Can anyone help with a query?

[Maywalk]

We have sadly come to the time of life when we have to have a cleaner come
in to do the heavy work such as the hoovering and climbing up on the steps to do the windows inside.
I thought it very unfair when talking to the cleaner today and her telling me that
she has to supply all the cleaning materials such as floor wipes and other cleaning stuff out of her £7 an hour wage that is paid her out of the £12-50 an hour that I pay to the one who runs the business.
I just thought I would ask if anyone knows what the Age Concern or the Molly Maid cleaners get an hour and whether they too have to pay for their cleaning material.?

[Penny]

Not sure about others Maisie, my cleaner asked for £10. per hour and I supply anything she needs in the way of dusters etc.cheers Penny

[mo]

Couldn't you privately hire her and pay her say £8.00 an hour Maisie. You would both be better off then.

[Maywalk]

I think I will have a word with Sharon next week to see if it would help her if she did my cleaning privately.

It would be worth paying her the extra £1 because I would still be £4-50 better off for each hour she worked for me.

Having said that I would be better off but would she? I dont know if the one who runs the business is paying any insurance stamp for Sharon.

[mo]

Even if you paid her £9.00 an hour Maisie to cover anything extra she has to pay, you will still both be better off. I think it's a rip off these companies making soo much money by sitting on their backsides making soo much money out of their workers.

[Maywalk]

I agree Mo but its the insurance stamp that I am thinking about.

[Young Goat]

I doubt that she is actually an employee of the agency, she is probably classed as self employed, so she is responsible for making her own arrangements regarding income tax and national insurance.

If you came to an arrangement where you employed her directly, and the agency found out they would probably take her off their books quicker than greased lightning and she would lose all the work she gets from them.
However that would have to be a decision (and risk) that she would have to take.

I would make enquiries of friends, neighbours etc with a view to employing someone who is known to be efficient, reliable, pleasant and above all HONEST. You don't want a cleaner who is inefficient or pilfers any of your valuables.

[Maywalk]

I agree YG about not wanting an inefficient cleaner.
I will ask a few more questions when Sharon comes next week.

[Rowan]

It's the same here - they charge us £12.50 and pay them £7. I've got a new cleaner, very good hard worker and pleasant and honest, I do it privately now and we're both better off.

[mazzy]

The advantage to using an agency is that they will provide cover if your usual cleaner is unavailable. I agree that if you have a private arrangment with Sharon she would lose her other jobs with the agency - there is probably a clause in her contract.
It does seem unfair to me that she has to pay for her materials though.