YeahI discovered that my cleaner has been charging me very little – she started working for our family five years ago when we agreed a rate of £11 per hour and we haven’t reviewed this since.
I came across a chat on Facebook where women were talking about paying their cleaners £15-£16 an hour and now I feel terrible.
Should I voluntarily increase my fees?
My mother says it’s crazy to want to start a conversation about a raise, and it’s something our cleaning lady should bring up if she’s unhappy with her salary.
But I don’t think it’s right to continue charging that rate now that I know what other cleaners charge. What do you think I should do?
Your cleaning lady may not be aware of the market price for her services, says Vicky Reynal (photo taken by the model)
Money psychotherapist Vicky Reynal answers: It is true that employees usually go to their employers to ask for a pay rise, but it is also true that many people are afraid to ask for a well-deserved pay rise for complex and varied reasons.
We cannot assume that employees will always stand up for their rights and strive to meet their needs, because, unfortunately, these are acquired skills that not everyone has the opportunity to develop with confidence.
Sometimes the issue is as simple as people being afraid of losing their jobs if they ask for a raise. It may be that their past experiences (even non-financial ones) have been dominated by having their requests denied.
Often, people don’t feel deserving of a raise, so asking in this way makes them feel deeply uncomfortable. They don’t think about it rationally; it’s an emotional request that clashes with their self-perception of “I’m not worthy, I don’t deserve, so I shouldn’t ask.”
Another factor to keep in mind is that, just as you came across this information, your cleaner may not be aware of the market price for her services.
However, even if you only employ her for a few hours a week, you are her employer and with that comes ethical responsibilities.
One of them is ensuring that you are paid fairly for your work, as well as a duty of care (i.e. ensuring you earn a living wage), and the current wage you gave me is a penny below the national minimum wage. So, considering that you would like to be at least above that, you need to ask yourself some questions.
Given your personal values, do you feel comfortable paying your employee the legally required minimum?
How much do you value your contribution to your household? If the answer is “quite a bit,” then it’s something you might want to express not just in words, but also financially, by ensuring you receive a similar salary to your colleagues.
The feeling you describe (feeling horrible) reflects your sense of justice and empathy, which tells me that you would not feel comfortable keeping this information secret and continuing to pay him little.
While her mother might assume that her employee is capable of defending herself, the fact that she has not done so and that her salary is not below the minimum wage tells us that this is not actually the case.
Maybe explaining in your own mind why this happened might help you be at peace with yourself (and maybe even explain to your mother) why you feel it’s important to approach your employee and suggest a raise.
Does it make you feel exploited? Do you relate to the experience of feeling underpaid or undervalued and wish someone had done the same for you?
Is it because it is in line with your values of justice, respect and care?
Approaching your cleaning lady to offer a raise is also an opportunity to express your gratitude or appreciation for her work.
This pay increase could mean, “I’m making sure you’re paid fairly,” but also, “I’m saying that I value your work.”
Do you have a question for Vicky Reynal? Email vicky.reynal@dailymail.co.uk
Vicky’s book Money On Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, from Bonnier Books (£16.99) is available now.
