Another cleaner one.

[CushionsandCandles]

I thought I had a really good relationship with my cleaner- always friendly, generous gifts at Christmas and birthday etc. We have had her about 18 months, she does a good job, she is very reliable. I pay her £60 a week (big house). I always leave the cash on the side as she doesn't want a bank transfer (tax I assume but have never asked).
She stopped cleaning for me in early March- I'm in healthcare and have direct contact with COVID patients and I think she was frightened (entirely reasonable I guess). I have been putting £60 a week aside for her ever since as she never wants money into a bank account. As such I now have £900 waiting for her.
Anyway.... I have texted her several times through lockdown but decided to phone this week and ask her if she might be coming back soon. I'm doing ridiculous hours so desperate to have her back.
She now tells me she has got another job and has been working this through lockdown (home based) and will not be able to come back as she can't reduce the hours. She says she'll pop by tomorrow to drop off the key and pick up her money?
I think this is CF'ery or am IBU????

Thanks for your replies.
My initial response was to put the phone down and think on it and assess if I was going mad.
Even more amusingly she also asked if I wanted her mother to take over the job from now on.

This is proper CF. Textbook. Not a penny, OP, not a penny! Buy yourself something real nice!

Would her mother do a good job?

Wow. I wonder if you hadnt got in touch how long it would have taken her, and how much money she would have wanted if you had continued putting it aside for her!

Do NOT pay her!

And remember she's probably been eligible for the self-employed grant too.

Is this actually true? Is anyone actually that cheeky?

You kept money for her on the assumption of coming back. Imagine it was a bank transfer. How long would she have kept taking your money for before casually letting you know she wasnt coming back.

Your money now OP after the locks are done

Erm... nope. She is a CF

Oh my God!! That is the ultimate in cheek!! Can't believe anyone would be so brazen!

Op do not give her the money she has a new job and is being a cf

Omg. She has some massive balls to even try that.

What are you going to do?

I offered to pay my cleaner half as she's a single mum. My income had dropped by 40% but thought she would be worse off. She said no as she had been furloughed from her other job. When she returned three weeks ago I gave her a generous raise. She works hard for me and I appreciated her honesty about not needing the money and willingness to return as soon as it was allowed. Your cleaner has shown no loyalty and has been working anyway! So do not give her the money.

Omg what a cheeky cow!!!

Do NOT give her the money op!

Just say no. It was a retainer, she’s not coming back. She doesn’t get the money.

Fucking hell. I’m usually one of the ‘you should pay’ brigade but Christ NO. I agree it’s cheaper to change your lock!

"She says she'll pop by tomorrow to drop off the key and pick up her money?"
In what way is it 'her' money?

No way do you pay her anything. She could have worked for you but chose not to. As everyone else said this was an extremely generous retainer and she has chosen not to be retained.

The £60 per week was a retainer

Absolutely!
The cheek of some people is unbelievable. I hope you find a new cleaner fast. As soon as the schools are more widely reopened, there will not be a shortage of good cleaners if you struggle to find one now.

You could always use an agency in the meantime, you have a spare £900 to spend... which really you should use for yourself, as presumably you have cleaned your own house!

How did she know about the money @CushionsandCandles.

Dont pay her,for 1 thing she didnt give you notice.

Jesus people really are cheeky.Im gobsmacked,really i am.

Change the locks first. Them call her and say there is no need for her to come by as you won't need the key back.

If she asks about the money tell her that she is no longer cleaning for you and also didn't tell you so you could have found someone else, you won't be paying her.

Agree with everyone else - do not give her the money.

Yabu to even contemplate paying her. I am a cleaner and 1 of my customers has been paying me. I will be back when she deems it safe.. You were effectively dumped in March. You haven't been one of her customers since back then. No moral obligation to pay her one pound coin.

What an absolute cheeky fucking madam...

Did she come for her money?

Ooh enjoy your £900.

What happened??

Wow, this is terrible. Do you have a contract?
The money you have set aside was a retainer, to give to her in good faith, providing she returned.
How dare she treat you like that? She should have been honest from the start.