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

You're not a snob for having a cleaner, you're a snotty moo for making your kids mark cordial bottles. What lovely people they will grow up to be, I don't think!

You don't even know if it was her eating the salmon!

You're avoiding answering the question - Do you think it's ok to cheat an employer - but you've really answered it yourself already. You have no problem with a worker being dishonest and ripping off the person who has been a good employer to them. That tells me everything I need to know about you. I won't be reading any replies from you, because I'd blank anyone IRL with your ethics, or lack of them.

Not a poor cleaner at all. Which is the point. Paid well above the usual rate. Could help herself to drinks and snacks. I had Cokes in the fridge just for her as she liked them. I don't. I even lent her money to pay for a car repair - got less than half of it back. This was a last resort after months of seeing less and less being done. I was young, worked insane hours, and didn't have the confidence I do now to pull her up on it.

She spotted me, correctly, as a sucker. Do you think cheating an employer is ok? Seriously, what's wrong with you?

I’m a cleaner, I might charge my phone if I was running low but I’d never help myself to food and drink!

Was she left in the house alone when the salmon when missing..?

I wouldn’t be getting my knickers in a twist for her having a drink or charging her phone, seems a bit mean.

I would not care about them charging their phone. I do care about them helping themselves to products in the fridge. That’s outrageous and I would label that theft and fire them.

1. Don’t feel guilty for having a cleaner.
2. She / he should have been fired ages ago.

I always ask tradesmen if they want a cup of tea: don't you?

Even if the employment rules do not apply in the case of a cleaner who only comes once a week, does that mean you would deny refreshment? Any cleaner or carer worth having, wouldn't eat or drink of an opened pack or bottle. There could be anything in it: would you?

How would you treat helpers who have your life and well being in their hands?

If you want to be on good terms with your employees, then show that you appreciate them. Why does the fact that I supply individually wrapped portions of snacks and drinks be worrying to you? What abuse is there if I tell them they can help themselves. I never see them gorging themselves: they don't have time anyway.

Another thing which will HORRIFY you is that I don't drink water from the tap, and I don't expect anyone else to either. The lowest salt contents in bottled water is Evian, and that is the one I buy, and I would not expect them to drink from a tap when I drink the bottled.

Minimum wage is wrong for people you owe your life to. I start new people off with £20 an hour and a rise each year. My DLA would stretch to more hours if I paid min. wage. I don't think I miss out, with less hours.

I must be doing something right, or they wouldn't stay five years, when agencies and social services cannot get workers..

It's very split in here.

For me, phone charging is ok... but I'm very hygienic, I wouldn't want someone cleaning and then touching my food. I'd happily offer tea and biscuits though -but laid out, not rummaged through.

Unreliable and not showing up isn’t good .
Charging phone , drinking juice and eating a snack also fine but she should let you know that she’s eaten from the fridge so you know to replenish the item .
Not doing a good job ?? Maybe 2 hours isn’t enough time to do a good job ?
I don’t have a cleaner , I did have one when I’d just had my baby and had her for a short time to help ( I also have other children to look after )
3 hours in our home wouldn’t get it all done I don’t think 🤔
All Bathrooms would be clean and kitchen.
Bit of dusting , hoovering and mopping.
No skirtings cleaned or inside anything or inside windows in that amount of time

Water is free obviously. I keep a bottle of squash in my desk drawer.

Never had free tea and coffee at work. We pay into a kitty. Always have had to pay at all workplaces. We also aren’t allowed to charge devices other than laptops and only if they are Pat tested.

It is perfectly reasonable for her to charge her phone and have a drink when she is working.

No, I wouldn't like it. I wouldn't want her snooping through my fridge either unless she's cleaning it. She's only there a couple of hours so I wouldn't expect to have to provide drinks etc. I'd get rid, you want to feel comfortable with whoever is coming into your family home.

I agree with those that say don't keep her if she doesn't do a good job .
I always offer drinks eg tea and coffee but would be fine with squash being drunk. She left the bottle out thoughtfully so that you knew it was finished. I think it is fairly normal to plug one's phone in at work.
If she took food I would feel differently I think.most people would ask. My family ask if they want something from the fridge in case I have it planned for a meal.As you aren't sure about this I don't really think you can put it in the 'negative' column.It isn't really a sacking offence in any case as a one off just let her know that you rely on knowing what is in the fridge.
As far as your DC are concerned I would be shocked if mine showed so little respect for someone else and would be very clear that their behaviour was unacceptable.

Er yes, it’s normal to say to anyone working in your house - help yourself to tea, coffee, and if you happen to have it, squash.

The salmon thing is nonsense - the OP says she doesn’t know who ate it.

We have a cleaner, we make her a cuppa when she gets here, we have a quick chat and tell her to help herself there's diet cokes in the fridge, then she cleans.

She can come anytime on the days she comes, and has even brought her toddler when childcare fell though.
I showed her where all the baby toys were kept and all the kids snacks, told her to please help herself.

You think you above her, but remember she's cleaning up after you! Have some respect!

Naive? Please do elaborate

@Lizzie67384 you sound unimaginative and a bit naive, but no doubt we're both wrong

Can’t believe your kids marked the bottle. Maybe they could put sixpence under the carpet as well 😬

I’d let her go for being unreliable. Couldn’t care less about a glass of squash or charging a phone. Eating the salmon is a bit odd but you’re not sure she did that.