To think cleaners should do the hours they're paid to do?

[Pasteurella]

We've had a series of cleaners now who we've been paying to do 5 hours a week of cleaning (split 3hrs/2hrs at £10/hr). The pattern goes like this - they start off doing the full five hours, then after a few weeks it goes down to maybe four, then 3 and a half, then 3. At no point do they suggest I give them less money. We're fine with tea breaks or leaving a bit early instead, and trust me, there's more than enough work to keep them going in our house if they wanted to.

We've just got another one, who I'm a bit depressed about because I quite like her, who's left after less than 1.5 hours when she was supposed to do 3 so it looks like she'll be going the same way.

I used to work as a cleaner when I was a student to make ends meet, and I did work the full hours (and wasn't particularly well paid for it even by standards 20 years ago). Why is it assumed to be OK now not to?

I'm working for the NHS on a band 6 salary now, and the reason that three hours for 50 quid is important is that that's when it actually gets more per hour than I get paid, so it's not worth having a cleaner any more. I just prefer to get a cleaner so I can spend more quality time with the kids (and I work shifts so am frequently very tired), but I'm getting pretty disappointed by the whole thing.

Is there something I'm missing here, or should I be approaching it differently?

Me625. I usually pay a weeks pay for a Xmas bonus. After a few years employment I up it to two weeks. I don't give any other gift though.

Does she do the same amount of work in the time? I clean a commercial property and get paid for 1.5 hours a night. Only £7 an hour. If i work my backside off (to the degree that im out of breath and sweating) i can do it in an hour. I expect to be paid for the work that i do rather than the hours worked. I find i probably get better results when im on a mission and running on adrenalin. Employers are more than happy.

Also having established a routine its quicker.

I think you can do a sprint clean if it's just for an hour or so but my cleaner has full days. I don't think it's realistic for her to be racing around for all her jobs. It's not sustainable.

It's all about the hourly rate if you ask me.