To pay for the time that cleaner actually took?

[Ireallyneedtonamechangeforthis]

We have had a temporary cleaner in last and this week, as our usual cleaner is away and I have just had an operation. When I asked in advance how much she charged, I was told that her rates were 15 pounds/hour. On that basis, I asked her to do 5 hours. She did this last week, with no problems, and cleaned all the things I would have expected.

She was meant to come yesterday and didn't turn up, then when I texted to ask whether everything was ok, she replied last night asking whether she could come today. I explained that we had visitors this afternoon but we could do this morning. We agreed she/they would come at 10am. She turned up at 1pm, with two other ladies, and stayed until 2pm - so the equivalent of three hours' work. They did work quickly while they were here, but there were lots of things that weren't done in that time that they would presumably have done if they had stayed for the full time. The kitchen work tops weren't cleaned, they didn't do any dusting, they didn't take out any rubbish etc. I appreciate that this was because they were short of time, but that was a situation that they had caused, and that I had no control over.

At the end, I paid her for the 3 hours worth of work that they had carried out, and she got very annoyed and told me that they had cleaned the whole house and wanted to be paid for 5 hours' work, because they had done everything that they would have done in 5 hours, just more quickly. I was perfectly polite, but said that there were some bits they didn't seem to have got to that I would need to clean now, so whilst I was obviously very happy to pay then for the hours they had worked, I wasn't happy to pay for 5 hours. She was really annoyed and stormed out. Wibu? Should I have paid her for 5 hours? I am doubting myself, and also am slightly embarrassed because she was recommended to me by a friend and I don't want her to tell my very lovely friend that I have in some way short changed her.

So 3 of them did 3 hours so 9 hours total? Or have I misunderstood?

She did 3 hours, you paid 3 hours. She turned up 3 hours late . You paid her for hours she did . They only bit in question is if 2 other cleaners helped her, how were they paid? If they all worked flat out for 3 hours then that was 3×3 hours = 9 hours so that was a bargain at 5 hours for one cleaner

Oh sorry, no - three people stayed for 1 hour, from 1pm to 2pm. Sorry for confusion!

The cleaner worked for one hour, from 1 until 2. The two other women worked one hour each. Therefore three hours total, which was paid for.

I have to agree, 3 hours work unless they'd done an amazing job and everything you wanted, I would only pay for 3. Especially as they let you down and were late. Poor business manners...
5 hours a week though? £75! I don't spend that long cleaning my house in a fortnight (it shows!).

Three of them did one hour each and YANBU
She sounds a bit flaky

(if the latter was the case, you can say I've had a rethink and pay the 5 hours but bit concerned that you missed some jobs you agreed to do as you turned up late & didn't finish)

OP said the three cleaners stayed for one hour.

I read it that 3 of them showed up at 1pm and worked until 2pm (though they were expected to arrive at 10am). So if that’s the case that’s fair - 3 people worked one hour so should be paid for 3 hours work.

Been on the wine already winepls?

She turned up at 1pm, with two other ladies, and stayed until 2pm - so the equivalent of three hours' work

I think you were right. She was chancing her luck.

They did three hours work and you paid them for three. They messed you about twice, sounds fair to me.

3 people worked 1 hour each, so 3 hours. Yanbu.

Hold on, just reread your OP . All 3 only did 1 hour, so total of 3×1 =3 hours??? No way she gets 5 hours pay for that!! She gets paid 3 hours what was actually done and no more, CF!!

If your friend asks, tell her cleaner is a CF. Don't use her again.

3 people worked for 1 hour each, so 3hrs worked - paying them for 3hrs is fine, they didn't do everything they would've done in 5hrs, and if they had managed it why would it normally almost double?

YANBU, I don't pay my staff extra if they work hard, they should always work hard and I pay them for hours actually worked

I wouldn't usually pay that much, either - my parents have come to help, as I've had surgery, and we've also spent all of half term at home because I can't drive again yet, so I thought we might need a bit of extra back up. We also moved to the back of beyond and so have a bigger house than our old 2 bedroom flat in London! This is a new (and, I fully appreciate, very fortunate) experience.

It’s like one of those maths problems

3x1=9.

And i thought I was bad at math

3 hours pay only.

If she had said “we’re going to actually run between rooms to achieve this, but we’re going to get the full 5 hour clean done - is that OK with you?” before she started, then fine. But she didn’t.

I’m fine with paying a flat rate for a clean and then sometimes it’s more or less. But only if that’s what you agreed to!

I've had various cleaners, individuals and companies, for the past 30yrs or so and have only ever been asked or expected to pay for the hours they did. Either she misunderstood the terms of the arrangement or she's a bullshitting chancer hoping to intimidate you into paying more. And unreliable too! Her business won't last long.

I think a couple of us misread thinking 3 had stayed 3 hours 🙈 not one hour each! And have now fixed it, as agree OP YANBU. Cleaner cannot ask to be paid for hours she didn't do.

She didn't "work quickly" as they didn't finish all the jobs and besides you pay the hours done (or for the entire completed job if pre agreedas payment that way). She is chancing her arm, as others said.

Ps. My house (a fair size) was 3 hours a week by one cleaner and she did a fab job for £10/hour (a few years ago, rates are now £12/hour here)

She twice failed to turn up when she agreed to, expected you to let two strangers in, and expects you to pay for 66% more work than they actually did? Fuck that.

She is a CF and I think you should tell your friend what happened.

And if they can do five hours work in three then obviously their five hours worth of work is pretty crap!

3 people stayed for 1 hour do 3 hours pay . She thinks that she did 5 hours work in 3 hours . It doesn't work like that so 3 hours pay .
She is a cf unless you had agreed or did she just assume ?
Tbh if I paid for 3 hours cleaning but it only took 1 hour I wouldn't want to pay for 3 hours a few minutes I wouldn't mind . It's not as if I can say where I work I've done 7 hours work in 5 hours now I'm off home .

Shes being cheeky. Doesn't show up one day, shows up late on the next day with 2 friends, they work for 1 hour (3 in total) and does a half arsed job and wants to be paid more.