Those with cleaners, do they come all year round?

[spydie]

We've had a cleaner since October/November time. She didn't come over Christmas (for 2 weeks) and then again didn't come last week. Not informed either time. When I followed up with the company, I was told she didn't work half term and upon pushing further, it's all school holidays she doesn't work.

Obviously it would have been nice to have been told in advance (or even included in the contract). But is this normal, or do most cleaners work year round? We are expecting another baby in early August, and frankly having someone over the summer holidays is a priority given I'll be heavily pregnant/with a newborn. But I'm wondering if we should stick with who we know, if this is commonplace? Of course we don't expect someone to work year round, everyone needs time off, but every school holiday is quite a lot!

My cleaner has off October half term, Christmas (just the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, not the entire school holiday) and some time over the summer but certainly not the whole summer holidays. She always lets me know well in advance when she won't be coming. I would get someone else to be honest as it sounds as though your current cleaner doesn't meet your requirements.

My cleaner never has time off except if Christmas falls on his normal day. But thats his choice not mine. We found him through my previous cleaner. No agency.

My cleaner comes during the holidays if I ask her. She normally sends a text to ask if she’s needed. I’m a teacher so more often than not I tell her not to come. She appreciates this because she has her own kids to organise.

I expect my cleaner to tell me in advance when she is away but I've never thought about counting how many weeks she has 'off' as she doesn't get paid when she doesn't come. I have offered holiday pay but she declined - now I realise that's so she can take time off when she needs to.

Thanks all. Unfortunately, it is becoming clear that she doesn't really meet our needs which is a shame, and I feel bad as fully appreciate how hard it is for people to find holiday cover for kids etc. The irony is my DH is a teacher and the house is probably at its dirtiest when he's off with our toddler... .... so we really do need someone for most of the time although we of course don't mind holidays here or there, with some notice of course

Yes they do come in the hols mostly, but occasionally can't for childcare reasons.

I think we need more jobs that fit round DC in the world, so I've always said to our cleaning company that it's not a problem to cancel in hols if they don't have cover. But if cleaning in hols is a priority for you, you should be able to find someone without much problem but make it explicit from the start.

Ours didn't come over Christmas, which is fine, and tried to change the day at half term, which didn't work for us as I'd agreed to have thousands of children here (ok maybe not thousands) the day she wanted to come, so I said just leave it.

Our cleaner owns her own very small agency, and she has school age kids. I'm pretty sure most of her employees do too (she usually brings one or two cleaners with her and they all clean for an hour and a half or an hour, to make 3 "man hours" instead of one person doing 3 hours). I expect it's a job people with care commitments are disproportionately represented in due to possibility of flexibility.

Tbh the house is full of people in the holidays so it's inconvenient having cleaners in then, but in term time they come when everyone is out.

Talk to the agency about getting cover for August though if that's what you want. You may not want anyone in the house during the first few weeks after the birth though.

mine always comes, unless her day is a public holiday (e.g. Xmas or Boxing Day).

She does take 4 weeks holiday a year, but this is notified well in advance.

My cleaner comes every week
At Christmas I pay her as usual but give her 1 week (day) off and let her work the other day when it suits her
I don't have time to do cleaning so would need to get an agency cleaner in

Definitely getting someone else, or just giving up on the idea and doing it myself!! She's not coming today as she's sick, so in the last 4 weeks she's been once... agency don't provide cover....