WWYD - Cleaner not working the hours she's paid for?

[abbijay]

I know this is a serious case of #firstworldproblems but I don't know what to do. Please grab a brew and biscuits 'cos I'm not one for getting straight to the point.
I've had the same cleaner working for me for about a year now, I found her through a facebook group and initially she came 3 hours a week on a changing day but I saw her more weeks than I didn't. Things have changed with both of our employment and now she always comes on a day I'm at work although my hubby does see her some mornings before he sets off.
I have tried over the last few months to catch up with her during her normal working hours at my house but she has always gone by the time I get there (I have varied this from just before she's due to leave to an hour or more before). Finally this week I was off ill so I've seen her.
I pay her cash for working 3 hours a week and I know she doesn't work the full 3 hours. But there's a bit early and then there's a whole hour (or more)!
My dad was looking after my little boy the other week at home and she said she was leaving early but would catch up the time the next week. I text her the next week and said my in-laws would be there before she left but she'd changed her mind and would be working only half the extra last week and half this week.
So this week she turned up at normal time (just before 9), she told me she had a doctors appt. at 11.20 (not that she was sorry she'd be leaving early or would pop back later to finish) and when I got back in from my own doctors appt at 10.50 she'd gone! We use the same doctors and it's 2 minutes from my house so why was she gone 30 minutes or more before the appt?! So she'd done less than 2 hours work but was supposed to be doing 3 1/2 hours.
In the year she's been working for me her standards of cleaning have dropped, dusting is not done upstairs and no high level dusting is done at all! I know she's picked up more cleaning work on the same day but that shouldn't change things for me surely?
WWYD? Sack her and look for a new cleaner? Speak to her (but it would have to be phone or text as it's taken me 5 months to see her this time and I am rubbish at the confrontation thing)? Just cut the money to 2 hours pay in future and see what happens?

[Aridane]

time to look for a new cleaner

[Hoppinggreen]

I've had quite a few cleaners and unfortunately most of them seem to start off well and then gradually take the piss.
I'm sure there are some great cleaners out there who don't and maybe I've been unlucky. I have had a new one start last week so we will see.
Yes OP i think it's time you found a new one

[Nan0second]

Sack her.
Get a new cleaner.
It would be different if your house was spotless...

[Mummysh0rtlegs]

Sack her, no reason not to.

[Happyandhungry]

Move on to someone else.

[Masketti]

I caught my cleaner out doing something similar (not deliberately just by chance) I gave her the opportunity to make up the time or only be paid what she'd done. I now periodically deliberately check up on her without warning (I have meetings locally and 'pop back home' when I don't really need to) She's not taken the piss since to my knowledge but if I could get rid and get one I trust I would.

[JustSpeakSense]

What a PITA having no to try to check up on your cleaner all the time. Life's to short. Just fire her and find someone new.

[Applebite]

I just sacked mine for similar. I paid for minimum 4 hours a week and I knew she wasn't doing all that, but we realised she was spending about an hour plumping cushions and fucking off!

If she's charging for stuff she's not doing, to my mind that's as bad as putting her hand in your bag and stealing pound coins.

Get rid of her and get a good one IMO.

[ElspethFlashman]

Sack her.

If you're a bit nervous text her that you're going to be tightening your belts as a family and unfortunately the cleaning is going to have to go.

Then just hire someone else.

[Falafelings]

I gave mine the push. Can't abide lying.

[MoreProseccoNow]

I had the same thing, albeit through an agency. I asked them for a different cleaner.

[donajimena]

My cleaner used to bugger off early say 10 minutes or 20 but she was amazing. If she had done that and been crap I wouldn't have kept her on.
Yours is taking the piss. I'm also a cleaner myself and if I had done EVERYTHING I might go 10 mins early. I now charge per job rather than hour and go through what will be done with my client.
Most people would like value for money rather than ineffective hours being spent (idling on Facebook for ten minutes of a two hour clean or sloooww dusting)

[user1483387154]

sack her.

[scaryclown]

She should be working for serco. Negotiate a contract for work based on time, then do less work but approx keep to contract but still get paid for full time, then let delivery drop, and keep taking full pay until there is a dispute, ride it out or correct, then follow the same pattern. To some people undercutting service and delivery on a rolling contract IS business.!

Just re affirm standards required, and insist done.

[EssentialHummus]

The issue is the cleaning standard for me. I have a great cleaner. If she leaves early it's usually because I haven't left her enough to do. Conversely at least twice she's stayed a bit longer than needed because little things have cropped up. But leaving early and doing a poor job of cleaning is the sign of someone not giving a damn.

[brassbrass]

same problem here. Only had her for two hours every week and a very easy clean as I am one of those that tidies up for the cleaner.

She would leave half an hour early even though I was present in the house and it was never done properly. She was pleasant enough but it wasn't getting the work done.

I sacked her in the end. Those of you who have good cleaners you are SO lucky.

[MauvaiseFemme]

I had exactly the same issue. I confronted my cleaner and she tried to wriggle out of it by lying but I told her I'd lost all trust and couldn't have her working for me anymore. I know it wasn't the first time but for once I'd caught her out.
It's so frustrating! Mine would also claim she didn't have enough time to clean our 2 bed apartment in three hours which is why things weren't done. She too had been with me for a while and was taking the piss as I am pretty relaxed about most things.
Time to find a new one!

[GabsAlot]

shes taking the piss

and not its not yor problem that she taken on extra work-she cleearly wants paid for doing nothing

[unfortunateevents]

Time to get a new cleaner. Apart from anything else, even if she does make up time in following weeks, presumably your house needs three hours cleaning a week, not 1.5 hours some weeks and then 4.5 the following week. There's only so much cleaning she can do in a certain space so what would she do with all the extra time in those weeks?!

[Bettyspants]

No reason not to sack her.

[CheesyWeez]

Good idea dona, to agree a list of tasks with the client and charge for that. Before I moved I had a cleaner who did that, she didn't stay long and always came with one and sometimes two helpers. They charged in with all their own equipment, had an organized system, did the work quickly and left. They once did the whole house in 40 minutes when there were 3 of them. I was happy with that.

OP you could say you're tightening your belt / don't need her now - or if you're braver - say you'd like to review the list of tasks to be done.

[KoolKoala07]

My first thought was sack her but actually I'd cut her pay to 2 hours and when she asks why say 'well you've only been doing 2 hours work, if that' then sack her. I don't think think I'd could just let her get away with it x

[GoodDayToYou]

I think I would end it. But you could give her a 2nd chance?? You could send her a text saying something like:

Hi xxxx. I can't help noticing that you don't seem to have been doing your usual hours. Can you let me know how much time you owe and when you will be making it up? Thanks.

If her reply matches your own estimate then you could carry on. If not, you know she's basically stealing from you. (And I'd be wondering what else she gets up to.)

[luckylucky24]

We have a sensor on our door that makes a note of times the door has been opened. Our last cleaner on her second visit arrived an hour late but left at usual time only working half the time and didn't even do a good job! She took the full 2 hours payment left on the side.

She didn't come back.

[Backingvocals]

My cleaner did this. Paid for three hours. Had gone within two hours. I suspected that for ages but basically caught her out and fired her immediately. She told me she had forgotten her watch...

I guess I paid her for about 15 hours that she didn't do. It's dishonest and you don't want that person in your house.

New cleaner is amazingly hard working. If she left 10 mins early I wouldn't mind as she's a real grafter.

You have to get rid.