To ask cleaner why she is being so off with me?

[TrinidadQueen]

She can't look me in the eye.
Is rude in texts. Not saying hi just saying 'That's fine.'etc.

I have asked her to work shorter hours this week but made it clear she will have more next week. I have also let her know the schedule late but explained that was because of my own workplace letting me know late. I know she is experiencing some health issues and do wonder if it is spilling into work. Although I have already told her she can work less hours if needed, she did not seem keen on this idea.
Just not sure how to approach this.

Do you not realise that some people, especially those in low paid jobs, live week to week? Her getting fewer hours and thus less pay could be causing real difficulty.

it may be very difficult for her to fit in extra hours next week especially if she has health problems.
If she is contracted for set hours she should be paid for those hours whether you need them or not.

You've cut her hours and told her she needs to make them up next week, by text, rather than having a respectful two-way conversation.

I'm going against the grain here but if she's unhappy with the hours then she can speak up for herself, if she's a self employed cleaner then I doubt there is a contract of hours between them, it's in her best interest to be friendly and polite to get clients so she gets regular income and get more through word of mouth, op if your not happy with the service yanbu to sack her off and get another.

@notanothertakeaway

OP has disappeared. I wonder if it was a genuine post

Or hasn't got the answer they wanted

maybe she can't meet your eye because she is, as i would be, boilingly angry at being dicked around when it's too late to make alternative arrangements to make up my pay?

In her shoes, I'd be looking for a new job and then I'd just ditch you with no warning. Maybe you'd learn something from being treated like that?

As for her texts? no need for Jane Austen style prose in a text. None at all.

You answered your own question- you are messing about with her hours. I imagine she is looking for another job.

Have you left your house disgustingly messy? Just a thought

op if your not happy with the service yanbu to sack her off and get another

FFS, another who thinks cleaners should grovel and and be grateful for clients who break arrangements and leave them out of pocket.
An agreement is an agreement; if OP can't stick to it she should still pay. This isn't the cleaner's hobby, it's her livelihood.

@LowbrowVictoriana she is a business just like any other

@TrinidadQueen

She can't look me in the eye. Is rude in texts. Not saying hi just saying 'That's fine.'etc.

I have asked her to work shorter hours this week but made it clear she will have more next week. I have also let her know the schedule late but explained that was because of my own workplace letting me know late. I know she is experiencing some health issues and do wonder if it is spilling into work. Although I have already told her she can work less hours if needed, she did not seem keen on this idea.
Just not sure how to approach this.

I personally don’t think it’s ideal to change a cleaners hours at short notice, many are reliant on a set income and cutting her hours will leave her short of money and she may already have bookings for when you want her to work longer hours next week. Keep a schedule you can both keep to, if you work hours change, can she just use a key to let herself in? I don’t think it’s rude she’s not saying hi in messages, she’s still acknowledging you, she may just have a lot on her plate at the moment.

[quote seensome]@LowbrowVictoriana she is a business just like any other [/quote]
Meaning what? That's it's OK to mess her about and cancel arrangements?
And making a very low paid person out of pocket is just the same as returning something to Amazon, because they're both businesses "just like any other"?

Is this a joke?

If your boss phoned you and told you that this week your working hours are reduced but next week you can work more hours than normal or just be paid less.... would you be pissed off?

From reading the OP, it sounds exactly like what has happened to her.

The cleaner had a choice to say ok, or no that doesn’t work for me. Saying it’s fine they being rude to someone isn’t ok.

That said, it wasn’t a good thing for the OP to even consider it in the first place. Unless in exceptional circumstances, if your ability to employ a cleaner depends on exactly what you are earning in a week, you probably can’t afford one.

The cleaner will have arranged her clients' hours around her other commitments, so telling her that you're cutting her hours one week (are you paying her the agreed fee all the same, or are you cutting that too, even though it's not the cleaner's fault you want her to do less time?) and "giving" her more the next will probably be awkward for her, scheduling wise and financially. You don't seem to be considering your actions from her point of view at all.

If I were a cleaner and my client messed me around like that, I'd be looking for someone else to fill the slot to be honest. And I would have difficulty making eye contact with a person while I'm considering, nor would I be all nicey-nicey on the phone. I would remain polite but business-like, as a professional should.

She might have other reasons for being less friendly than you would like that have nothing to do with your messing her around, but it can't be good, can it, especially on top of her acknowledged health issues.

Good reliable cleaners are hard to find.

Have the "entitled person" of the day award OP.

Are you for real?

Hahahah good joke op.

I'm not surprised she is off with you. If she is anything like the cleaners I use/have used she was probably relying on having this weeks money to spend this week. My current cleaner once messaged me from the supermarket because I hadn't transferred her money in and she needed it there and then to pay for her shopping. She isn't particularly hard up (lovely car, nice holidays etc) but that how she budgets. I now make a point of sending her money before she leaves the house so we both know she has it.

Knowing that she will have extra cash next week isn't much help if she can't afford food this week. The late notification won't have helped.

I wouldn't say anything unless it's an apology for messing her around and a promise to be more consistent in the future. She is your cleaner not your friend. It really doesn't matter much if she is pissed off as long as she still does a good job.

Yabu. Text is generally brief communication so if I was replying I wouldn't say hi.

Also you should be paying her for her regular hours even if you can't use them and not adding them the following week.

Are you for real OP?

How can someone be so clueless?

She needed all the money you were going to pay her this week I imagine. It’s her living not a favour to you.

9/10 for effort op

I operate in 3 hourly slots. It suits me and it suits my clients. If any of them suggested I do two hours one week and four the next I'd say no, and would expect them to pay me for the three hours as usual.

During the first lockdown I used it as an opportunity to ditch a client who was a slow payer. I also ditch people who I feel are treating me like staff rather than a self employed business owner.

So many people want cleaners that it's no problem finding other clients if I get rid of any.

Good reliable cleaners are hard to find.

Very true. I charge £13.50 ph and £15 ph for one off visits (usually around 7-10 hours in total) to people desperate for someone to at least get to grips with an unclean house!

Ask her what's wrong.

Maybe she can't afford to lose income because you reduced her hours?