent exactly this scenario.

If you're running a business then run a business. Don't treat it like you're doing people a favour.

Agree.

No I don't usually do short term, on off jobs

You should definitely still have general terms and conditions, though, especially around cancellation

Money is certainly not an issue

I would have paid for hours l booked you, as presumably you couldn't book other work for those hours