Let down by cleaner-really angry

[CleanGetaway]

We've had the same lady clean for us for a few years now. Was reliable and trustworthy

Lately she has been leaving early with an excuse then saying as well that also has babysitting and needed time to get to next job. It was often half an hour so I said nothing.
Booked extra hours for this weekend (it's usually 5 hrs each Saturday) and she told me today (b short notice) that she cancelling this weekend as had an offer of work for more hours and needs the money ?

AIBU to be really angry and considering ending her employment with us ? We are booked in every week at same time so we should be the priority not messed about all the time

I'm especially angry as really needed help this week in particular so it's upset me

Edballs totally on the money.

llhj

Ed

Stop being angry and make a positive choice.

Get a new cleaner.

I know you wanted a clean, but I'd have said no to her, told her you'd arranged someone else - taught her a bit of her own medicine and that she's not your only option so she needs to treat you better.

Glad it worked out, but you weren't being unreasonable to be annoyed.

However YABU about your following comment

Lately she has been leaving early with an excuse then saying as well that also has babysitting and needed time to get to next job. It was often half an hour so I said nothing

Why on earth would you not ask her to make up the hours another time or suggest paying her less. You are obviously annoyed by this and I don't blame you but it's a bit daft not to say anything.

I don't see what it's got to do with the peasants revolting. They entered into a verbal contract. This was breached at short notice. The only reason behind doing this is for illness, bereavement, childcare etc. If employees acted like this regularly, they'd be sacked. I really cannot understand why your cleaner didn't fib and say one of her dcs is ill or something. This to me is about mutual respect and self respect.

Mummy with you 99.9% of the way, but, forgive me, the last bit had tea all over my PC screen (yes I am THAT much of a dinosaur) via my nose.

How exactly does telling fibs chime with mutual and self respect?

The first time I said nothing as she said she felt unwell with cramps so obviously I wouldn't. As she left she then said she had babysitting that night so wanted to have a bit more time but by that point I'd agreed as thought she was ill...

Other occasions she said oh I'll only do 4.5 hours today as need to do x y z and as it wasn't every time I thought ok, maybe she's got other stuff going on. Now I see maybe she was just seeing what she could get away with in a sense ?

The thing is , although flaky she's trustworthy and it took a while to find someone so honest. Especially being unwell I just want an easy life !

Honest as in I'm very happy for her to have a key, no worries about anything like that

I would get someone else who takes the job seriously. She is taking the piss. This would annoy me too.

When you have a word with her today about needing to be reliable, I'd want to make 2 points:

1. That you can't accept her cancelling at short notice because she has a better offer. If she does this again you'll regretfully need to get a different cleaner because you need someone who can commit to a regular slot.

2. And that if she wants to do 4 and a half hours instead (assuming that's OK with you and you don't need the full 5 hours) that's fine with you, but obviously you will be paying her for 4 and a half hours on those occasions and not 5.

You could perhaps start off asking if she's happy with your arrangement as you've noticed she is less reliable than she used to be so you wanted to make sure all was OK. But you need to make sure you set up your expectations and that you then stick to that moving forwards.

Edballs

I said about the fib because I was incredulous as to WHY ops cleaner would be stupid enough to tell the truth. Had she lied, op would be none the wiser. I'm not endorsing lying as yes, that totally goes against self respect and mutual respect. I can see the sentence was a rather contradictory in the context of my post and perhaps needed a paragraph of its own for explanation. Hope this clears it up.

Dh was perplexed too as to why she was so open about getting a better offer

maybe you aren't paying as much as her other clients. she should raise her rate with you though, rather than let you down.

Absolutely Mummy...in fact it was pretty clear from the context: I was just being obtuse for the sake of it. But I still LOVE the juxtaposition!