Do you pay your cleaner when you go on holiday? Post Reply

[balhamite]

Hello

I'd be interested to see what others do in the following situation. I have a couple of weeks holiday planned and I am going to cancel my cleaner for those weeks as want to be 100% sure everything is locked up and alarmed correctly. Should I pay her for those weeks or not? It seems quite generous to give her money for nothing but then I am conscious that she will have bills to pay etc and probably is pretty dependent on a regular income.

Thoughts appreciated...

[Raspberry-Sorbet]

I do. She goes on holiday once a year for four weeks but consistently does the other 48 weeks and has never not turned up in 5 years. I give her extra money with the 4 weeks pay as a "thank you". She has been with us for a long time so that makes sense for us.

[NPMum]

We always pay our cleaner/nanny when we go on holiday. She is dependent upon the income and can't go a few weeks without pay. Plus, if I expect to have the same hours when I return, then I feel I should hold my spot.

We also pay when she goes on holiday, but unless she's a full time or almost full time employee, you probably don't owe her vacation and it would seem reasonable that you don't pay when she goes on vacation.

[Pud1]

I also pay my cleaner if I have cancelled her for any reason. That seems only fair to me as, like others have said, it is her income and she depends on it.

[WandsworthResident]

Of course I pay my cleaner if I choose to cancel her services for a week or two!

If she chooses not to come, I don't pay her, but it would be very unfair if I decided not to have her for a week or two and don't pay her, but then expect her to be back working for me when it suits me.

[EmmaVictoriaID]

Hmm, I may be in the minority, but I pay my cleaner for the hours she does not holiday or sick pay. I pay her much more than the minimum wage so this is the trade off in my mind. If I go on holiday I just tell her I don't need her for those weeks and the arrangement continues as normal when I return. There is no contract and she is welcome to use those hours to clean someone elses house. I won't pay for services I don't receive. She has never seemed disgruntled, she does 4 hours a week and I pay her £10 per hour. We don't go away often but I can't afford to pay her £40 a week for nothing. I have never paid my cleaners when I don't use them. Up to you but I think it's very generous!

[supergirl]

When I go on holidays, my housekeeper still comes and uses this time to do all the things she can't really do when the children and myself are around. She has the keys, she knows what she needs to do so she gets on with it.
If she doesn't come, I don't pay her. I always want her to come especially when I am not here so when I come I know that she has actually done every single corners, skirtings, and so on and hoovered under the furniture
I double her money at Xmas plus I give her a bottle of champagne and I give her a little bit more when she goes for 4 weeks in the summer.

BTW, she off for all of august so I would love if you could recommend someone to take her hours (6-7hrs a week) whilst she is away...

[townieatheart]

We've had our cleaner for over 5 years and have never paid her on weeks we've not needed her. Tbh it never crossed my mind as I assumed she wouldn't expect it working cash in hand. Sounds harsh but without formal pay, NI, taxes etc.. then why would you have to pay holiday pay?
It's never affected our relationship with her; infact as she has no grandchildren of her own she's become a bit of a surrogate granny to my kids and there is genuine love from both sides.

[ordinarygirl09]

Have always, payed my cleaner when we're away, she relies on the income. She comes in and I get her to do stuff she doesn't normally have time for, cleaning out cupboards freezer etc.

[dandelion53]

No, I don't pay our cleaner for holiday. It's only ever 4 or so weeks a year when we don't need her. She works cash in hand without a contract, no holiday pay surely comes with this arrangement and she'd be much more out of pocket if she started having to pay tax on an hourly rate of £9.50 which is very generous and way above min. wage. I've never got the feeling any of our cleaners have expected it over the years.

[lavenderlady]

I think it all depends to some extent on what you pay. My cleaner has no regular hours with me as my lifestyle no longer needs it and she comes ad hoc, sometimes a lot of hours, sometimes none etc. I pay her £10 an hour and give her extra at Christmas and summer. She has been with me for about 7 years so it must be working?
Whilst I understand they need regular income if it is a regular arrangement, if the pay is right and your cleaner understands she is paid if you need her, then I think there is nothing wrong with this. I am sure any cleaner who thought she was not being treated fairly would vote with her feet? Also, some might be happier with a higher hourly rate and less regular income. I have seen other posts on this site regarding pay and I know that wages differ quite a lot. Also, if one grossed up a cash in hand of £10 an hour, it works out to an hourly rate that is more than double the minimum wage that would probably be paid working on a salary for a company (with holiday and sick pay etc).

[juliantenniscoach]

No we don't if she doesn't work. But we usually arrange for work that normally can't be done like shelves, cupboards and other 'spring cleaning' things. that arrangement works well.