Cleaner drank the juice, ate the salmon and charged her phone

If you can afford a cleaner, then you can spare a few pence on electricity and some cordial. And awful things to be teaching your children.

Your cleaner is a human being, not a robot.

If she has taken the salmon, that's a bit off but again, does it really matter?

My cleaner helps herself to tea and any other drinks while she is working in my home. My DH often offers to make her a sandwich, but she never accepts.

No, I wouldn't begrudge her a drink and phone charging. Of course they shouldn't be eating food. But you don't seem that certain it was her.

I can't believe you've got your kids involved in this though?! WTF! You don't seem happy with her so get rid. But don't be telling your kids you think she stealing juice!

Get rid for being a shit unreliable cleaner

NOT for charging phone or having a drink - if she was a good cleaner you wouldn't and shouldn't care about that.

This. Charging her phone is totally
normal and it’s mean to begrudge a glass of juice. If she does a bad job fire her, but your thinking should change. You are setting a bad example about how to treat people of your children thought to mark the bottles.

Surely you'd offer her a drink in your home if you were in? Have you never told her to help herself? I leave stuff out for our cleaner if not in, including biscuits.
The salmon thing is weird. Are you sure your kids aren't pulling your leg?

You begrudge her a drink of squash when she's cleaning on a warm day?! Charging her phone costs pennies, maybe she needed it for the trip home.
Fair enough on the salmon but you don't have proof that she ate that.
You sound awful tbh I wouldn't want to clean for you!

It's not juice, OP, it's squash.

If someone was necking fresh juice from the fridge you might have a point, but squash???? Come on....

We've had the same cleaner for 10 years. She's bloody marvellous and if I'm home, I make her tea after tea.

If I'm not home, she makes her own.

She knows she's welcome to help herself to drinks.

I can't imagine a situation where she'd be hungry, but if she was there over lunch, she'd be welcome to make herself a sandwich.

You don't like her work or trust her - you should let her go.

Charging her phone - absolutely fine and a little odd you think otherwise.
A drink of cordial is also fine IMO (although I’d probably just stick with water unless specifically offered something else).
the salmon is not okay.
But ultimately, that stuff aside, if she’s unreliable and just not a very good cleaner there’s not much point keeping her on.

I’d be annoyed at the salmon but charging her phone and having some squash, she can fill her boots.

Get rid though if you feel she’s taking the piss. (The salmon I’d be pretty angry about).

You don’t even know for sure she ate the salmon? At least be sure before you accuse her.

Op, please speak to your children and explain it is fine for the cleaner to have a glass of squash when she’s working. And that anyone in your home should be treated with respect. And that it was very wrong to try to catch her out having something as paltry as a glass of juice., she should have been offered.

I offer my cleaner a coffee every morning when she comes in.and make it for her. She’s been with me over a decade. If I wasn’t going to be there,I would leave instruction for her to help herself. She charges her phone sporadically, if she needs it she will plug it in. This is all pennies.

ultimately we should treat people with respect. You have clearly been talking about the cleaner having a glass of juice to your kids, and either encouraged them to do this. Or discussed it in such a way they felt it was acceptable. Think carefully about what you’re teaching them. It is far from ok.

Wow you sound a delight to work for… maybe if you offered her a drink she wouldn’t need to take the cordial. And I’m sure the kids marked it… not you…

I always offer my housekeeper tea coffee water sometimes even breakfast when she arrives. You must think I’m an absolute snob because she comes 3 x a week and helps with the children too!

2 parts to this…

You have an unreliable cleaner who doesn’t do a very good job, on that basis you shouldn't feel guilty replacing her.

However, you are very unreasonable to begrudge her a drink whilst cleaning your home. I always offer our lady a bottle of water when she’s here and make sure the house isn’t too hot! It’s thirsty work.

I’d get rid.

not because she’s charging her phone and drinking cordial which seems entirely reasonable but because she’s unreliable and doesn’t empty the bin

I would not begrudge my cleaners having a drink or charging their phones. YABVU imo.

I think charging devices is 100% ok, i think having the juice is also not to bad of an issue but i personally wouldnt do it

Eating the Salmon - Hell no

If shes already flaky and doesnt do a good job anyway, then get rid!

@Shadow743 Do you not offer her a drink?

YANBU about the rest of it

This.

I'm horrified that you think it's OK for a child to treat an adult like this. You are basically teaching them that they are better than a cleaner.

This

You discuss at the beginning what she is allowed to have or not to touch!

Why wait two years?

Utterly bizarre that you would employ someone for two years who does a shoddy job and helps herself to food and drink!

Your kids marked the bottle? That’s bloody awful and not something you should be praising, or encouraging.

Are you serious. ? What's wrong with her making a drink for gods sake. And your kids drawing a line they sound really lovely kind people. When I go out I say help yourself to drinks thats human courtesy. As for charging her phone what's the issue with that ? You need to check yourself and how you are bringing your kids up to be so petty and mean.

I think you’re focussing on the wrong things due to feeling guilty.

If she was a thoroughly competent and reliable cleaner, would you care that she is charging her phone or having a drink of juice whilst she’s working? Hopefully not.

You're paying her to do a job and if you think she’s not doing it to a reasonable standard then you ask her to leave. It’s as simple as that.