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How to handle paying my cleaning help when away



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amother
Cobalt


 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 6:39 am
I'm going away for pesach. I generally have 15 hours a week of cleaning help. What's the right thing to do when I'm away and therefore cleaning help's not coming? Pay her anyway since I'm the one Cancelling? Ask her if she can make up the hours when I come back? Don't pay her? Pay her half? Thank you so much.
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chouli




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 6:50 am
It depends what kind of agreement you have with her.
Where I live you only pay by actual hours she was there
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amother
Cobalt


 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 9:04 am
This cleaning help has been working for me for the last few years. We never spoke out any type of agreement. I just can't remember at all what I've done in the past.
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notshanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 9:08 am
The nice thing to do for someone who works regularly is to give some type of vacation pay just like a boss would give an employee.
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 9:29 am
I would let her know you'll be away for the holiday & give her a tip ...
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granolamom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 9:32 am
I usually pay her for the time if I cancel, I dont pay her if she cancels.
the woman who cleans for us has been with us for a very long time and is trustworthy so sometimes I ask a neighbor to let her in so she can clean when she normally does, its nice to come home to a clean house! not sure if you can do that pesach if you didnt clean the house for chometz though.
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 9:38 am
granolamom wrote:
I usually pay her for the time if I cancel, I dont pay her if she cancels.
the woman who cleans for us has been with us for a very long time and is trustworthy so sometimes I ask a neighbor to let her in so she can clean when she normally does, its nice to come home to a clean house! not sure if you can do that pesach if you didnt clean the house for chometz though.

This. All of this.
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 9:45 am
what is she going to clean if you already cleaned it ?
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Barbara




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 10:04 am
greenfire wrote:
what is she going to clean if you already cleaned it ?


There's always something to do in a house.

IMNSHO, if the arrangement is that she comes to you every week for certain hours, then you should pay her for the time that you will be away, as it is very likely that she depends on that income.

OTOH, if its catch as you can -- she comes when she can fit you in, 3 hours one week, 10 the next -- then you need not pay her, although it would be nice to give her a small bonus for that week.
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lizard8




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 10:20 am
Its hard to say, because we don't know what she expects of you. Do you have a neighbor who would like extra help over yt? If your lady agrees, then 'lending her out' can put money in her pocket, but not coming from yours.
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OOTBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 10:22 am
I'm with the above posters in that I pay my help for any days I choose not to use her. I've had steady help for over 35 years and I've always paid them if I go away or otherwise cannot use them. I will sometimes send them to work for my kids (I'm still paying) instead if they can use the extra help. This year, I'm going away for Pesach as are most of my kids who might otherwise use her and I will pay her in full. While this may or may not be "required" it creates an awful lot of good will and helps when you need something extra from the help.
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Barbara




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 10:36 am
lizard8 wrote:
Its hard to say, because we don't know what she expects of you. Do you have a neighbor who would like extra help over yt? If your lady agrees, then 'lending her out' can put money in her pocket, but not coming from yours.


Do you work? Does your husband?

If so, how would you (or he) feel if your employer said, "You know, I'm going away for a few days. You can work for my friend. You don't know him. You don't know his expectations, or what he'll be having you do. He could be nasty and have you doing things that I would never dream of having you do. But at least you'll get paid. Otherwise, its time off without pay. But as soon as I come back from my vacation -- you know, the one that's costing me about 30 times your weekly pay -- I'll expect you to be there exactl when I want you to."
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Fox




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 11:49 am
ITA with OOTBubby and Barbara.

Of all the people I pay to help me in life, household help is actually one of the hardest to replace. Finding a new doctor, lawyer, or accountant is a lot easier than finding a new cleaning lady whom you trust and work well with.

So why would I nickel-and-dime her?

To paraphrase the old ad campaign, "Paying my cleaning lady for Yomim Tovim or other occasions when I don't need her: Money I budgeted when I hired her. Loyalty and goodwill generated: Priceless."
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Ema of 5




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 11:57 am
I pay my cleaning lady by the hour, so if she doesn't come (whether I tell her not to or she cancels) she doesn't get paid. She can work 4 or 6 or 8 or 10 hours (or any odd numbers too) and THAT is what she gets paid for.
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kb




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 12:37 pm
What if you share a cleaning lady with someone else? If I pay her for a week she won't be here, then does that mean everyone I share her with will have to pay her also (I'll be home this year so it doesn't matter, but that was my consideration in the past)

Also, she's been working more hours before Pesach. In a way that should balance out a week off.
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OOTBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 2:35 pm
kb wrote:
What if you share a cleaning lady with someone else? If I pay her for a week she won't be here, then does that mean everyone I share her with will have to pay her also (I'll be home this year so it doesn't matter, but that was my consideration in the past)

Also, she's been working more hours before Pesach. In a way that should balance out a week off.


My only works for me 12 hours a week (at one point when my kids were little I had full time help). The others she works for happen to some of my kids. I don't see how it matters though: I pay for all of my time that I don't use her. If they use her their times, they pay her; if they don't use her, they determine what is right for them to do but it doesn't effect me.
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granolamom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Mar 27 2015, 5:05 pm
Barbara wrote:
Do you work? Does your husband?

If so, how would you (or he) feel if your employer said, "You know, I'm going away for a few days. You can work for my friend. You don't know him. You don't know his expectations, or what he'll be having you do. He could be nasty and have you doing things that I would never dream of having you do. But at least you'll get paid. Otherwise, its time off without pay. But as soon as I come back from my vacation -- you know, the one that's costing me about 30 times your weekly pay -- I'll expect you to be there exactl when I want you to."



I totally agree.

now, if you paid her for the time you are away and you know someone who could use the help, you could always offer your cleaner the position at your friends, give them each others numbers and step out of their relationship. but pay her either way. this 'lending her out' business always rubbed me the wrong way.

just like you can take another paid position during your paid vacation.
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amother
Smokey


 

Post Sat, Mar 28 2015, 6:04 pm
Just so you know, I don't pay my cleaner when I am away. I do try and hire her extra hours before and after (she isn't that busy) so she doesn't lose out financially, but I just can't afford to. We can just about afford the hours we get, which is not as much as I need but more then we can really afford. I do try and get her extra work when I can if I know someone is looking for help. And obviously she gets lots of extra hours before pesach and yom tov. She also comes to me on yom tov, even though she can't vacuum we have lots of guests so there is always stuff to do.

She does try and coordinate that she goes away on vacation the same time as me.

My husband does some teaching btw and does not get paid during school vacations either. I don't think a (part time) cleaner is similar to a salaried position. Its similar to any paid by the hour job. If you hired a gardener once a month in the summer to mow your lawn do you pay him in the winter even though you don't need him? What about your accountant? You hire the same accountant every year to do your taxes but this year you are not running your business since you are on maternity leave so don't need him. Do you still pay him? When you hire a cleaning service afaik you only pay for hours you use.

Obviously if you can afford it it is lovely to try and pay your cleaner extra when you can. I wish I was in that position. Sadly I am not.
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amother
Gold


 

Post Sat, Mar 28 2015, 11:47 pm
When I have a cleaner that cleans for others it is common that everyone pays the exact same. No one gives vacation pay for cleaners. If you offer more, then people think you are "stealing" and trying to get preferred treatment. Because of this, I use people who work for me exclusively. I am not going to fight with my neighbors over what I do in my house.

Sometimes I pay when I go away. It depends on the relationship. If the cleaner has worked for me for more than a year, I also give a year end bonus.
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granolamom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Mar 29 2015, 12:58 pm
amother wrote:
Just so you know, I don't pay my cleaner when I am away. I do try and hire her extra hours before and after (she isn't that busy) so she doesn't lose out financially, but I just can't afford to. We can just about afford the hours we get, which is not as much as I need but more then we can really afford. I do try and get her extra work when I can if I know someone is looking for help. And obviously she gets lots of extra hours before pesach and yom tov. She also comes to me on yom tov, even though she can't vacuum we have lots of guests so there is always stuff to do.

She does try and coordinate that she goes away on vacation the same time as me.

My husband does some teaching btw and does not get paid during school vacations either. I don't think a (part time) cleaner is similar to a salaried position. Its similar to any paid by the hour job. If you hired a gardener once a month in the summer to mow your lawn do you pay him in the winter even though you don't need him? What about your accountant? You hire the same accountant every year to do your taxes but this year you are not running your business since you are on maternity leave so don't need him. Do you still pay him? When you hire a cleaning service afaik you only pay for hours you use.

Obviously if you can afford it it is lovely to try and pay your cleaner extra when you can. I wish I was in that position. Sadly I am not.


I think its one thing when your dh's employer tells him when he signs on that he will have such and such dates for unpaid vacation and another if the employer tells him oh next week dont come in, I cant afford to pay you.
my cleaning lady was hired to work every thursday. so there is no reason she should budget for me cancelling on her, she depends on that income. but if I had told her that I will only need her 50 weeks per year, then she can agree to that set up or not.
if you call your cleaner every time you need her, then you just pay her when you use her service. but if its a set up regular thing, you should still pay for her comittment to you. she cant very well take another job or make plans for a day when she expects to be hired by you.
I dont see it as extra pay, its what I budget for when I determine how much cleaning help I can afford.

and I pay my gardener by the season, so if I tell him not to come during a holiday week, yes, he is still paid.
if I have a business where I hire an in-house-accountant, he is probably not paid the same hrly rate as my accountant who does my personal taxes once a year. he's expected to be there for me when I need him as opposed to the second guy who can tell me he has no time to meet with me.

it all depends on how you set things up in the beginning.
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