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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Cleaner left early

84 replies

mockorangey · 21/11/2018 11:59

I'm usually at work when the cleaner comes, but today I was working from home. After she left I realised she had finished 15 min early. I pay for 2 hour per week at £14.50 per hour, so not insignificant. Would you just let it go?

OP posts:

Sirzy · 21/11/2018 11:59

Was everything done that needs doing?

RosieStarr · 21/11/2018 12:00

If everything was done, what was the harm in her leaving 15 mins early?

Original poster

mockorangey · 21/11/2018 12:02

Everything was done. That's not to say there aren't other things that could be done - skirting boards or whatever.

OP posts:

Lightsong · 21/11/2018 12:03

I think if you are paying by the hour rather than paying for set jobs to be done, she should be staying for the whole paid time and doing extra jobs.

Ragaroo · 21/11/2018 12:03

Imo there are always things that need doing, I would maybe let it drop once but it's hard when this happens and the trust starts to fade. Take it case by case. I hire mine through an agency to avoid this confrontation. I'd only pay for the exact time they'd been there though. Depends how happy you are with the service too.

Jenala · 21/11/2018 12:04

Most people on mumsnet seem to think that the cleaner should do other tasks if they finish early. I hate presenteeism though. If the job is done, what's the problem? You have agreed for her to clean your home for £29 and that's what she's done.
People are so tight it's unbelievable.

Lightsong · 21/11/2018 12:08

I work a desk job and sometimes finish my workload half an hour before clocking off but I don't leave early, because I get paid by the hour. I tidy up or find other little things that need doing.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 21/11/2018 12:12

Is she supposed to do the skirting boards or not? If she is then she didn't do everything

naicepineapple · 21/11/2018 12:14

I think if everything was done then 15 minutes isn't a big deal.
My cleaner asks me to text her a list of things I want done every week. I sometimes put something extra in for if she has time. Could you do that?

Ellisandra · 21/11/2018 12:14

Did you discuss what should happen if she finishes early?

Do you have the sort of house/lifestyle where the cleaning agreed could take variable amounts of time? If so, do you think this is swings and roundabouts and sometimes the cleaner stays longer?

I once had a cleaner and her company refused to do hourly rates - they priced the job and that was that.

If you’re generally happy and you think your house was less dirty than usual, I’d let it go.

It would raise my eyebrow that the cleaner was comfortable to not work 2 hours when they knew you’d be aware!

If the service is good, and you’re not if they’re taking the piss, and house was no less dirty than usual... I’d consider letting them know you need to cut back a bit because of Xmas and you need to book them for 1.5 hours for a few months. If you’ve agreed a list of jobs of course, you’ll need to say what to drop.

gamerchick · 21/11/2018 12:16

15 minutes and everything expected was done?

You really want to squeeze the pips don't you?

If she goes 15 minutes over because something took a little longer than usual but didn't charge you, would you insist on paying extra?

PushItRealGood · 21/11/2018 12:22

But how can everything ever be "done"? There are always more things that can be cleaned! I also get paid by the hour in a training job and would never dreaming of leaving after that day's training objectives had been met. I use the time to cover other things.

I wouldn't be happy about that, OP. She's paid by the hour not by a set list of tasks she has to complete.

PushItRealGood · 21/11/2018 12:23

If she goes 15 minutes over because something took a little longer than usual but didn't charge you, would you insist on paying extra?

If she worked longer than her hours of course I'd insist on paying for that time.

RosieStarr · 21/11/2018 12:23

If everything was done then I don’t see the issue. If it regularly happened, then I’d say something or ask her to do something else.

My cleaner (via an agency) is given a list of things to do, and I pay for those things to be done and not the time it takes. Sometimes they do stuff I haven’t asked for and forget things I have asked for, but it all balances out.

gamerchick · 21/11/2018 12:30

If she worked longer than her hours of course I'd insist on paying for that time

But would the OP. Usually it doesn't occur to people that cleaners can go over their time as well as under. It does balance itself out over time.

It's pretty to expect them to look for work to fill in a few minutes.

LemonTT · 21/11/2018 12:34

I wouldn’t be bothered about this if the general routine was complete. In fact working from home I would prefer it if she just got it over with ASAP. That being said I did have one who only did 45 mins out of the 2 hours and who noticeably wasn’t doing very much. I ended that arrangement.

So no I wouldn’t give this a second thought.

Artofhappiness · 21/11/2018 12:35

If I were your cleaner and you mentioned this I would slow down/arrive bang on time and leave bang on time regardless.

If you want your cleaner to do the skirting boards include it in a list of small jobs that can be done only ‘if there’s time’.

1Wanda1 · 21/11/2018 12:37

I had a wonderful cleaner once, who would sometimes text me and say "I've finished all the jobs but still have 20 mins left, what can I do?" That was so nice.

The norm though seems to be that cleaners do only the specified tasks and then leave, even if they are being paid by the hour.

EerieSilence · 21/11/2018 12:38

If she's done what you agreed on, she can leave earlier. 15 minutes is no big thing.
If you insist on her "doing her time", talk to her.

LOVELYDOVEY05 · 21/11/2018 12:38

Does she stay longer when there is more to do? If she does then it is swings and roundabouts

AnastasiaVonBeaverhausen · 21/11/2018 12:39

Did she arrive on time or early?

Figgygal · 21/11/2018 12:39

Are skirting boards one of the agreed jobs? If she hadn't done them and they are then she wasn't finished. If they are not and she had genuinely done what she is paid to do then what is the problem?

nomad5 · 21/11/2018 12:42

My cleaner is very thorough but she often finishes a bit early (now she is used to what needs to be done in my house). Between 15 and 45 mins early (she comes for 4 hours a week). I'm not usually home. It's fine because she does a great job. If I have extra things that need to be done (clean the oven etc, or an especially large amount of laundry to be folded and ironed) she of course will stay and do that.

If the work is being done I would let it slide, because there is a personal relationship element with a cleaner/housekeeper - they come to your home and you have to trust them to do a good job. It's different to eg working an hourly shift in a shop or cafe.

StormTreader · 21/11/2018 12:44

Would you prefer she worked slower so the jobs filled the time?
Really, if she did everything then I don't see the problem.

nomad5 · 21/11/2018 12:45

My cleaner did check with me that it was ok for her to arrive a bit later due to school run/leave later/finish early if she's done. She says some of her clients insist on the exact hours. So chat to her about it.

She also says some of her clients stand over her and watch her working which is unnerving.

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