Sacking cleaner

[Babblepook]

My cleaner has over the last year or so turned more and more shit. I’m pretty sure she never stays for the full time we pay her, the cleaning isn’t very good and she’s pretty surly bordering on rude when we request basic things are done. And now to top it all off she’s asked for more money! So we’re going to let her go.

Considering how surly she is I’m just going to tell her we don’t want a cleaner anymore but want to tell her and get our keys back on the spot as it makes me uneasy having someone who’s potentially pissed off having our house keys! Question is should I give her payment in lieu of notice as I want her to stop cleaning straight away but appreciate it’s not cool to give no notice even though legally I don’t have to.

What would you do?

When she arrives say you no longer need a cleaner, thank her for her help over the years, pay her for that week and ask for the keys back. Be polite and don't let her thin kit is because of her work.
You could greet her at the door and as she comes in, ask her to pass you your key before she puts it away.

Yes,as soon as she arrives explain you don't want/need a cleaner/your priorities have changed/you are no longer in a position to employ her....whichever.....inform her she is being given a week's wages in lieu and please can I have the keys now thank you.
If she mentions a reference,well you can say if you receive a request for one you will respond accordingly😀.
Good luck!

Yep get your keys back and don't give more than 1 week's payment in lieu of notice.

Don’t use the word “employ”.

I chickened our and got my keys back whilst she was here saying we were getting a new door and we’d replace her keys. Then text her that night saying we’d been struggling financially and couldn’t afford to keep her, very sorry etc.

Not terribly grown up but i was a bit scared of her

Thehop - nice move.
I have previously asked if I can borrow a key back from my DM to give to a builder for a few days - but actually I wanted to stop her letting herself in when I wasn't there. I never gave it back!

I chickened our and got my keys back whilst she was here saying we were getting a new door and we’d replace her keys. Then text her that night saying we’d been struggling financially and couldn’t afford to keep her, very sorry etc.
Not terribly grown up but i was a bit scared of her

Ha ha - I feel the same, she’s scary!

I wonder if she wants to stop cleaning for you but doesn’t want to be the one to break the arrangement?
Ours got very unreliable and would not turn up / leave dirty cloths out on top of towels etc. We didn’t know how to tackle it as we had got quite friendly. Turns out they had jobs closer to home and eventually told us they had to stop coming....
Got a new one now, can’t wait!

Let her let herself in, don't go to the door and open it for her.

Then she can't say she's forgotten the keys.

I would change the lock once she is gone.

You really think I need to replace the locks - that would cost about £250!

You don’t need to replace the locks if you get your key back I shouldn't Think?

Def change the locks. Peace of mind. What if she copied the keys in case she mislaid her set? You might not be insured if you were broken into. Don't know what your locks are but you could replace the barrel of a yale lock but leave the mortice the same?

When I have let cleaners go I have done it via text (less awkward) and just said it was for financial reasons. I have given them 4 weeks notice.

In your situation I would probably do it via text (I hate awkwardness) and say you'll no longer need her services from X date so if she can come next week and do the normal clean and leave her key, you'll then wire her (via bank account) an extra X number of weeks to cover a notice period (whatever you think is fair, I don't know how crap she is). So then she's got an incentive to just go quietly and leave the key.

Unless you think she is a criminal then I don't think you need to be concerned about changing locks.