Cleaner without insurance

[c0vb1rd]

Hi, I'm going back to work soon on a 4 day week and now with two children my husband and I decided to hire a cleaner. We have tried an agency and they have been rubbish! Really bad! We have tried a few local private advertised cleaners but they are either fully booked or unreliable so today I interviewed alady who I came across in gumtree she seems lovely but she has no insurance :( public liability seems to be most important - she text later to say the insurance was costly for her but we could have a written contract just between our selfs - seems sensible or not? Let me know your thoughts thanks

Why would you insist on insurance? Cleaners' hourly rates are notoriously poor (not much above minimum wage) so I'd expect you to sort out insurance. Don't know why you'd need it though. She'd not be your employee, so you wouldn't be vicariously liable for anything she does. The worst thing she's likely to do is break a vase.

I've never expected cleaners to have insurance. As Collaborate says, any damages will be covered under your home insurance.

Actually most household insurance covers your domestic employees. So she would not need it.

I am aware they are poorly paid hence the reason I don't want to pay an agency I'm just worried that if she breaks a leg falling down the stairs she sues me :(

Similarly I suppose if she polished your wooden floors and you slipped over you might sue her?! There's so much risk assessment and litigation these days, perhaps you should both give each other the benefit of the doubt and forget insurance, especially if she's willing to sign a contract of some sort?

She'd sue you because you dangerously had some stairs installed in your house? Really?

And if she did sue most household insurance would cover you if you could be shown to have been negligent.

Hi ally

Hi all thanks everyone for your thoughts I'll check home insurance to

I would also pass this by your home insurer as you would be liable for any person on you premises who came to harm because of your negligence, eg loose rugs/carpets, biting dogs or cats etc etc.

Falling down stairs would not be a problem, but a loose rug at the top would be!

Any form she signed would not be valid regarding your 'negligence'. Basically it doesnt exempt you from a duty of care. As an employer it is greater than that afforded a member of the public.