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Original poster

Cleaner wants internet access - WWYD

425 replies

BlankProfile · 06/11/2020 00:06

We have had our cleaner for several years. She's honest, reliable and does a reasonable job.
Our internet password is on the back of the box and at some point she has seen this and used it to sign into our network. I found out today because we have recently changed our password and she asked me for the new one, obviously forgetting she had never asked me for the password in the first place.
It's annoyed me, but we have unlimited data and in the time she's been using it, it's never caused a problem.
Should I give her the new password?

OP posts:
JamminDoughnuts · 06/11/2020 08:24

she could be streaming stuff for later.

Halliehallie9828 · 06/11/2020 08:24

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer

All those people saying let her have it - how would you feel if something illegal was downloaded? It would be on you.
So you think the cleaner waits until she gets to work and then starts her illegal downloads of what exactly? 😂
Nicknacky · 06/11/2020 08:25

HallieHallie9828 Your naivety is heartwarming.

Neeks888 · 06/11/2020 08:26

Wow this is such a non issue lol

TigerBrite · 06/11/2020 08:27

Your cleaner is unlikely to have the computer hacking skills to access your other devices on the network. Computer hackers rarely moonlight as cleaners.

CorianderBlues · 06/11/2020 08:27

@BlankProfile

I don't know why she would need it. I'm just wondering what the norm is - do those of you with cleaners give them the internet password?
Yes.

She's got a key, and she knows where the household CC is if she needs any cleaning bits.

I trust her perfectly.

Halliehallie9828 · 06/11/2020 08:28

@Nicknacky

HallieHallie9828 Your naivety is heartwarming.
I understand what kind of shit she could be downloading but considering the op hasn’t wrote Anything bad about her I’m going to lean to the side she’s just using it for music and not downloading images from the deep dark webHmm
SaskiaRembrandt · 06/11/2020 08:28

If the OP was worried about internet security, I don't think it would have taken her several years to get around to changing the password.

OP, cleaning is very dull, I'd guess your cleaner has a free Spotify account and is using wifi to stream music while she works. Set up a guest network and forget about it, it's a non-issue. She has access to all sorts of sensitive things within your house, getting het up about this is really petty.

GADDay · 06/11/2020 08:31

@Bwlch

Can you set up a separate guest network? You could call it "Cleaner".
Lol Grin

Seriously OP, with the most kindly of intentions - you need to get a grip.

She isn't nicking the silver. It's WIFI. She has worked for you for ages. It really is not a big deal.

notacooldad · 06/11/2020 08:33

No, your cleaner does not need your internet password. You are paying her to clean, not play on the internet
Who said she us playing on the internet? She's probably putting on a spotify playing or podcast on to listen to while she works. That's not unreasonable

.zeds
I’d say no, but I don’t see why she’d need it and think taking it is rude of her. You can't think why she wouldn't put some music on from YouTube or Spotify on while she cleans?
She doesn't need internet access, she's there to clean
Can't she use her ears when she's cleaning then?🤣
People are bloody odd!

notacooldad · 06/11/2020 08:36

All those people saying let her have it - how would you feel if something illegal was downloaded? It would be on you
Well she's had years to do it and so far so good!🤷‍♀️

thecatneuterer · 06/11/2020 08:36

@Girlzroolz Well I'm 59 and wouldn't think twice about either the loungewear thing or the internet thing.

OP - what a fuss about nothing.

ReviewingTheSituation · 06/11/2020 08:38

This thread has made me laugh. Every so often, there's a thread where someone's neighbour is asking to use the wifi, and the response is always a resounding NO (based on not knowing what someone's getting up to using your IP address etc, anything illegal is traced back to you, and so on). But here it's a reasonably overwhelming yes to essentially the same question!
I get that the cleaner might want to have something to listen to, but none of audio books, podcasts or spotify need data (all can be downloaded in advance), so I can't see why the cleaner would need wifi for that.

Checking messages (one of the reasons given up-thread) etc can be done using 4g, which unless OP comes back with the drip feed that there's no mobile signal where she lives is decent enough for standard phone use.

ladybee28 · 06/11/2020 08:45

@ReviewingTheSituation

This thread has made me laugh. Every so often, there's a thread where someone's neighbour is asking to use the wifi, and the response is always a resounding NO (based on not knowing what someone's getting up to using your IP address etc, anything illegal is traced back to you, and so on). But here it's a reasonably overwhelming yes to essentially the same question! I get that the cleaner might want to have something to listen to, but none of audio books, podcasts or spotify need data (all can be downloaded in advance), so I can't see why the cleaner would need wifi for that.

Checking messages (one of the reasons given up-thread) etc can be done using 4g, which unless OP comes back with the drip feed that there's no mobile signal where she lives is decent enough for standard phone use.

But those posters haven't already given their neighbours access to their entire house – where all their personal and private belongings are kept. They didn't actively hire their neighbours.

Here's a novel idea, OP, maybe you could talk to your cleaner.

Tell her you felt a bit uncomfortable with her taking the password without asking, and ask what she uses the network for. If you're happy with it, great. If not, explain why.

Like human adults, or something.

Bluntness100 · 06/11/2020 08:50

Struggling to believe this is a question. She’s likely using what’s app to send or receive texts. I simply can’t imagine why anyone would remotely give a shit. It is not remotely the same as randomly walking into someone’s house a d doing it. She’s there and working.

Honestly folks get so uptight about the weirdest shit. Does she also have to ask permission to have a glass of tap water, or use the loo?

Bluntness100 · 06/11/2020 08:51

Tell her you felt a bit uncomfortable with her taking the password without asking, and ask what she uses the network for. If you're happy with it, great. If not, explain why

Oh my, this is so cringe, yes treat her like she’s a twelve year old.

CallmeFP · 06/11/2020 08:53

This post is fucking unreal

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 06/11/2020 08:54

Again this isn't about trust this is about security

As I said upthread, you have no idea what she has on her phone that she may be completely unaware of. Malware is very easy to download by accident.

Even the school website (before covid) had been compromised by a virus that if you clicked the "allow" button it would have encrypted the files and ransomed them. How many children do you think clicked on that whilst retrieving their homework? It was loaded on a weekend too to catch the most children.

Our wifi password is about 60 odd characters long. Dh is in IT and works with protected data. We never give our wifi password to anyone. All podcasts and music can be downloaded at home and listened to whilst you are out and about.

NekoShiro · 06/11/2020 08:54

There are internet packages that limit how much internet you can use? Surely they're all unlimited with a cap on download speeds, so if you have a very basic package maybe your internet would slow down with everyone using it at the same time but that's a long shot and unlikely nowadays.

People worried about illegal content also seem ott, what do you think is going to happen, the internet provider is monitoring her specific house for a spike in downloads, or for her to visit specific sites and then the police are gonna come round and kick her door in swat style? There's a reason illegally downloading things is prolific and it's cus it's extremely hard to prosecute, just like when people lie about a TV licence, how do they prove it? Sure once they have a pc with downloaded stuff Infront of them they can but how do they KNOW to get into your house to look at your pc? And we're talking about downloading off of WiFi onto a phone of someone whose barely ever there, just give her the password.

JinglingHellsBells · 06/11/2020 08:54

Well, I'm struggling to know why a cleaner would need to access the internet when she's cleaning Hmm

It makes no sense to me.

Is this so she can connect to wifi on her phone, or what?

I can't believe posters who think it's okay Confused

What is she doing that she needs the web?

If she does have access, does that also mean she can see all your browsing history?

Have you ever checked her browsing history to see what she's done?

Surely she has her own phone if she needs the internet while she's working?

Dominicgoings · 06/11/2020 08:54

So she’s allowed a key to your house.
But not the wifi password?

Do the people who think she’s a porn downloading KGB agent masquerading as a cleaner refuse to give the wifi password to babysitters as well?

Dominicgoings · 06/11/2020 08:55

‘If she does have access, does that also mean she can see all your browsing history?’

Is this a serious question? Wink

Hangingover · 06/11/2020 08:56

I swear some people on this site manufacturer reasons to be pissed off.

Escapeplanning · 06/11/2020 08:56

I agree, did she ask you for permission to use water and soap for handwashing and to put the lights on in a room? I can't imagine insulting someone who has cleaned up my mess for years by telling her she's stolen a basic utility.

Let's hope she quits.

SleepingStandingUp · 06/11/2020 08:56

Is this so she can connect to wifi on her phone, or what?

I can't believe posters who think it's okay confused

At a guess, like many posters have said, it's Spotify or similar.

I doubt she's sitting on ops bed downloading videos or child abuse etc.