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What to pay the weekly cleaner when I go on holiday

(23 Posts)
jerrydp Tue 11-Apr-17 10:15:36

Our "Daily" comes once a week for 3.5 hours and is paid £35. If I go on holiday I always lock up and alarm the house and so she is therefore missing out on 1, 2 or 3 weeks work/pay. Should I pay her for some or all of those weeks as its not her fault that she won't be working or earning from me and can't fill that morning with alternative paying work?

Teetime Tue 11-Apr-17 10:16:38

Oh yes I think so if you want to keep her - how about half?

nanaK54 Tue 11-Apr-17 10:39:59

I would continue to pay her - is there anything she could be doing outside for you at all?

Christinefrance Tue 11-Apr-17 11:16:41

If she is conscientious and reliable then I would pay a retaining amount. Something to negotiate when she was first employed maybe. My daughter cleans for several very wealthy farmers but she is a key holder so goes in when they are not there. Some of her clients are quite mean when it comes to paying despite being well off.

Norah Tue 11-Apr-17 11:35:37

I give a key and the code, she lets herself in. Whilst we are away I pay her the same as usual and she does things that take extra time and care.

If she runs out of work (whilst we're away) she rings and helps any of our daughters.

She also works in the garden, tidy up the trades area, for whatever reason she likes to power wash. smile

aggie Tue 11-Apr-17 11:48:48

I give my lovely lady holiday pay when she nips back to Latvia to see family , but she comes back with a present for me ! How can I tell her to save her money ? without offending her

Stansgran Tue 11-Apr-17 12:48:29

My lady does a spring clean while I'm away. But these days I think she's away more than I am. She's in Las Vegas at the moment.

rosesarered Tue 11-Apr-17 12:49:25

It's a lot of years since I had a cleaning lady, but we didn't pay anything when we had a holiday.There was nothing to do in the house and she didn't do gardening.She had lots of other clientsfor the rest of the week.I asked one of our DD's ( who has a weekly cleaner) and they lock up and go on holiday too, and don't pay.So, what makes you think you have to pay?

NanaandGrampy Tue 11-Apr-17 13:03:34

I think I would pay. Its a bit like childcare, you pay to retain your place . Its definitely something that should have been in your original agreement.

Charleygirl Tue 11-Apr-17 13:11:27

I always paid my last cleaner- I was not on holiday, this was hospital admissions. She was so good that I did not want to lose her. The house was clean but she did jobs such as cleaning out the fridge.

Iam64 Tue 11-Apr-17 13:58:04

I agree with NanaandG, it's like child care, payment should be made to retain the place. I paid my childminder half the weekly fee if we were away but we did try and coincide with her family holidays.

Norah Tue 11-Apr-17 14:24:07

Because paying is nice and kind, and you keep your cleaner, why not?

travelsafar Tue 11-Apr-17 14:38:33

NORAH i agree with you. She may need that money desperately to meet her own expences. If she got the offfer of another job and took it, she may not return when you what her too.

kittylester Tue 11-Apr-17 14:45:37

Our cleaner comes in while we are away and does whatever needs doing. I don't stay in while she is here so it's the same thing really. If she takes holiday I don't pay her.

Lillie Tue 11-Apr-17 15:36:40

I agree with NanaandGrampy too. She is being paid for the slot she has allocated you whether you choose to be away or not. This is probably a fairly large loss of earnings for her, especially if you go away for 2 or 3 weeks.

rosesarered Tue 11-Apr-17 15:59:09

Of course this matter is up to the individual.If you take many holidays then I can see why you would pay.My DD only takes two weeks a year, that means the cleaner loses only a total of six hours and my DD informs her in advance when the holiday will be.The cleaner has many other clients and actually earns quite a lot.
Cleaners today are not the poorly paid people they used to be, if they work for an agency they will be given other jobs to do ( while you have a holiday) and if they work for themselves then missing out one client twice ( a year) isn't going to worry them. But like many other matters, it's up to you to do what you want to jerry smile

mumofmadboys Tue 11-Apr-17 16:12:25

Don't cleaners have a few weeks paid holiday a year like everyone else if they do the job permanently?

Gardenman99 Fri 03-Nov-17 12:42:13

We pay our cleaner 52 weeks of the year regardless of if we are home or not. We pay £50 per week for 3 hours. We give her £100 extra for Christmas.

Ilovecheese Fri 03-Nov-17 12:45:28

I think that's the right thing to do Gardenman90 cleaning is employment the same as any other job and should have paid holidays

CherryHatrick Fri 03-Nov-17 13:23:04

A good, honest reliable cleaner is worth her weight in gold; of course you should pay her when you are away. When I was working I had a housekeeper who worked 3 hours a day, 4 days in the week. She had keys and the security codes and worked the hours she chose within the 8am to 7pm hours I was away from home. She couldn't wait for us to go on holiday as she had a binge of carpet shampooing and curtain washing all lined up! I paid her for her holidays, and gave her a Christmas bonus because she did her job much better than I ever could.
I only have a cleaner for 2 hours a week now I am a pensioner, but I hope I treat her just as fairly,

SueDonim Fri 03-Nov-17 13:36:19

We pay our cleaner when we're away. It's our choice to go away so it's not fair to deprive her of income.

MamaCaz Fri 03-Nov-17 16:51:21

Pay her when you are away, and think of it as paying her holiday pay. Like all of us, she needs a regular income. That said, I would not then pay when she herself is on holiday - assuming she is self employed, I would expect her to budget for her own holidays out of her income.

silverlining48 Fri 03-Nov-17 16:59:33

I have never had a cleaner ( wish i had i hate housework sad face) but think you should pay her, something, at least half maybe?