A Moral Dilemma

Summer plans
As if this awful ‘ summer weather ‘ wasn’t bad enough .
Last week I enjoyed going to see Sir Tom Jones lovely couple of days away & on Sunday back to the same venue to see Nile Rodgers , DJ Spooney & Sophie Ellis Bextor with DH .
On Thursday we have tickets for a music event in London , train tickets & dogs in kennels booked . This is for an artist we’ve been waiting to come back to the UK for a long while .
At the weekend we have a family Beach hut day that my dd arranges annually & we’ve booked a few days more for beach hut & an Airbnb.
On our way home we collect our ‘ new to us ‘ caravan which I am super excited about .
Sad to say I have succumbed to a nasty 🦠 virus throat, chest , heaving it started on our way home on Sunday & I thought I just had a dry mouth & needed a drink !
We knew these two / three weeks were going to be super busy but didn’t factor in this . So rest & r hopeful recovery & we can carry on with our plans ,
Yes , I know worse things happen , before I am told .

I have been employed in a similar way. He has booked his time with you and there is no way he can make up.that money, which he is relying on. I'd pay him.and say he deserves a holiday. I.have treated people who have worked for me in a similar way and they are forever grateful. My plumber came to an emergency one Christmas Eve.

If you have been using him for five years and he makes a good job of it and is reliable, I would pay him half for not cutting it when it doesn’t need it, but definitely let him know in advance.

Sakura4 you seem to have accidentally posted on the lawn cutting thread.

Ban dogs from coffee shops?
At the risk of alienating every dog owner in the country, am I unreasonable in not wanting to negotiate dogs every time I go for a coffee or a meal? Before dog owners unleash their ire, I do not hate dogs. Far from it, we have a delightful cocker spaniel in our family but are unable to keep a dog in our flat. My query is prompted by the fact that rather than a ‘dogs welcome’ sign being displayed, I feel more ‘no dogs’ notices need to be used so that customers know where they stand. I recently visited a brand new bakery where on arrival was nearly tripped over by the owner’s dog who ‘likes to say hello’. Am I the only person who thinks dogs wandering around anywhere selling food is just not hygienic? I then felt I had to keep a careful eye on which member of staff petted said dog and whether or not they washed their hands before serving food and drinks. I really feel dog owners are now immune to how others may feel about their dog being in an indoor seating area and think that everyone should just accept their dog under the table, on a chair, on a lap etc. I’m rapidly running out of places to visit where I won’t have to negotiate dogs. Perhaps these self indulgent folks also belong to the ‘it’s only being friendly’ brigade of dog owners who inhabit every park and allow their dog to run freely and scare the life out of my granddaughter - but that’s a topic for another post. Meanwhile, does YOUR dog really need to join you every time you have a coffee?

If for any reason, I’m feeling ill and want a lie-in for the day, I cancel the cleaner or the gardener, but I always pay them. It’s not their fault that I’m not well and don’t want to be disturbed with all the noise that the hoover or the lawn-mower makes

DH is very fussy about the lawn but unwell at the moment. To avoid “scalping” in the hot weather the grass is cut every week but on a high cut by a grass cutter. In wet weather it can look overgrown after a week but is still green.

mabon1

It is very difficult to kill grass, so if you are generally happy with his work let him be.

My sentiment. Or pay him anyway even if you don’t want it cut. It’s a struggle to get good people.

No moral dilemma here. Why would he even cut lawn when he should clearly see it does not need it? No decent gardener would do that.

My hubby was a gardener for 30 years and frequently refused to cut a customer's grass if it was stilted due to dry weather as it wouldn't do the grass much good. Is your chap a gardener or just a grass cutter. There's a difference.

No I don’t think people should say I don’t want you this week without paying - gardener can’t say it’s very hot so I can’t pay my rent this week. Asking him to do different jobs is a compromise? It’s what I do with my gardener and he’s happy with that.
I feel the same about hairdressers, cleaners manicurists, physios etc unless you can give them plenty of notice and they can fill the appointment slot. The gardener has probably a fixed number of gardens and would find it difficult to add another garden every time he has a cancellation.

My garden man comes fortnightly on the same day ..but if its torrential rain he doesn't which is perfectly understandable....when my grass got scorched last year, he didn't return until there was new growth by sending me a text to see how the grass was...very sensible -think the OP should have a conversation with him, if you've known him for over 5 years he wouldn't want to lose you as a good client,he would lose out...I often see on neighbour platform plenty of gardeners offering services local to you - perhaps you could check this out?

he not be!

Surely be can raise the mower blades?

OP, I might offer an extra £2 a mowing session, to take into account the hot weather missed mowing session?

Does he do other lawn stuff (though not in hot weather) such as feeding,watering a lawn, putting grass seed on bare patches, ( seed best sprinkled over bare patches in Feb or March) edging?

Tell him as you don’t want lawn scorched, but pay him, it is a business and if I cancel anything such as dog sitter, I still pay as my space is saved and had it not been sunny you'd of wanted him to do it.
I often get myself into a pickle about things like this especially if he is good and reliable. Good luck

It's difficult when you are self-employed and keeping slots free for people who then decide they do not want/need them, at very short notice. I do not charge my clients when they go on holiday, but some counsellors do, and certainly dentists and hairdressers charge people who don't turn up, without 24 hours notice. Surely it must be possible to talk this through - tell him you value him and ask how he suggests you negotiate these times when the grass does not need cutting? He must be able to do something else, surely?

It is very difficult to kill grass, so if you are generally happy with his work let him be.

Can't he just adjust the cut on the mover so that it doesn't scalp the ground? I'm guessing that he's had a few people cancel because of the weather but he thought you were too nice to cancel!

I dot use my garden much - its only a case of keeping it looking reasonably tidy. My gardener only comes once a month and usually just cuts lawns and strims in summer. However if I want him to do another job (connected with the garden) he will do it. Obviously I need to give him notice if its something for which he does not carry equipment in his van like cutting down the leylandii. Then he will bring his ladders and "men at work" notices.

It's one of the hazards of this type of work - no job done, no pay. I think that's fair, Allsorts isn't his employer.
If our lawncutter doesn't come for whatever reason, he doesn't charge us and he is flexible with his days if it's pouring with rain/scorching hot.

Perhaps we're just lucky he will do other work as well. He must be a treasure!

As someone else said, what does he do if there is a prolonged wet spell, as is often the case nowadays?

Does he come and mow the lawn regardless, with his wellies and raincoat on?

I don’t think I would be keen on paying him if he doesn’t cut the grass though.

I agree. The weather isn't his fault (or yours) and he's worth hanging on to. He'll appreciate you as a good employer.

eazybee

Tell him not to cut the grass, (as employer) but pay him anyway; this will only happen a very few times and surely his services and goodwill (as employee) are worth retaining.

I think I'm going to agree with this option too.

eazybee

Tell him not to cut the grass, (as employer) but pay him anyway; this will only happen a very few times and surely his services and goodwill (as employee) are worth retaining.

Perfect solution. He's happy because he's not out of pocket and has some time off. You're happy that he'll continue his mowing in future.