To ask you, if you can afford to...

[Findawaytobehappy]

To still pay your cleaners/gardeners etc if they have to self isolate?
I think everyone needs to try and do what they can to help people to keep going in this unprecedented situation.

That’s all

No, no way. All my partners work has been canceled so he isn’t earning anything. We will be letting any luxuries go so would not be able to keep them let alone pay them if they were not working

I will definitely pay my cleaner if she has to self-isolate. Mind you, if I couldn't, I wouldn't.

Yes, I’ve already made that arrangement with our cleaner. I realise that not everyone can.

We are currently in 14 day isolation and we will pay the cleaner through that. I know she has insurance though through her company for if she can't work.

I intend to however I don’t have a mortgage so am lucky.

All my partners work has been canceled so he isn’t earning anything. We will be letting any luxuries go so would not be able to keep them let alone pay them if they were not working

Which is what I prefaced it with ‘if you can afford to’

Our cleaner text this morning to say she can’t come as is showing symptoms so has to stay at home for a week. I’ve paid her anyway.

I'm a self employed dog walker and in isolation. None of my clients have offered to pay and I don't expect them to. Dog walking is a luxury. If I can't work why should I be paid?

That's the risk you take being self employed imo. We have savings and will use them to get us through if necessary.

I absolutely will, I am fortunate that I can.

I will also not be demanding refunds from small businesses and theatres in my area. And I am thing shop local as much as possible.

Also even if people can afford to pay, I don't blame them for being extra careful.

This could go on for weeks or months. People could be out of work and struggling for a long period of time. I'd tell them to save their money just in case. How long would you expect to be paid for when you can't provide services?

A week or two is reasonable but a month? Two months? Six months? That's insane imo.

I will also not be demanding refunds from small businesses and theatres in my area. And I am thing shop local as much as possible.

Yes, me too. My yoga studio sent out an email offering Skype-based sessions and seemed to be implicitly pleading with people to not cancel their memberships.

Really hope that those who can support their local businesses, cleaners, etc during this time, will.

I’m in the same position as a childminder. My insurance won’t pay out and I may be forced to close. I can’t force parents to pay but I might ask if they can afford to that they still make some sort of payment. I’m very worried about responses and being called a CF though tbh.

I posted this on another thread but if you want to continue to pay your cleaner make sure you are paying them and not the agency.

No guarantee the money will make it to the cleaner if you pay the agency.

I’m in the same position as a childminder. My insurance won’t pay out and I may be forced to close. I can’t force parents to pay but I might ask if they can afford to that they still make some sort of payment. I’m very worried about responses and being called a CF though tbh.

I would not consider you a CF for asking. Good luck.

Thank you

I’m paying mine. I really feel for everyone in her position.

I tend to view it as if I cancel their services e.g. in this situation it would be if I had to self isolate I still pay cleaners/dog walkers/gardeners etc. However in the reverse case then by default I wouldn't.

The problem with this unique situation is that it won't be just a small subset of people being affected financially. It could be most of us being affected even if it's just a knock on effect across industries.

Yes. Unless we end up with no income in which case I wouldn't dip into family savings to pay them unfortunately

Unfortunately lots of people are going to lose their income stream, or at least be v frightened that they will. There’s been numerous calls to support, local shops, restaurants, pubs, actors, musicians, hospitality staff,b&b owners, dog walkers, childminders...... fine for a week or two, but this will go on for months and months.

What we need is government intervention on a large scale. The place they should start is to prevent any banks foreclosing on mortgages/tenants being evicted and any mortgages/rents unpaid being riled forward to increased payments in the future.

I'm planning to suggest to my PT that we come to some kind of accommodation.

Say, I keep paying and after it's over he gives me 12 bonus sessions free over a year, or if he sticks his lower price schedule for me for longer.

He's a really nice kid who's helped me through a massive change. I need to be careful with what I offer him, because he takes my advice on a few things business wise. I don't want to lead him to a bad deal for his other customers.

I can and will for a short time but am self employed and not earning now either (not the sort of self employment where anyone will pay me voluntarily!).

(Vulnerable) PILs are paying their cleaner, gardener and the mobile hairdresser who comes regularly (not booked ad hoc), because they chose to suspend it.

If the service provider had been the one to,cancel, then I'm not sure what they wouid have done.

The economic damage is unfortunately likely to be serious

Also heard good suggestions about buying a gift card from a shop or restaurant and using it later (assuming they're still able to be in business "later" 😢)

I'm self employed. I am immuno compromised. If I don't work I don't get paid and my clients may well find someone who will and I won't get the work back!

So, my business could well be over and it's not one that cold be saved by shopping local, I can't work from home and can't put the jobs off until later, etc.

I would imagine that every self employed person has weighed this up and made their own deision knowing that if they don't do the work they won't get paid!

We just need the government to tell finanical services to put a hold on their collection services for anyone who needs it!

It's such an awful situation. My husband and I run a service based business and we will be short of work for us and our staff for as long as this goes on. I don't know if we'll be okay and I'm pretty sure most of our staff won't be. The government need to do something to help everyone financially in this unprecedented situation.

Not quite the same but we've got a holiday booked in Italy in early June, at a small family-owned agriturismo that we've been going to every few years for the last 12 years. It's very likely we'll have to cancel, and i plan to offer them a 50% payment for the week (we usually pay on arrival). I'm very aware that this situation could ruin their business, and we can afford it as we won't be re-booking anywhere else, and our flights would be refunded.