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13.03.2025 / News / Worker's Story / Justice for Cleaners

UVW sues cleaning company for forcing cleaner onto unpaid sick leave ignoring doctor’s request to reduce stress

“I felt very intimidated, very observed, constantly called into investigation hearings, so my health declined and I had to be signed briefly off work. When I came back, they didn’t follow my doctor’s advice and sent me home on Statutory Sick Pay. I can’t live on that kind of pay” – Nelly Cabascango, cleaner and UVW member

Ecuadorian-born Nelly works as a cleaner for Principle Cleaning Services Ltd., contracted to clean the offices of Landsec, the largest commercial property developer in the UK. Like many cleaners, Nelly has faced a daily battle against unfair treatment: intimidation, excessive scrutiny and repeated investigation hearings that took a toll on her well-being. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many cleaners, who are often spoken to rudely, harassed, or made to feel invisible and “second class” by clients, managers or the public.

For Nelly, the pressure became too much and she was diagnosed with “stress at work” by her doctor. The doctor’s note clearly stated that Nelly should “kindly consider avoidance of a stressful environment” [sic] to aid in her recovery. However, instead of taking this advice seriously and providing reasonable adjustments, Principle Cleaning’s response was to immediately send Nelly home, claiming it was “impossible to guarantee a stress-free environment.” They then falsely marked her as being on sick leave and paid her just £116.75 a month in Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), a crushing 75% reduction from her already low wages.

“I had been called into so many investigation hearings. I explained to them that the work was not stressful for me. What was causing me stress was the situation the manager was putting me in,” Nelly said.

This drastic cut in wages, leaving her with just 25% of her regular, already low wage, was a financial blow that made it nearly impossible for Nelly to make ends meet. Who can survive on £116.75 a month, especially when already struggling to afford rent and food?

“For me, a month without pay is very difficult to cope with because I can’t make ends meet. There’s rent, food, bills to pay… [SSP] is just over £400 per month and, to put it into context, a bus pass alone in London is about £200 per month, half of the total,” Nelly explains.

This situation, sadly, is not an isolated case. Migrant workers like Nelly are often denied the sick leave and protections that others take for granted. Many, like Nelly, lack the language skills or legal knowledge to challenge such unfair treatment, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. “I think many of us, because of language barriers, are not informed about our rights. But we should all speak up,” Nelly says.

As a UVW member, Nelly is standing up for her rights. We are taking legal action to recover the wages she lost and to ensure she gets the compensation she deserves for the mistreatment she’s endured.

“We are not alone, really we are not alone,” she told us. “I have been a member of UVW for 12 years, and I see how this community works to support us. I invite everyone to join us and to learn about our rights, because we do have rights.”

No one should have to survive on poverty sick pay. At UVW, we fight for better sick pay and we win by collectivising our personal struggles. If you and your colleagues want to demand fair sick pay instead of being forced into poverty SSP when you fall ill, email us on organising@uvwunion.org.uk and we’ll help you organise, campaign and win!

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