If I have a contract with a Commercial cleaner should I be expected to pay for hours not worked. i.e.. Christmas holidays - not public holidays which I would expect to pay but the contractor shut down over Christmas and I had to pay him for hours not worked. Also the contractor has billed me for 5 weeks cleaning (Monday to Friday) but not all months have 5 weeks, i.e. 25 days, some have 4 weeks and some have 4 weeks and 2 days - at £9 per hour, that would amount to a lot of hours I am paying for which I am not receiving a service.

Please advise.

You need to re-read your printed contract and see just what you must pay for. If he is billing you for weeks not worked, then you need to advise him of this. If he is billing you improperly i.e. 5 weeks instead of 4 weeks for months with 4 weeks, then you need to inform him of this as well.

Our pricing is calculated as follows:

We figure the total work days per year and then divide that by the twelve months in the year. This allows a set average price per month and obviously is much easier for our invoicing department. We take the time and effort to explain this when we sit down with each new client so as to avoid any question/s such as this one. If the client is not informed there is the chance that they will think that an injustice has occurred in our billing/s.

We are also careful to give full detail/s when we bill any other work to avoid any misunderstandings which can destroy trust.

All unworked holidays, weekends, etc per that particular month are not really being charged as they are not figured in when the annual figure is put together.

Stringer

It all depends on your contract, some are merely set fees per month for specific dates worked.

Holidays are worked unless the contract states they are not.

It is all in the contract that they are allowed or not allowed to do