Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my client could have given me more than one day's notice

137 replies

Pollyxcx · 20/12/2016 23:33

That she won't be needing me for the next 4 weeks?

I'm a cleaner, I cleaned this evening and she left a note next to my money saying "off on hols tomorrow, see you again 17th Jan!"

It has completely fucked my budget for the month and next month (I work 5 hours once a week so that's £200 I'm down)

I'm really bloody pissed off that she didn't think to tell me before

OP posts:
reallyneedmoresleep · 20/12/2016 23:34

That's really rude. Time for different clients?

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 20/12/2016 23:35

oh that's just rude

I'd look around and get somewhere else.....ten shove a note through her door with her keys on the evening of the 16th

Imbroglio · 20/12/2016 23:36

That's terrible!

But do you have any kind of agreement or contract? How long have you been with this client?

JohnLapsleyParlabane · 20/12/2016 23:36

Get new clients and text her on 16th Jan saying 'new job tomorrow, see you never!'

Original poster
Pollyxcx · 20/12/2016 23:39

I've been with her a year. Started end of Nov last year.

I never see or hear from her. She had bad form for texting the morning of my cleaning day and saying "oh could you just (do this hour long job whilst still doing your other stuff) please"

But this is the first time she's just not bothered telling me until the last minute. She was away for two weeks in the summer but I saw the paperwork and asked her before hand if she would still need me.

OP posts:
edwinbear · 20/12/2016 23:39

YANBU. I always pay my cleaner when we are on holiday and ask her to please deep clean ovens, iron bed linen, keep an eye on the house, do any other jobs she can can do with the extra time and take any extra time as paid leave because she has been with us for years and is utterly invaluable.

Original poster
Pollyxcx · 20/12/2016 23:40

I do need new clients. I'm a bloody good cleaner, I always turn up, my work (so I'm told) is brilliant and I don't even steal Wink

OP posts:
Original poster
Pollyxcx · 20/12/2016 23:41

Edwin Shock

The idea that she would pay me for holidays is never going to happen! How lovely of you

OP posts:
JohnLapsleyParlabane · 20/12/2016 23:43

As you in south London by any chance... My house is a midden!

amy85 · 20/12/2016 23:43

My client did similar to me at the end of November...I texted Saturday seeing if she wanted me to do a session on the Sunday and I got a reply saying sorry we are moving house so house is full of boxes will restart sessions after Christmas...So that's 5 weeks cancelled with 12 hours notice...I don't particularly want to go back now but need the money

edwinbear · 20/12/2016 23:44

She's a professional and I treat her as such.

phoolani · 20/12/2016 23:46

I always pay my cleaner when we're on holiday. Mind you, she has been cleaning for me for about 15 years and is more like an errant auntie who bustles around scolding me for various bad habits. What she's done isn't very nice, but I assume you have no contract?

PhilODox · 21/12/2016 00:02

I think it's pretty usual to pay cleaners holiday pay. Do you have a contract with them?

SingaSong12 · 21/12/2016 00:07

If either of you are in North East England please PM me - I really need a cleaner!

DixieWishbone · 21/12/2016 00:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Elphame · 21/12/2016 00:17

That is not on. I also pay my cleaner when I'm on holiday

Jermajesty · 21/12/2016 00:20

Not on at all - if I go on holiday when my cleaner is due to come I still pay her.

shinynewusername · 21/12/2016 00:23

I always pay my cleaner when I'm on holiday - I ask her to do jobs she doesn't usually have time for, like cleaning the fridge (so the pay is danger money Wink).

I have to admit that I don't pay her when she's on holiday but I do give her a Christmas bonus that would be the equivalent of holiday pay.

shinynewusername · 21/12/2016 00:25

Get new clients and text her on 16th Jan saying 'new job tomorrow, see you never!

This. In every area I have ever lived, good cleaners are like gold dust. Can you ask one of your other clients if they know of anyone who needs you?

illegitimateMortificadospawn · 21/12/2016 00:31

Reliable, trustworthy cleaners are really hard to come by. Mention to your other clients that you have a vacancy & ask if they know if anyone's looking for a cleaner. I reckon you'll have filled her slot before the week is out. You could use her holiday period to try out new clients & see if they are a better fit for you. If it doesn't work out, you can resume with your current client i mid January with her none the wiser & no gaping budget gap.

illegitimateMortificadospawn · 21/12/2016 00:32

Xposted with Shiny!

Daisyfrumps · 21/12/2016 00:33

If she's otherwise a good client I'd tell her that you need X days' notice in future, in order for you to be able to find other work.

That's really shit and thoughtless of them Flowers

Kewcumber · 21/12/2016 00:38

South west London? [hopeful emoticon] though can't afford 5 hours a week...

Sizzledsticks · 21/12/2016 00:57

I pay holiday pay for my cleaner when I go away and when she goes away (not often). It ends up about the same amount of holiday as you'd get working for a considerate company. In return, my cleaner is lovely, reliable, goes the extra mile and is completely trustworthy. She feels more like family than an employee. I don't know how anyone could live with themselves behaving like your client. Certainly where I live you'd get a new client within days if you asked around. My cleaner has lost clients before and then had a new one by the following week. I wonder what your client would say if her employer just put her on unpaid leave with no notice. Try and find someone new OP. And then dump your client with no notice. She deserves it!

Dafspunk · 21/12/2016 01:01

If you're in East London, let me know!