Forgot to cancel cleaning lady Friday 😳

amother

Hunter ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:02 am

You pay her for the whole day - how is this even a question.

You aren't paying her for a slight inconvenience - you are paying her because she expected to work and earn a certain amount of money to SUPPORT HERSELF.

You treat. your employees with decency and don't attempt to rationalize why you wouldn't pay a scheduled worker what they were expecting to earn on that day because you had issues.

FWIW, if I had a cleaner who came every week I would pay her if we couldn't reschedule for that week even if I cancelled with some notice because she has a reasonable expectation of earning a certain amount each week and has set up her schedule for that.

Text her and apologize and say you will OF COURSE pay her for the day of work she was expecting.

amother

Outerspace

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 9:18 am

I would absolutely pay the full amount. She showed up ready and willing to work. It was your error, not hers.

I work as an EI speech therapist and when people no-show on us (we show up to their house for the scheduled visit but they’re not there), the state pays in full for that visit. When they cancel in advance, the state does not pay, because it gives us time to schedule someone else in their slot.

Your cleaning lady reserved 5 hours of her time for you. This is not in any way a “day off” for her.

amother

↑ Hunter ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 10:21 am

amother Linen wrote:

This really depends on your neighborhood and the type of people who usually clean.

Why would acting decently and ethically towards your employees be dependent on yiur neighborhood? That doesn’t speak well of your neighbors if they are willing to exploit and take advantage of people.

And what kind of people don’t deserve to be treated appropriately and with respect?

This was a cleaning woman who had a standing time period which she set aside in which she showed up.

You treat people in the same manner as you would expect to be treated. Paying an employee is the very least of that.

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 10:26 am

amother Caramel wrote:

Same here. I thought it's standard to pay for their regular hours if you cancel on them. I don't think it's okay to cancel on them & just not pay.

My cleaning lady comes four days a week. If I cancel one day, it’s in advance, so she has enough time to find other work if she wants. I don’t pay her for that. However, when we go away, then I pay her her regular wages. So when we went to a wedding last year in December and we were away for most of Chanukah, I paid her regular. If we go away for a week in the summer I pay her regular. If I DONT cancel when I should have, and she shows up, of course I would pay her for the day.

↑ notshanarishona

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 10:50 am

amother Peach wrote:

Legally they can’t and they would all lose in court. You can only charge a non refundable retainer.

I have a contract that says people prepay for lessons when they schedule them and makeups are only allowed if done 24 hours in advance. The contract has been looked over by a lawyer. Why would it be illegal?

NechaMom

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 11:21 am

My lady sometimes cancels on me and I sometimes cancel on her. I don't pay her for days I cancel on her just like my house doesn't get cleaned on days she cancels on me.
That said, if I'd forget to cancel her and she'd show up I'd pay her for that day. She already got up, got dressed and came to me to work. It's no one's fault but your own that you forgot to cancel so it shouldn't be her loss.

amother

↑ Peach

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 11:23 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Generally speaking if the service wasn’t rendered you can’t charge the full amount. You can only charge the retainer for lost time.

amother

↑ Linen ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 11:35 am

The ladies who have cleaned my house often did not cancel, they simply didn’t show up!
They knew they were supposed to be at my house at a certain day and time but they chose to play hooky. On purpose.
One of them finally responded to my texts 3 hours later and said she wasn’t feeling well and was in the hospital. I wished her well and started cleaning on my own. Later that afternoon I went to Walmart and saw her there!! Some hospital stay…
Another one was acting strange. Coming late and when she thought I was out for the day, she would leave hours early. (I figured out what she was doing and installed a camera and watched her leave 2 hours earlier) She would complain that there wasn’t enough time to get all the work done!
And I had one who just stopped showing up and ignored all texts and phone calls. After she disappeared we noticed many small but valuable things missing including money from the tzedaka box.
These are the type of people I deal with.
If I made a mistake one time, I would feel bad and apologize but definitely not pay her for the day.
That’s why it all depends on who you are dealing with.

amother

↑ Hunter ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 12:40 pm

amother Peach wrote:

Generally speaking if the service wasn’t rendered you can’t charge the full amount. You can only charge the retainer for lost time.

What service are you specifying it as I have never heard of this being a "legal" binding rule.

It is extremely common for businesses to require 24 hour advance notice or you will be charged for the missed appointment.

In fact this is considered to be part of the therapeutic process as psychologists have traditionally charged full the entire session if you don't show up without giving adequate notice.

A "retainer" implies some kind of regulated profession like an attorney and - at least in my experience - most attorneys can easily just do other billable work if a client fails to show up at their office.

This is unlike a situation in which essentially the person has no ability to make up the lost amount and should be compensated for more than a fraction of the full fee.

amother

Snowdrop

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 1:00 pm

Didn’t read all the replies but -
Are you willing to lose her? If not you may want to pay her for the day of work. You might not “owe her” full pay but then again she might be upset at you and you ll be left with nothing. If that’s a risk you’re willing to take …

amother

↑ Hunter ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 1:25 pm

amother Honeydew wrote:

This happened to me also on Friday except my help is hired out by. 3rd person who always confirms with me first. She didn’t get a response of course but sent her anyway I still felt so bad I wasn’t clear I didn’t need her and paid for her travel time about an hour.

I often think this when women complain that they can’t find good reliable help. 🤷‍♀️

Perhaps it is because they don’t treat them respectfully.

I have had my cleaner for almost ten years. She was recommended by a friend who has been using her for more than that time. My best friend has two cleaners who come on separate days because they have different skills and I think one has been with her for at least 15 years.

She never cancels on me without notice and generally will just call to ask me whether she can switch days. Similarly I don’t cancel and will text to see if she can switch if one day doesn’t work.

amother

Scarlet ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 2:02 pm

If I worked for someone, and showed up to work as scheduled, only to discover that the person wasn't home, and then to top it off the person refused to pay me for the day, I would be seeking alternative employment immediately. As would any person with half a brain, a quarter of a skill, an ounce of self-respect and a grain of common sense.

amother

↑ Linen ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 2:08 pm

amother Scarlet wrote:

That’s why you aren’t a cleaning lady

amother

↑ Hunter

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 2:28 pm

amother Linen wrote:

That’s why you aren’t a cleaning lady

That is a horrible thing to say. If you view people who work for you like this, no wonder you are getting terrible service because people aren’t stupid and know when someone is like you and they escape from your employment as soon as they find a job where they aren’t viewed as less than.

The cleaning ladies I have dealt with aren’t stupid nor do they lack common sense of self respect.

They are here because America because they have ambitions just like most immigrants to America have.

My cleaning lady is quite smart but circumstances made her a cleaning lady. She has raised three children who have graduated college. One is in med school and the others have good jobs.

By your twisted thinking, my great grandparents had no brains or self respect because they had to take menial jobs to support their family in the “New Land”

amother

↑ Crimson

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 2:31 pm

amother Hunter wrote:

By your twisted thinking, my great grandparents had no brains or self respect because they had to take menial jobs to support their family in the “New Land”

Thank you. My grandmother cleaned Shuls and schools after first arriving in America and would take leftover food out of the garbage to feed her children (knowing it was kosher) . People do what they need to do to survive.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 2:35 pm

amother Linen wrote:

Maria, I am so sorry that you came to my house on Friday. I forgot to tell you that it was a Jewish holiday and I wouldn’t be home. I’m really sorry and I feel bad. I will give you some payment for this misunderstanding. See you on Friday.

Google translate-

María, lamento mucho que hayas venido a mi casa el viernes. Olvidé decirte que era una fiesta judía y no estaría en casa. Lo siento mucho y me siento mal. Te daré algo de pago por este malentendido. Nos vemos el viernes.

Thanks I texted this.
She actually texted me again today if I still need her I replied to all the messages with this.

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 3:07 pm

amother Linen wrote:

That’s why you aren’t a cleaning lady

My cleaning lady is actually quite smart and skilled, and certainly has more than half a brain. I hope you treat cleaning help better than you talk about them.

amother

NeonBlue ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 3:11 pm

Op. if you really feel bad about what happened, you should pay her for the day. Apologies are nice, but she can certainly use the money. If you can afford the extra $40, please give it to her.

amother

↑ Scarlet ↓

Sun, Oct 06 2024, 3:27 pm

Yikes! Stereotype much? My former cleaning lady was a supervising psychiatric nurse in her native country. And I spent some time doing housekeeping myself when I was between jobs.