Can I give lunch to cleaning lady after 4 hours on her time?

amother

Aqua

Fri, Aug 03 2018, 7:22 am

Is it acceptable to give lunch to the cleaning lady after she's worked for 4 hours and finished by me, on her own time, without paying her for eating? If she works fro 9-1 or 10-2 can I let her eat lunch at 1 or 2 without paying her for the time she takes to eat lunch?

amother

Gray

Fri, Aug 03 2018, 7:30 am

I maintain my least popular position on this matter. I treat my cleaning help the way I'd want to be treated. I do that because I can't bring myself to treat any person any other way.
(In return I get devotion and good work.)
When she comes I'd give her cake and coffee and 2-3 hours later I'd feed her lunch on my time. Because thats as much as I would need to eat. And I'm not necessarily doing physical work!
My mother always treated hired help with tremendous respect and care and my husband does the same.
I just don't see any other way an option.

watergirl

Fri, Aug 03 2018, 7:39 am

There was just a long thread about this. Are you that OP?

Can you imagine doing that kind of physical labor without a break from 10-2? I cant. Heck, I need to eat lunch at noon or I get really hangry, and I work at a desk, have coffee, breakfast, and a snack at 10!
I think you can ask her about paid time to eat, but it should be at noonish, not wait until 2.

amother

Plum

Fri, Aug 03 2018, 7:45 am

You can give her lunch after her 4 hours working for you if allowed by law, but she may not be ok with it. 2 o'clock is late for lunch. If you are going to do that than start her earlier.

We had a cleaning lady who already had another client in the afternoon, and she wanted to be paid for her travel time to that job. She kept saying we were stealing from her which is nonsense. I let her go.

amother

Seashell

Fri, Aug 03 2018, 9:10 am

amother wrote:

Very nice that you are giving her lunch.

I assume for the 4 hours you are paying here there are specific tasks to be completed. If she can do those tasks in 3h and 45 mins are you really not going to pay her for the missing 15 it takes to eat her lunch? Otherwise - if it takes her the full 4 hours to get the work done, she can eat a bit later.

Personally - I'd put out the lunch near the end of her working hours with you. If she has pride in her work - she'll finish what she needs to finish before she sits down to eat.

(which reminds me of another point - generally - thank your cleaning lady and complement how great the house looks. Most everyone is motivated when their work is valued.)

amother

Silver

Mon, Aug 06 2018, 8:20 am

amother wrote:

That's always how I treat my cleaning ladies
Plus I tell them to help themselves to a drink if needed. I show then where it is. I don't ask them to do heavy duty hard cleaning. Nothing outside in bad weather. Just tidy up the rooms, wipe down furniture, windows, dust and wash floors and toilets. And I give a full lunch and a snack to take along..... and then they go up with the price.....

Last week my new cleaning lady did it again....
So I gave her a yogurt and a fruit as she was leaving and told her I might not need her services anymore. And in looking for a new one.

amother

Mustard

Mon, Aug 06 2018, 8:41 am

My cleaning lady eats whenever she wants. I used to set out food for her but she knows where I keep it and helps herself. She is usually here alone. I don't expect her to starve until she is done. She needs energy for hard physical labor all day. I'm usually not the first or the last person she goes to. I'd want to be treated nicely too and it's not like we want them bringing their own food.

amother

Seashell

Mon, Aug 06 2018, 8:43 am

amother wrote:

So it goes.

pumpkinsbubby

Mon, Aug 06 2018, 10:52 am

amother wrote:

amother

Turquoise

Mon, Aug 27 2018, 11:49 pm

amother wrote:

Wow exactly the issue I have! I'm not sure why they do it... Is it because they get too of a good feeling (sort of spoiled) or because if we are nice to them and give them food then it means "we're rich and can afford to pay them more?!" Raaaa! I had it with multiple cleaning women.... I think its better not to be sooo nice to them... (Issue is...I don't know how not to be nice) Rolling Eyes

agreer

Tue, Aug 28 2018, 12:39 am

You can also prepare her food and let her take it to go. She can eat it at the bus stop or on the bus, or at a park. That way she isn't staying at your house longer than her four hours.

My help stays late some nights. In addition to lunch, I give her supper. I always ask if she'd like to eat at my home or take it to go, and she's done both.

tachles

Tue, Aug 28 2018, 12:45 am

If she’s working 4 hours that over lap noon, the earliest reasonable time to give a lunch break, you provide it on your time.
If she were coming 8-12 I’d offer a snack between on my time, and lunch after on her time.

It’s hard to clean for many hours without a break , so be generous.

amother

Scarlet

Tue, Aug 28 2018, 8:52 am

My dh works legally for a company he works from 9-8:20. Its a jewish company. He gets paid by the hour. He can have to UNPAID breaks the first he must take at 2:00 because he needs to accomplish certain tasks before his breakand that when it usually gets done. His second break is at 6:00. In the winter he uses the first break to daven mincha. In the summer the second break. They have both jewish and non jewish secretaries working there from 9-5 and they get one half hour (lunch) break at 2:00. there is a water cooler that they can take water throughout the day. It seems that most bosses want to get the most they could out of there paid empoyee. Workers are expected to eat breakfast before work and dinner when yhey get hom

chummus

Tue, Aug 28 2018, 10:02 am

Cleaning ladies work so hard! Provide her drinks as well. Of course pay her money for lunch break. Usually it's just a half hour anyway. I am so grateful for the work they do!! Sometimes I'll even give her snacks to take home.

imasinger

Tue, Aug 28 2018, 10:11 am

As you can see, OP, there is a wide variety of opinion.

I'll approach it from a practical perspective.

How good a cleaner is she? How long is lunch likely to take for her to eat; this will determine how much money you are talking about. How much are you willing to risk appearing stingy, versus saving that money? What are the standards in your community?
(You can ask her what her other employers do; if you don't trust her to answer honestly, you might want to rethink whether it makes sense to let someone you don't trust have access to your home.)
How easy will it be to find a qualified replacement that meets your scheduling needs if she is offended and leaves?

Those are the factors that matter, not what anyone else here posts.