Are you paying your cleaner during lockdown?

coggie my cleaner is not a servant, she's a valued employee and friend. She will get no money from the government til June and I will try and support her as I would any friend or person whom I feel responsible for.

The agency I use isn’t like that - not all of them are. I pay the agency directly and they then pay their employees. I have a contract with the agency which clearly sets out the T&Cs of that.

hand wringing about paying servants and splitting lupins or whatever, only on Gransnet.

I got our lady through an agency. They are just that. They have a register of cleaners and put customers like myself in touch with an appropriate person. They check references etc and make sure that the person is honest. The cleaners themselves pay to be on this register. After that it's up to customers to pay directly to the cleaner. The agency doesn't pay them.
What is becoming clear through this thread is that, generally, we like these ladies who come to our houses. Very positive relationships can develop over the years and we want to help them and their families at this difficult time for us all.
They are people not just service providers.

I'm just amazed that people openly support illegal tax evasion (that's exactly what it is) by paying cash in hand. I pay tax and so should everyone else!

I prefer to do things legally to protect workers so I use an agency. I’m happy for everyone who need it to be furloughed, regardless of their profession.

I am paying my cleaner 75% while I clean baths and mop floors. I would be paying her if she was working. I know she doesn’t pay tax and insurance but then, if she did, I would have had to be paying her even more. And if all the cleaners were furloughed our taxes would be destined to rise even more than they will.
I grew up in a household where the breadwinner was self employed and I know what it is like for there to be no work and no money.

There’s also nothing to actually stop a cleaner work at the moment if you’re paying them cash in hand. I don’t, so as has happened to my husband and thousands of others, the cleaning company I use has furloughed their staff.

Eloethan you try finding a cleaner for £8.27 an hour inthewash.co.uk/cleaning/how-much-do-cleaners-charge-uk/

Nannan2 what is wrong with me ? As you have asked ...is I have bi-polar.
But apart from that I’m fine thank you.
I just can’t justify spending money on something I can do my self,not because I can’t be bothered.
But yes I get it....the different reasons why people do have cleaners.
The thing that really does annoy me is people who have cleaners because there lazy!
I’m not knocking them my mum was a cleaner,my friend is a cleaner.
But those off you who do I certainly wouldn’t be paying for a service I wasn’t getting!
If they did the right thing in the first place,ie declaring what they earn,they will receive 80%back and you can earn £12,500
A year without paying tax which is a single persons tax allowance.

Gabrielle54 “making a mint” lol ?

I pay mine 25.00 for a session, once every 2 weeks. A 'session' lasts as long as it takes her to do the specific jobs I ask her to do. During lockdown, obviously, she hasn't been coming BUT she phoned me this morning - she's going shopping tomorrow,can she pick up anything for me? So I'm having a wine box delivered
I LOVE her!

The PayScale research site lists cleaners as earning, on average, £8.27 an hour.

As far as I am aware, there is nothing to stop a window cleaner from continuing to work.

Cleaners are low paid? Really?! I pay mine £15 an hour - which is more than a band 5 nurse earns an hour.

I don’t think it’s mean at all. If they are being paid through the books or declaring their earnings then they qualify for the same Govt help as the rest of us. Why should one furloughed worker who’s not being paid by their clients pay another furloughed worker for a service they’re not receiving?

You may not have a weekly visit from a hairdresser but why does the frequency matter? It’s a service that you normally receive - whether that’s weekly, fortnightly, monthly or bimonthly. My window cleaner isn’t working at the moment - he can’t guarantee that he will be protected. Should I pay them both too? Should my neighbours continue to pay their childcare providers if they’re not receiving childcare?

SirChenjin I imagine most people do not use the services of a hairdresser in their home and every week, and, as I understand it, window cleaners, and gardeners or anyone working outside can continue to work. I think a cleaner whom you trust to come into your home and care for it is taking on a much more personal role.

I really don't think you can compare cleaners - who generally are quite low paid (the poster above who pays her cleaner £20 an hour is not the norm, in my view) - to accountants. I don't think many accountants are living hand to mouth.

I don't think anyone would describe you as a "monster" but I do think it's a bit mean not to offer anything at all.

She has asked if she can work in the garden for the hours she would normally clean - more than happy with that. But I would have paid her anyway - always do when she is on holiday. I want to keep her!!

*or not it

I'm now wondering who cleans my OH's house. I've never seen anyone coming it going nor has he mentioned having a cleaner but the place is immaculate.
I know he has a gardener but cleaner.. ?
Hmm. I shall ask and I'll ask what he pays too.

She does what I want her to do and does it well. The time she takes to do it all is irrelevant. I pay her a set amount.

Physical presence isn’t always necessary but working the hours you’re paid for is, surely?

If you’re both happy with it that’s the main thing

If your employer is happy to pay for your presence then fine. If they're paying for a specific job to be done then it's maybe time for you to review your contract? This lockdown will have shown employers that physical presence isn't necessarily vital.
My contract with our cleaner lists the jobs I want doing. I pay her to complete these tasks. If she gets through them in less than the 2 hours I pay her for then that's fine by me. I get my money's worth the job's done. We're both happy.

Green why not pay other people you receive a service from? If they’re above board then they’ll be able to claim money from the Govt along with every other furloughed or self employed worker.

Jane I must try that one with my employer ‘ ‘you might be paying me for 37.5 hours per week but I finish my work early each week so I finish early - still pay me for 37.5hours a week though’ Cant imagine many employers being happy with that one!

Is she coming back Elizabeth1? It might not be possible to pay her anyway if she's left the country. Quite a few of my SiL's staff have gone back to Poland. It's understandable under the circumstances but they'll be sorely missed if they don't return.

Crikey. What an emotive subject.
I feel if we employ someone regularly for any type of job we have a responsibility towards them. For me this means paying them whilst they are unable to work through no fault of their own.

I’m not paying my cleaner she went off home to Poland to be with her family should I still be paying her?