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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be pissed off and sack my cleaner

160 replies

Nightnight23 · 23/05/2019 20:55

Another cleaner related thread...

Background so as not to drip feed. Had this cleaner for a year, she is very reliable and competitively (but fairly) priced.
Had some issues as her cleaning is average to poor depending on whether I’m there or not. I try to be a good person to clean for - make regular cups of tea if I’m in, make sure everything is tidied away before etc so she only has to clean, during half terms I give her alterations etc to do from home of an evening as she has a young son and childcare is difficult in hols but that way she doesn’t lose out financially.

Issues are:
She brought her son without pre agreeing it with me, he then took a piece of tech with him, I hadn’t realised it had gone missing but she brought it round the next day laughing about it. I get that he’s a kid (10) but why should I have to worry about things being stolen when I’m employing a cleaner to make my life easier?

I pay her for 2 hours cleaning, I recently got a camera installed on the door. I don’t think she is aware but it’s not a secret as the unit is in the house and she would see it if she ever dusted the window sill (it’s mainly to track deliveries whilst I’m out but it notifies my phone when someone comes or goes as it points to the drive).

I have been out the past 3 weeks. The first week she did 1 hour 15 mins, I didn’t question it as I presumed it was a 1 off and she’d automatically make it up the following week.
The second week I was out she did 1 hour 5 mins, I questioned her and she said she did everything really quickly as she had another job to go on to but she’d make it up next time. Then last week she did an hour and five again. I messaged her at the weekend with a list of jobs to do if she finishes with half an hour or more to spare to make it up to the two hours. She replied that’s fine and she did two hours last week and would keep to two hours going forward. I know it’s a lie as the camera recorded her coming and going after just over an hour.

I genuinely wouldn’t mind if things were cleaned quickly and to a high standard but they’re not. So much basic stuff is missed.

Another issue (god this is so long sorry!) is I bulk buy large quantities of cleaning products as it’s cheaper to do so. I’ve found out she’s been refilling her bottles with my products each week. The price agreed is meant to include all her own cleaning materials. Not only is she using my products for my house (I could tolerate that) but it seems I’m also supplying her other clients cleaning products too as she refills a whole bottle each week.

Aibu to be pissed off with her? I feel she’s taking me for a total mug. We get on so nicely face to face but she clearly thinks I’m an idiot. We are not well off and I have a cleaner because I’m disabled so it is a massive luxury meant to make life easier. Hmm

OP posts:
Cariadne · 23/05/2019 21:21

Christ, sack her. She sounds absolutely awful.

CoraPirbright · 23/05/2019 21:22

Goodness, even one of your examples would have me reaching for the phone to send a ‘you’re fired’ text.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 23/05/2019 21:22

That's not on.

You gave her a few chances, she keeps taking the piss.

Sorry, but if you will only get frustrated and upset even more when this carries on, and it will.

Move on, get a new one, hope it will be better this time.

mbosnz · 23/05/2019 21:22

Nope, sack her. She is being dishonest and unprofessional. And quite frankly, doing a really shit job to boot.

I'd just text her - in view of ongoing issues, I'm terminating this business agreement. Your services are no longer required.

Treaclesweet · 23/05/2019 21:24

Do not have her come again! She is obviously very dishonest. I would not have someone I could not trust in my house!

Listlover · 23/05/2019 21:25

Get your keys back and get rid. Please make sure you tell her why

TheBigFatMermaid · 23/05/2019 21:26

She has a 10 year old who steals from you, she steals from you by not working the full time she is paid for (yes, that is stealing). Get rid. Stop being a mug!

lurkingattheback · 23/05/2019 21:29

I've sacked a cleaner for very similar reasons. Kept bringing her young child, would usually ask but it meant her standards dropped. She was also slow, and would regularly leave early, without finishing everything.

Cherrysoup · 23/05/2019 21:31

She’s stealing from you, time and products. Don’t allow her to clean next week. Be there to meet her, take her key, tell her why you’re sacking her and turn her round off your property.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 23/05/2019 21:31

She’s dishonest, sack her. Do it face to face so you can have her key back.

PhyllisPearce · 23/05/2019 21:31

Change the locks before you sack her - just in case

CalmdownJanet · 23/05/2019 21:34

When she lied about the time did you not say "eh you realise the doorbells records and I know that's an outright lie?", sack her, she doesn't give a shiney shit she's a struggling single mother do why should you?

Justmuddlingalong · 23/05/2019 21:35

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

ScottishDoll · 23/05/2019 21:38

Change locks, don't have her back.

ThatCurlyGirl · 23/05/2019 21:39

If anyone else only did 1/2 of the hours they were paid for they'd get fired - you aren't being OTT at all x

WhoWasIt · 23/05/2019 21:39

Don't feel bad about sacking her. She clearly doesn't feel bad about stealing time and money.
We used to have a cleaner like her at work. She was supposed to be there from 6-8pm Mon-Fri. We used to tidy up to make things easier for her, but we noticed that her work was slipping. We didn't have camera's but she did have to deactivate and reactivate the alarm ( we all left at 5 ) When i checked the alarm sheet, she had been in at anywhere between 7 and 10.30 for a total of 10 mins each time, yet she was being paid for 2 hours per day!
Don't feel bad about sacking a piss taker.

Dexterslockedintheshedagain · 23/05/2019 21:41

Thought you said she was reliable? She's clearly not! ( unless you mean she can be relied upon to take the mickey).

SnowyAlpsandPeaks · 23/05/2019 21:41

Sack her now!!!

willstarttomorrow · 23/05/2019 21:42

If she got all the cleaning she was paid for done well and then finished I could maybe live with that. More importantly you trust her to come into your home and she has totally abused that trust. I work in a job which totally depends on people being open and honesty to move things forward. The issue is not only the gravity of any lie but the fact it happened makes me question everything else. You really have no choice OP.

namechangedforanon · 23/05/2019 21:44

I'm sorry but not on . Get rid

Nightnight23 · 23/05/2019 21:45

Ok I have just been lining up a new cleaner who seems to come very recommended.
Luckily I never actually gave her a key so that shouldn’t be an issue.
It’s just so disappointing when people treat other people this way. I think with the new cleaner I will start as I mean to go on and just be professional and politely blunt rather than subtle and overly optimistic.

OP posts:
Wellandtrulyoutnumbered · 23/05/2019 21:46

I’ve just felt sorry for her as she’s a single mother who always seems to be struggling in one way or another

Don't. She is a piss taker who if she had a better work ethic probably wouldn't be struggling.

InACheeseAndPickle · 23/05/2019 21:47

She is completely dishonest so I wouldn't feel comfortable with her even having access to my house. I'd definitely get the key back.

Gigglinghysterically · 23/05/2019 21:47

She has a set of your keys? I would get locks changed (for anti snap, anti bump, per a recent thread) and then phone and sack her.

Does she not realise you have recordings of her arriving and leaving to substantiate your claim?

Don't worry about her being a single mother, that's not your problem.

Lalliella · 23/05/2019 21:53

There are 3 issues in your post, and any one of them alone would be grounds to sack her. She’s totally taking the piss. Shame on her.