To not sack my cleaner?

[YellowTulips]

Upshot is she's pretty rubbish. Pay for 4 hours of cleaning per week and most of the time the house gets a very superficial dust and vacuum. I often have to cobweb (old house - lots of beams) and re-clean surfaces - especially the bathrooms.

It drives my DH mad. We both work FT in demanding jobs and travel a lot internationally for work. When I'm around I pick up the pieces as it were, but if I'm away it's obvious to DH that she's not doing a great job.

So the upshot is he wants me to get a new cleaner.

However I know her DH has just left her for her "BFF" and she really needs the money (in fact she's been asking if I know other people who would give her work - which I just had to side step as I really can't recommend her).

So...I've had a chat and said that I need her to be more attentive to certain aspects of her job and she has improved a bit - but not really enough tbh.

So do I keep with her - at least for the next few months, or let her go? Thoughts please.

Tell her what you're not happy with, give her a couple of weeks to sort it out.

Things are going to happen, she can't let it affect her work.

You would do her more of a kindness to tell her what you've said on here about her cleaning skills. She needs to know that her work isn't up to scratch if she is going to make a go of her business.

Keep her on but warn her that she needs to up her game.

You've got to be more specific with her. Give her a written list of what you want her to do. If you can't sack her, you have to get a better working relationship going.

Good luck.

Tx - it's been 3 weeks since I last spoke to her.

Maybe I just need to be clearer about expectations and consequences

Stupidly I have no issues at all in dealing with HR issues at work but I'm just letting emotions cloud me on this. She's obviously having a very hard time of it.

Give her a list of exactly what you want done in detail and ask her to leave a note of how far down the list she gets. Explain that your husbands not happy and it's her last chance. If you can't do it face to face leave her a note or send an email.

I had similar, big emotional backstory. She'd been brought to England, had three kids then was put aside. Desperate but utterly clueless having been reliant herself.

Ended up being straight and inviting her to clean alongside me, she took it on board and got lots more work but still does my house very cheaply on her old rates and even has watched my children at times.

There's not really a middle ground between letting go and actually showing her how, people don't get it from talk if they really don't know how. Just assess if she is receptive or if you have the time but it pointless leaving it if you're paying for nothing.

In my experience cleaners are either good or they are not. It's nice that you are thinking of her welfare, but if she isn't doing the job you employed her for then I'd give her 4 weeks notice.

Tx - I can't leave it as it is. If I don't address it DH will. He's not totally unsympathetic but feels she is being paid to do a job and if she can't do it properly then she shouldn't be doing it.

She comes in the week whilst I am at work, so short of taking a day off I can't really watch her on the job.

TBH I doubt she does the 4 hours she is paid for. I can do a cursory clean of the house to her standard in 2 hours....

I think I'll write a letter and spell it out in detail.

It feels so silly tbh - I don't know why I am finding this so difficult. In context I had to sack someone last week at work for poor performance and had no qualms at all.

Maybe it's all too close to home!

Thanks for your objective and helpful comments

I'm with your DH, if she's not doing her job properly and you've spoken to her and given her the chance to rectify it, then you should give her notice.

She's never going to get any better if she doesn't face consequences from doing a poor job, and she blatantly taking the piss if you're right that she's not doing the full four hours. You aren't doing her any favours by enabling her to be crap at her job.