Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

COVID-19 and Housekeeper Etiquette

M

MRBXXXFVVS1

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Messages
1,450
Since COVID-19 and shelter-in-place started, I've asked my housekeepers not to come, but have still been paying them. Given the uncertainty around how long COVID-19 will last, I'm not sure what to do. I very much like/need my housekeepers and would like to keep them, but I am also being very conservative with safety precautions and likely won't want them coming for the next 1-2 years. What do you think the appropriate etiquette is? Should I just keep paying them? They probably need the income, however it would be quite costly to continue paying for 1-2 years and not get any help during that time, and a lot of things can change in 1-2 years. Should I let them go with some additional bonus to help out? I've been having my housekeepers come for 3-4 years now...
 
Where do you live @MRBXXXFVVS1 ? General area no specifics. Just trying to gauge if it is safe for you to have them come and just wear masks and take proper precautions.
 
Just saw you do not want to have them come because you are being very conservative. Can they collect unemployment? I know some of my friends have been furloughed and they are getting financial help from the government. Is that a possibility? I could see where paying your housekeeping staff for 2 years without having them come to your house would be challenging for most of us. It is very admirable you are paying them to date. Could they apply for financial help as some of my friends have been able to do?
 
I would not pay someone for that long without a service. I think a few months, but not years.

Could you leave your house and even just drive around in your car for a few hours while they clean? And ask them to wear a mask and gloves in your home?

We are still having our cleaning lady come, every two weeks. We talked with her and she was comfortable with it and she takes the precautions she thinks are necessary, as do we.
 
The firm that provides regular cleaning service for me for the past few years cancelled my appointments as soon as lockdown was announced.
I pay them for each clean as and when it happens.
I always avoid being in the house when they are about so as to avoid being questioned, and I really do not like the sound of the Hoover. :lol-2:
I believe they will only come back when they are told it would be ok to do so by the government, like other non-essential services such as dog walking.

DK :))
 
I am very unqualified to offer advise on this but think its awesome that you are paying them during this time.
Could it be to early to decide what to do over a longer term and keep it the same for a few months and see what is going on then?
 
We cancelled for the foreseeable future. We are not continuing to pay them. I feel guilty to some extent.

I don’t think it’s reasonable to pay them for years if you are uncomfortable having them in your home. I would give them a fair notice period and let them know you would like to work with them in the future once this is all over.

I’m surprised people are comfortable with having anyone come into their homes. We cancelled before the shutdown. As soon as there was evidence of community spread our house became a bubble. Even with a mask and gloves, it’s not safe. Imagine them cleaning the bathroom in one house and then coming over to yours. Clothing and cleaning supplies (ours bring their own vacuum and mops) could be contaminated. I also truly believe that cleaners are at high risk of catching the virus.
 
@chemgirl ours uses supplies that are our own, including mop, etc and she's working with things that disenfect. And she is just one person, not a team. I don't personally feel that it's a greater risk than going to the grocery store. But that's our comfort level. She wears a mask and gloves and we keep distance. We made the choice it was ok for us. I think going to the grocery store has a bigger risk or using a public elevator. But again, that's what we felt ok with.
 
Please ignore my last post as it is more to do with my own circumstances.

In addition to house cleaning, I also have a dog walker.

When I needed to save some money a while ago by having my dog walked by my neighbour's daughter at a much lower rate, I gave my dog walker at least a month's notice if not more.

I have refrained from getting too sociable and personal with my dog walker, as I have always treated our dealings as business tractions rather than a social interaction, if you know what I mean.

Bear in mind that if I cancel a walk, she keeps 50% as a retainer, whereas if she cannot walk my dog for any reason, I have to fend for myself.

Luckily, she seldom misses a walk except for holidays and emergencies, and can usually accommodate extra walks or home stay at short notice.

DK :))
 
Thanks for the advice and perspective. I spoke to DH and he recommended I let them know how much I appreciate their services and enjoy working with them, soft let them go with some notice so they can plan accordingly, and give them the option to return. I feel bad and guilty as they probably need the income, but seems odd to do so indefinitely with no expectation of when they can come back. Maybe I can pay them for the next 3 months and let them know that we won't be able to pay them after that?
 
Your solution is very generous IMO. It’s very kind of you to continue to pay them and offer to basically give them severance.
 
That's very fair. The company my husband works for furloughed him with zero notice (he's been there for 11 years) and all they paid him for was the extra 2 hours in the day.
 
The severance pay is a good idea. Hopefully they will find someone else to take your slot and yet if you ever want them back, they would probably do everything possible to fit you back in. People remember kindness and generosity. Let’s hope that a vaccine becomes available sooner rather than later so that we can return to some sort of normalcy.
 
You could definitely tell them you'll keep them on for the next three months then reevaluate.

With a young child you are actually bound to need some extra help sometime in the next year, so I feel like you will eventually want them to come back and help. So it probably wont be 1-2 years before you need someone to come back in to your house and set it straight.
 
We are paying our housekeeper (and my parents) 2/3 of what she would ordinarily get (we pay for her transportation to the burbs). She is terrified; She needs to take the subway and commuter rail. We don’t want to subject her to the subway in nyc.
 
We have paid for our cleaner NOT to come for the past month or so. We will continue to pay her until end of June. If my income bumps back up to close to what it was, we will keep her. I think giving 3 months notice while continuing to pay is enough for her to plan, as it's what I would find fair if I was in her position.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top