Cancelling our cleaner

[Justajot]

I know this is a fairly trivial question, but we are going to cancel our cleaner as part of social distancing. She is not through an agency. I think we should continue to pay her, at least for some time. Any thoughts on how long for?

4 weeks? Is it something you could easily manage though?

If you are still being paid I think it would be really really kind and the right thing to do to carry on paying her

Well considering she is £15 an hour, I strongly suspect she doesn't pay tax,so I was thinking 50% was fair.

When my small family firm closes I will get SSP, so nowhere close to my salary albeit part time.

The gardener is less of an issue, he works outdoors, as does the dog walker.

And the ironing lady takes it away, so ditto for paying.

I have set up an indefinite standing order. She has worked for me for years and this is going to be much harder for her than for me I fear. In the old day’s people with servants paid them a pension for life: maybe we are going to return to that. I can’t leave her to starve when she cannot work.

Working what a great attitude OP if you can manage the same, that would be amazing for your cleaner.

I'm keeping ours on. But won't get too close

We have cancelled ours but will pay her for at least the next four weeks. Will have to see how things stand after that (DH and my jobs both vulnerable).

I'd offer to pay for the next month then re-asses based on your own circumstances.

The reality is that everyone needs to be prepared to share the burden of this crisis.

We also need to be mindful of what happens when it's over.

Do people think that a good cleaner/tenant/gardener etc will happily pick up where they left off after you've ditched them for 3 months plus?

This epidemic could last 18 months or more.

Making very short term decisions isn't the answer.

Everyone needs to think carefully about how we support not just ourselves but our wider community and not burn bridges or over burdening the economy further by needless penny pinching.

If you can afford to pay or offer a token. I'm not in the UK though here if you are let go due to Corona virus there is a 6 week government payment.
I was happy to be relieved from work even with a financial hit.

Do people think that a good cleaner/tenant/gardener etc will happily pick up where they left off after you've ditched them for 3 months plus? They'll probably have no choice, I'll have to go back to work when business resumes, now let go for the time with no pay. Charming
It's not like I'll pick up another job at the moment.

Mayhaps Emerald but by the same token when they do have a choice will they hang around?

What will their perception be of people who ditch people in n this situation?

Frankly I think we are going to see a separation of the best/worst in people.

I'm damn sure I know what side I want to be on.

If you can afford to then I think you should just pay her as usual for the next year. If your incomes are going to change and you genuinely cannot the that's a different matter

@DeRigueurMortis spot on.

Ours is coming tomorrow as I’m also still at work this week but will be wfh by friday so after that we’ll do 2 week self isolation and ask her not to come but will still be paying her as DH is wfh and continuing to be paid his full salary so it’s only fair to keep paying others including her and the kids music teachers

If she is through an agency then no I wouldn’t continue to pay as she probably won’t receive it anyway.

Continue to pay her for as long as you can afford to.

If you manage to do so throughout the crisis, ask for a really through deep clean when normality returns.

If you can’t afford to pay her, consider paying her a retainer during a fallow period.

Also speak to her about her circumstances though and what other clients are doing. If enough keep paying her, she won’t have to claim benefits etc.

But she might want to stop work and claim benefits if only one or two people are offering to keep paying her, if for example she’s in rental accommodation and would receive housing benefit. In which case, a generous one-off end of contract “bonus” might help her build a little savings buffer for that period.

@DeRigueurMortis I believe you are right.

I’m self-isolating with family for 14 days as I have a cough. I cancelled my cleaner today and will continue to pay her in full for both weeks.
She needs my money more than I do.