**To the Editor,**
I am writing to share my deeply concerning experience working as a cleaner for the owner of a new, large establishment encompassing a restaurant, bar, and lounge area, which I understand opened in November.
My initial interview involved another individual showing me the cleaning duties, which the owner also verbally outlined. He stated a rate of $150 per day, with a reduced rate of $125 for the first month, and assured me of weekly payments every Tuesday upon receipt of an invoice. However, in the three months I have been employed, I have only been paid on one Tuesday. When I noted the seemingly high turnover of cleaning staff—he mentioned having had four cleaners before me—he insisted it was not due to any fault of his. Given the expansive nature of the premises, with numerous glass doors and various large areas, the workload is considerable.
Within two weeks of starting, the owner began adding extra tasks to my responsibilities. These included the arduous job of scrubbing three sets of staircases, each with over twelve steps, as well as climbing to clean light fixtures and ceiling fans, along with a growing list of other duties. Initially, for these additional tasks, I would bring an assistant and charge $150 for what we termed an “extra day,” typically a Monday when the business was closed. After approximately a month, the owner stated he no longer wished to pay for these extra days but expected the same tasks to be incorporated into my regular cleaning schedule. I informed him that I would need to consider this.
Subsequently, he asked me to take home and wash six large industrial sofa covers. I agreed and proceeded to do so, incurring personal expenses for heavy-duty laundry detergent, color-safe bleach (costing around $30 to remove stains), and fabric softener. The task also required taxi journeys to transport the bulky covers. When I invoiced him $250 for this service, he protested, claiming it was too expensive and that he had hoped to pay only $5 per cover. I explained the significant effort and costs involved, reducing my price to $200, which he reluctantly paid. He took the remaining cleaning product I offered him.
A troubling pattern of behavior began to emerge. When I requested necessary cleaning supplies, such as a glass cleaning tool, the owner would assure me he had ordered them, yet these items never materialized. I was consistently left to manage with inadequate resources.
Furthermore, obtaining my due wages became a constant struggle, requiring me to repeatedly follow up with him. On one occasion, after numerous attempts to get paid, I received a long-overdue check on a Sunday. I placed it securely in my pocket, only for it to later be found at Cornally Carpark, a location I had not visited. This incident felt bizarre and unsettling. When I informed them that the check was not in my possession and inquired about canceling it and issuing a new one, I was told there would be a $50 charge and that I would have to wait three weeks before a replacement could be issued. Ironically, the original check was found and returned to them within three days, yet they still insisted on the three-week waiting period. I waited patiently.
The final indignity, and the reason I felt compelled to write to you today on Easter Friday, was the owner’s demand that I work on the holiday while refusing to pay me the legally required holiday pay after the work was completed. This blatant disregard for fair labour practices and our agreement was the breaking point. I informed him that I needed to be compensated for working on a public holiday, as he had requested, but he remained adamant in his refusal.
I believe it is important for the country to be aware of such exploitative practices as we celebrate Labour Day.
**Sincerely,**
**J. S.**
**Custodian**
_**Editor’s Note: We have left out the name of the restaurant because we haven’t been able to reach the owner for comment.**_
