Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WWYD - Cleaner not working the hours she's paid for?

69 replies

abbijay · 31/03/2017 13:26

I know this is a serious case of #firstworldproblems but I don't know what to do. Please grab a brew and biscuits 'cos I'm not one for getting straight to the point.
I've had the same cleaner working for me for about a year now, I found her through a facebook group and initially she came 3 hours a week on a changing day but I saw her more weeks than I didn't. Things have changed with both of our employment and now she always comes on a day I'm at work although my hubby does see her some mornings before he sets off.
I have tried over the last few months to catch up with her during her normal working hours at my house but she has always gone by the time I get there (I have varied this from just before she's due to leave to an hour or more before). Finally this week I was off ill so I've seen her.
I pay her cash for working 3 hours a week and I know she doesn't work the full 3 hours. But there's a bit early and then there's a whole hour (or more)!
My dad was looking after my little boy the other week at home and she said she was leaving early but would catch up the time the next week. I text her the next week and said my in-laws would be there before she left but she'd changed her mind and would be working only half the extra last week and half this week.
So this week she turned up at normal time (just before 9), she told me she had a doctors appt. at 11.20 (not that she was sorry she'd be leaving early or would pop back later to finish) and when I got back in from my own doctors appt at 10.50 she'd gone! We use the same doctors and it's 2 minutes from my house so why was she gone 30 minutes or more before the appt?! So she'd done less than 2 hours work but was supposed to be doing 3 1/2 hours.
In the year she's been working for me her standards of cleaning have dropped, dusting is not done upstairs and no high level dusting is done at all! I know she's picked up more cleaning work on the same day but that shouldn't change things for me surely?
WWYD? Sack her and look for a new cleaner? Speak to her (but it would have to be phone or text as it's taken me 5 months to see her this time and I am rubbish at the confrontation thing)? Just cut the money to 2 hours pay in future and see what happens?

OP posts:
mumofmunchkin · 31/03/2017 14:23

I don't get the making up time thing. I have a cleaner come for two hours every fortnight. I don't want one hour one week, and 3 hours the next time - house wouldn't be clean the first time and they'd be kicking their heels the second. If she has to go early, she only gets paid for the time she's done - she can't just faff about with her hours and promises to "make it up".

But I would get rid tbh, it's not going to get any better.

RaeSkywalker · 31/03/2017 14:27

Just sack her.

DontTouchTheMoustache · 31/03/2017 14:34

Omg just sack her? She has no redeeming qualities! Why would you not?

Elphame · 31/03/2017 14:49

Sack her. Why would you want t employ someone like that? She's stealing from you.

scaryclown · 31/03/2017 14:54

Yeah, show her the almighty uncaring in communicating power of the English middle class! Poverty is too good for lazy people who don't make our lives better for a pittance!

monkeywithacowface · 31/03/2017 14:54

Sack her, regularly unreliable, lies and doesn't do the job well. No brainer really

monkeywithacowface · 31/03/2017 14:57

LOL at pittance/poverty, most self employed cleaners earn a fair wage, certainly more than carers, teaching assistants, waiting staff etc.

The lady who does my cleaning and ironing lives in a bigger, newer house than I do

Original poster
abbijay · 31/03/2017 15:10

Thanks Scaryclown for assuming I pay a pittance, I deliberately haven't mentioned the figures in this post but needless to say we are talking well above the new minimum wage. And if I'm paying for 50% extra on that...

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 31/03/2017 15:16

This is dishonest and you need to let her go. She's not interested in doing the job properly, probably bored, and lying to you.

Iris65 · 31/03/2017 15:26

The trust has gone and she's not doing what you pay her for. Get a new cleaner.

ImperialBlether · 31/03/2017 15:35

Once the trust has gone, it won't return. I'd fire her and I'd tell her why.

TuttiFrutti · 31/03/2017 15:55

I've been in this position a few times in my life, and previously was much too soft, giving second chances, giving the benefit of the doubt etc. They always took the piss and I always regretted it.

It happened again a few months ago: new cleaners, I suspected they were leaving early because lots of things hadn't been done, then one day my ds was home from school early and I asked him to check what time they arrived and left. They were cutting 40 minutes off the time. I thought, if they have the brass neck to do that when there is someone in the house, what are they doing when no one is at home?

I sacked them straight away. Now have a brilliant cleaner who works the full time (and I have to stop her doing more).

The world is full of chancers.

Hoppinggreen · 31/03/2017 16:00

So uncaring OP, you should just pay her some sort of retainer Nd then she can decide if she feels like turning up or not!!

ComeOnSpring · 31/03/2017 16:02

Sack her

user838383 · 31/03/2017 16:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhereYouLeftIt · 31/03/2017 16:03

Sack her.

roundaboutthetown · 31/03/2017 16:07

I don't know why you are having difficulty with this. She has become dishonest and is providing a poor service. Why would you want to keep paying her for three hours of work when you know that is not what she is providing, and why would you want to use her at all when you know her to be dishonest?

Increasinglymiddleaged · 31/03/2017 16:12

I am Confused by the length of time your cleaners are contracted for. We have a 4 bed detached with an ensuite shower room and my cleaner takes 2 hours and even then knocks off a few minutes early....!

And she cleans the house to within an inch of its life while she's there.

3 hours to clean a 2 bed flat or house? Seriously...?

roundaboutthetown · 31/03/2017 16:19

2 hours once a week to clean a 4 bedroom detached house to within an inch of its life is entering superwoman territory - or she isn't the only person cleaning the house that week!!

PoisonousSmurf · 31/03/2017 16:21

I'd be more suspicious of a cleaner who managed to clean a big house (4 bedrooms) in less than 3 hours. What are they cleaning it with?
One cloth, on everything?
Yuck!

user838383 · 31/03/2017 16:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fzz33 · 31/03/2017 16:30

As a cleaner myself I can say if you're doing a proper job it isn't possible. We do 3 hours every two weeks for 2 bed places. Very rarely do weekly cleans and suggest every two weeks but for longer. It's not cost effective for either party as the time starts from when you pull up, so includes unloading/reloading the equipment (we supply everything) from the car. We clean everything though. Skirting boards, banisters, windows, even pull out appliances in the kitchen etc.

PoisonousSmurf · 31/03/2017 16:37

One cleaner at a friend's house would clean the bathroom and shower with a spray cleaner, rinse it well and then spend time drying it all with microfiber cloths, finishing off with paper towels to get every hint of water spots off the chrome and sanitary ware.
That job would take at least an hour by itself. But would look fantastic!

EweAreHere · 31/03/2017 16:44

Sack her. She's stealing from you: she's taking money for a service she's not actually providing as promised.

brassbrass · 31/03/2017 16:48

fzz33 how much would the 3 hours every fortnight cost?