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AIBU?

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Original poster

Cleaning lady conundrum - WWYD?

31 replies

Idlewild · 30/03/2011 20:31

My cleaning lady is on the fiddle. She is supposed to clean for us for 3 hours per week. I have suspected for a while that she hasn't been doing all 3 hours: quality has been declining quite a bit and when i've come home around the time she's supposed to be finishing there's been no sign of her and the floors have been bone dry as if she left a while before. I haven't had any concrete evidence though and as she's normally quite a nice lady I've given her the benefit of the doubt.

She was here this morning and I happened to be around. She arrived at 25 past 9. I popped back home unexpectedly to get something at 25 past 11 and there was no sign of her. Again the floors were dry. She had however completed her timesheet to the effect that she was there between 5 past 9 and 12. She really is taking the piss as we always tip her and stuff and I've bought baby presents for her numerous grandchildren.

I can't get past the fact that this is really dishonest but equally it's a total hassle finding a new cleaner. Wondering whether just to let her know we're onto her via the agency and give her more jobs to do on top of what she does already.

So, any ideas? I live in quite a small village so whatever happens I will bump into her from time to time and I don't want it to be awkward.

OP posts:
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 30/03/2011 20:35

I'd get on her case via the agency, not just about the timekeeping and, but about the falling standards.

Maybe give her a few more small jobs to do if you think she might be sloping off early because of not having enough to fill her 3 hours

GotArt · 30/03/2011 20:36

Give her a warning about the time sheet, as you know most definitely that she wasn't there and tell her her cleaning is declining and if she isn't interested in the job, you will find someone else.

MikeRotch · 30/03/2011 20:36

leave a not saying "If you run out of jobs please do xyz" make it a LONG list

LordofthePies · 30/03/2011 20:36

I would say to her exactly what you have put here - that you came home and she wasn't there and wait for her explanation.

Personally, I would give her a weeks notice and find someone else - do you have friends who could recommend you someone?

thisisyesterday · 30/03/2011 20:36

i would just get rid of her tbh! you don't need a narky cleaner in your house if you get on her case do you?

KatieMiddleton · 30/03/2011 20:37

Phone the agency and tell them.

Btw you will probably get a flaming for committing the cardinal sin if employing domestic staff and then daring to criticise.

MikeRotch · 30/03/2011 20:37

if YOU did this at work what would you expect?
dont be a wuss

PorkChopSter · 30/03/2011 20:38

You say there is an agency? Get them to deal with it, that's what you are paying them for!

reddaisy · 30/03/2011 20:38

Get rid of her, she is taking the piss and is clearly unwilling to do a proper job. Get the agency to find you someone else.

LindyHemming · 30/03/2011 20:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

reddaisy · 30/03/2011 20:39

Because you could pay yourself not to do your own cleaning as that is basically what she is doing!

FourFortyFour · 30/03/2011 20:40

This happened in a family I was a nanny for. I didn't really feel it was my place to say anything but it annoyed me that the cleaner was being paid for hours she wasn't doing. In the end I said something. The mother went out and came back and the cleaner had been and gone. The mother said if she only wanted to do X amount of hours then she would only pay her for X amount of hours. She went back to doing her full hours.

Bonsoir · 30/03/2011 20:43

If she has come through an agency, the agency ought to have a telephone clock-in system whereby the cleaner calls the agency from your home telephone number when she arrives and when she leaves. You should receive a record of this as a matter of course.

FabbyChic · 30/03/2011 20:46

Couldn't you say to the agency, the work is done in 90 minutes, she is only spending 90 minutes here so that is all I am paying.

beesimo · 30/03/2011 20:49

When you employ someone in your own home they are in a position of great trust she has proved herself to be untrustworthy get rid of her.

End of.

MsToni · 30/03/2011 21:42

Perhaps you could have her do the cleaning on a weekend when you are at home?

Make a list of all the things you want her to do and go through them all when she's done?

If it doesn't work, you should let her go and get someone else.

FellatioNelson · 30/03/2011 21:48

I always stay home whenever my cleaners are there. Always.

poopnscoop · 30/03/2011 21:54

I am always home when the cleaner is in, I work from home.

My sister's cleaner did the same thing to her... only found out when arrived home unexpectedly. Got rid of her immediately. This explained how the cleaning had gone downhill for a while beforehand..

figcake · 30/03/2011 21:57

Well, have you checked through your belongings etc.? One of our cleaners actually stole money from pockets - If they are dishonest re timesheets, you cannot know the extent to which they would be prepared to fleece off you

poopnscoop · 30/03/2011 21:59

A friend's (now ex)cleaner actually used to try her makeup!

MerryMarigold · 30/03/2011 22:03

We have a cleaner for 2 hours a week. I have 3 kids under 6. I am a messy person. Our house is a state. I think she does extra! Grin She comes 10 mins early and usually leaves about 5 mins late. Just cut the hours right down or give her some ironing and specific tasks like the fridge. If she can do it all in half the time then obviously she doesn't have enough to do.

triskaidekaphile · 30/03/2011 22:03

Has the stuff she's supposed to clean been cleaned?

Fab123 · 30/03/2011 22:06

A friend of mine had a similar issue - the girl didn't actually understand the words "dusting" and "mopping" and there was a fair bit of attitude from the get go. Unfortunately my friend, being the kind hearted soul she is, actually did the dusting for her to show her how it should be done and mopped half of the kitchen floor to explain (girl wasn't an English speaker and she thought she literally didn't understand). However when my friend then returned to work the following week it was clear neither had been done - went on for 3 weeks until she asked the agency for a new girl as there was clearly an issue, they said no one else could make it to her address. The girl had obviously been informed and her attitude became even worse and she left notes saying she couldn't find things to clean with, despite them being clearly in the cleaning cupboard. A few months later they managed to sell their house and moved. 2 weeks after unpacking she noticed her mother's engagement ring was missing. No one else had been in the house apart from the cleaner and would have had the opportunity. Unfortunately the agency said nothing could be proven, police were of the opinion that they had let her in and not noticed and therefore perhaps the removals men had also had access and same with the insurance (despite the jewellery box being buried under a heap of stuff in an un-opened box). It's certainly made me think twice about leaving a cleaner home alone and if you are already having trust issues with her I really wouldn't risk it. I know this is an extreme example but unfortunately she's the only friend I have who has a cleaner, so it's the only side to it i've seen.

kitbit · 30/03/2011 22:37

Stake out the house and when you see her leaving, "arrive" yourself. See what she says.

ledkr · 30/03/2011 22:53

my only experiene of having a cleaner was this, She drank all my booze left fag ash on my bedroom carpet and then went over to my neighbours to clean there,drank more booze and set fire to the bin.
She then somehow made it to her next job, a teachers house who came home with her young son to find the cleaner drunk as a skunk having knocked all the dining chairs over.She called her dh who took her home.She died that night,inhaled her own vomit Shock
I hve done my own cleaning since then.