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Original poster

Positive ds, can my cleaner come tomorrow?

181 replies

PurpleEchoLamp · 31/10/2021 09:51

Just that really! Since he got his positive PCR, he's been banished to his room, so if he stays in there, and she only does downstairs, can she come? (1st world problem, I know!)

OP posts:
ssd · 31/10/2021 13:02

@SeasonalNamechange

Mumsnet is odd about cleaners

My cleaner has the choice and has chosen to come. People are not as bothered now

Don't know if choice was the correct word. She maybe needs the money too much to say no. Most cleaners clean as a last resort. I've only read of cleaners who love cleaning on mn. Bit like unicorns.
toomuchlaundry · 31/10/2021 13:29

Are the cleaner’s other customers happy that she is visiting a positive household @SeasonalNamechange

Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel · 31/10/2021 13:46

We immediately told our cleaner not to come when we were positive! Why would you even ask OP?

brittleheadgirl · 31/10/2021 13:52

Are you really asking this?

You're actually willing to risk the health of someone who is presumably self employed because you can't manage to clean your own house so they are protected?

And yes, bloody pay them still!!

Dutchesss · 31/10/2021 13:55

Just pay her and tell her you'll see her next week.

megletthesecond · 31/10/2021 13:57

No, it's not fair on them.
You'll still have to pay them though.

MichonnesBBF · 31/10/2021 14:18

@NailsNeedDoing

*Cleaners are akin to the Queen on MN, you don’t get sensible answers.

While it may be against the rules, many of us are just doing what makes sense to us now, so I would call your cleaner and give her the choice. She can choose to come and do her job with reasonable protection like mask, gloves, the infected person staying well away, all windows being open, or she can choose to be extra cautious and stay away.

I wouldn’t pay her if she chose not to come knowing that there are plenty of things that can be don’t to keep her safe. But then I’m a TA who has undoubtedly been around plenty of infected adults and children since the start of this and I don’t have the option of staying at home on full pay, so I don’t see cleaners why should either, especially when there is much more they can easily to protect themselves.*

Wow! I am embarrassed to be in the same profession as you 😕
You would actually blackmail your cleaner?
If they don't come to clean they don't get paid...really? Even though it goes against advice.

I would also be checking with your LA as to why you wouldn't get paid if you had to isolate for 10 days...

NailsNeedDoing · 31/10/2021 14:50

Honestly, I love my job and the tiny risk I face of illness from school doesn’t worry me. I appreciate I’m lucky that my health enables me to have that attitude, but thats why I’d rather be given the choice if I were a cleaner. I’d find it patronising to be told I can’t do my job when I wasn’t expected to be near anyone that’s got covid and there’s plenty I could do to protect myself and I’d be embarrassed to take a clients money for doing nothing when I could do something.

I may take a different perspective on it if I were vulnerable or if I were living with a vulnerable family member, but I’m not. It’s why it makes sense to me to just talk to the cleaner like the intelligent adult she presumably is and work out a solution with her, not for her.

NailsNeedDoing · 31/10/2021 14:52

I would also be checking with your LA as to why you wouldn't get paid if you had to isolate for 10 days...

It’s not the cleaner that needs to isolate though, so that would be irrelevant. Also, I’m employed, it sounds like this cleaner is self employed, so again it’s completely different.

PurpleDaisies · 31/10/2021 15:01

While it may be against the rules, many of us are just doing what makes sense to us now, so I would call your cleaner and give her the choice. She can choose to come and do her job with reasonable protection like mask, gloves, the infected person staying well away, all windows being open, or she can choose to be extra cautious and stay away.

You’re putting her in a rubbish position there. It’s not being “extra cautious”. It’s observing the rules relating to Covid self isolation despite you wanting to be selfish enough to break them.

It is clear on both the nhs and government websites. Do not have visitors to your house.

Positive ds, can my cleaner come tomorrow?
PurpleDaisies · 31/10/2021 15:03

Honestly, I love my job and the tiny risk I face of illness from school doesn’t worry me. I appreciate I’m lucky that my health enables me to have that attitude, but thats why I’d rather be given the choice if I were a cleaner. I’d find it patronising to be told I can’t do my job when I wasn’t expected to be near anyone that’s got covid and there’s plenty I could do to protect myself and I’d be embarrassed to take a clients money for doing nothing when I could do something.

This is not the same situation at all. Your cleaner would be breaking the self isolation rules by going into your house. What rule were you breaking to go to work in your school?

liveforsummer · 31/10/2021 15:10

Tell her and let her know it's totally her call. I'd pay her whatever she decides though

PurpleDaisies · 31/10/2021 15:17

@liveforsummer

Tell her and let her know it's totally her call. I'd pay her whatever she decides though
If you’re happy to pay her for not coming, why put her in the position of having to decide whether to break the rules? What’s the logic there?
liveforsummer · 31/10/2021 15:19

@PurpleDaisies because she might not be bothered, might have already had covid plus 2 vaccines, been around plenty positive cases so no longer concerned. I'm certainly at that point.

Maryann1975 · 31/10/2021 15:19

I wouldn’t pay her if she chose not to come knowing that there are plenty of things that can be don’t to keep her safe. But then I’m a TA who has undoubtedly been around plenty of infected adults and children since the start of this and I don’t have the option of staying at home on full pay, so I don’t see cleaners why should either, especially when there is much more they can easily to protect themselves
This is such a dreadful attitude to have. I work in early years so Consider I have the same level of COVID risk as a TA, but I do not wish that level of risk on any one else in a different profession. It is not a race to the bottom.

If there is COVID in your household you must not have visitors in. So the cleaner can not come in, regardless of what measures they put in place to protect themselves.
Op, you need to let your cleaner know and pay her for her time as she won’t be able to fill the slot. Your attitude to her safety is dreadful. What job do you do and are you happy for your employer to put you in contact with COVID positive people? Especially if you know that you wouldn’t get paid if you caught it?

CottonSock · 31/10/2021 15:20

I'd tell her not to come and still pay. I've done this whilst waiting for results several times, let alone a positive test.

liveforsummer · 31/10/2021 15:22

Also tbf where's the logic in any of it anymore? It's against the rules for the cleaner to clean on a different level of the house with absolutely no direct contact but OP who likely has regular close, face to face contact, is allowed to come and as she pleases. None of it makes sense!

PurpleDaisies · 31/10/2021 15:27

Do you think it’s a privilege for your cleaner to come and clean your house? If you’re giving her the option to come or not but still get paid, why not just observe the rules and not put her in that position?

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/10/2021 16:08

@NailsNeedDoing

Honestly, I love my job and the tiny risk I face of illness from school doesn’t worry me. I appreciate I’m lucky that my health enables me to have that attitude, but thats why I’d rather be given the choice if I were a cleaner. I’d find it patronising to be told I can’t do my job when I wasn’t expected to be near anyone that’s got covid and there’s plenty I could do to protect myself and I’d be embarrassed to take a clients money for doing nothing when I could do something.

I may take a different perspective on it if I were vulnerable or if I were living with a vulnerable family member, but I’m not. It’s why it makes sense to me to just talk to the cleaner like the intelligent adult she presumably is and work out a solution with her, not for her.

Well, you are actually not supposed to go into someone's house if they are Covid positive. It's different than being accidentally exposed at work.
NailsNeedDoing · 31/10/2021 17:26

I work in early years so Consider I have the same level of COVID risk as a TA, but I do not wish that level of risk on any one else in a different profession. It is not a race to the bottom.

I’m not wishing a any level of risk on anyone. I’m just at the point of realising that there is very little consistency or sense in many of the rules, so I’d rather make my own choices. The cleaner may be the same. As a PP said, she could be double jabbed and have had covid recently for all we know, so could be at next to no risk. She deserves a conversation with her client IMO because like many of us, she may prefer to continue working. If she doesn’t, then that’s fine too.

Whstdoyouthink · 31/10/2021 17:28

‘A bit clueless’ you sound ‘a bit self centred’

youvegottenminuteslynn · 31/10/2021 17:38

It's not 'clueless' to consider getting a cleaner to come to your home where someone has tested positive for covid. It's selfish. Really selfish.

At least you've now realised it would be incredibly unfair. Hopefully you stick to it.

MichonnesBBF · 31/10/2021 17:55

@NailsNeedDoing

You clearly stated that you don't get to stay at home and not get paid..

If you tested positive...yes you would get to stay at home and get paid.

Last school year when bubbles were in, if your class bubble burst you would have been sent home for 10 days on full pay to isolate weather you had symptoms or not.
Because that was the guidance...

This is absolutely no different...it is against guidance for the cleaner to be in the home, therfore they should not be penalised by loosing pay.

MichonnesBBF · 31/10/2021 17:55

therefore

PurpleDaisies · 31/10/2021 18:26

She deserves a conversation with her client IMO because like many of us, she may prefer to continue working.

You honestly think most cleaners consider cleaning people’s houses such an amazing experience that they’d rather ignore the Covid self isolation guidance and potentially put themselves at risk verses getting paid for not doing that week? What planet are you living on?

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