Forced to do extra work for no pay?

EnPointe

SiliconChip said:

At the moment are the cloths just thrown away after a single use? If so then that seems like an awful waste, both of goods and money, so you can see why the employer would want to have them washed and reused. The issue is that they way they want to do it is unreasonable, and as pointed out illegal from a NMW persepective.

So the employer either needs to pay the cleaner for the time they spend doing the wash (and the cost of electricity, detergent, wear and tear on the machine, drying, etc.) or arrange for somebody else to collect the cloths (perhaps along with those used by other employed cleaners if there are any), clean them and return them for resuse. As neither thing is likely to happen then a new job might well be the best solution.

you  would be well  adivised and minded to read the OP fully. 

sheramber

EnPointe said:

SiliconChip said:

At the moment are the cloths just thrown away after a single use? If so then that seems like an awful waste, both of goods and money, so you can see why the employer would want to have them washed and reused. The issue is that they way they want to do it is unreasonable, and as pointed out illegal from a NMW persepective.

So the employer either needs to pay the cleaner for the time they spend doing the wash (and the cost of electricity, detergent, wear and tear on the machine, drying, etc.) or arrange for somebody else to collect the cloths (perhaps along with those used by other employed cleaners if there are any), clean them and return them for resuse. As neither thing is likely to happen then a new job might well be the best solution.

you  would be well  adivised and minded to read the OP fully. 

iF you had read the thread you would see that point has already been clarified.

Mands

Litten888 said:

Hi all, 

Asking for a friend. she has worked for a cleaning company for 4 years cleaning two large warehouses and offices a night. She is on a PAYE contract and paid minimum wage 

She has just recieved a call from the office saying they will no longer be paying a contractor to collect and clean the 700-800 microfibre clothes she uses a month and they have told her she has to take them home and wash and dry them herself as "everyone else" cleans their own apparently ( domestic cleaners who are self employed, not commercial sites ) 

Surley they can not make her do this? Any advice is welcomed 

Thankyou 

"Washing these 800 microfibre cloths would be an additional xx hours per month. Were I to do that for no extra pay that would push my hourly rate below minimum wage and the company could be in trouble legally.

Would you prefer I be paid for an extra xx hours or it be better for me to reduce the hours I am at the warehouses each week? I'm happy to do either.

Love and kisses,
Litten's Friend"  

elsien

It’s not just about the hours/pay, It’s about the extra cost of electricity for washing and drying, pluswater and detergent  on top of how long it might take. Plus the sheer hassle factor, 

MyRealNameToo

Plenty of people have to wear a uniform at work and it is their responsibility to launder it. Healthcare workers can claim £125 relief, Police Officers £140, Cabin Crew £720 and anyone without a special rate is £60. 

Is washing rags materially different? 

Mands

MyRealNameToo said:

Plenty of people have to wear a uniform at work and it is their responsibility to launder it. Healthcare workers can claim £125 relief, Police Officers £140, Cabin Crew £720 and anyone without a special rate is £60. 

Is washing rags materially different? 

Those are costs, and time, that they are aware of before they take the job. They, one would hope, have factored into their calculations whether they still made the total package acceptable *before* they accepted the job. The OPs friend is being told to add this to her workload, for free, long after she took the work on. 

sheramber

MyRealNameToo said:

Plenty of people have to wear a uniform at work and it is their responsibility to launder it. Healthcare workers can claim £125 relief, Police Officers £140, Cabin Crew £720 and anyone without a special rate is £60. 

Is washing rags materially different? 

Only if the uniform is such that it is not suitable for normal wear, such as monogrammed or marked in some way.

Also., the wearer is saving wear and tear on their own clothes. 

£60 X 20%  won’t pay for much electricity. 

Tabieth

 Not only is it a terrible way to treat staff (and a likely dodge of minimum wage law) it’s poor hygiene. The microfibre cloths should be washed at a hot temperate with appropriate detergent and ideally tumble dried. This will ensure that effective decontamination and thermal disinfection is achieved. How on earth is the employer proposing to monitor this is all the individual staff members homes? How can the empower possibly know the cloths have been effectively decontaminated? How does the employer even know they’ve been washed at all? It really is poor hygiene. 

I’d be tempted to mention this plan to the clients who may well be horrified at the prospect. And, if it’s a vulnerable setting being cleaned (e.g., hospital, care home, GO practice, SEND school) it could be potentially dangerous. 

Andy_L

MyRealNameToo said:

Plenty of people have to wear a uniform at work and it is their responsibility to launder it. Healthcare workers can claim £125 relief, Police Officers £140, Cabin Crew £720 and anyone without a special rate is £60. 

Is washing rags materially different? 

Its a tax relief though, so they only get 20/40% of that amount

AFAIK HMRC don't have a tax relief option for it

Litten888

Thanks for the replies everyone! 

Today she has told them she can not clean that many clothes as she neither has the time or a dryer! No reply as yet... 

In regards to what sort of company this is they were paying staff on only a PAYE contract "direct" which turns out is code for self employed which caused a headache for people claiming universal credit etc as that part of their wages wasnt on their wage slips and was paid into their accounts seperate ( im assuming this saved them some tax costs? ) and when asked for a payslip for this money they were denied saying it was overtime pay and seperate from their only contract that was PAYE 

Will update if we need more advice thankyou!