Cleaner constantly on the phone, poor productivity

[NCforthispurpose]

I have been employing a new housekeeper for the past 2.5 weeks. I like her, she's smart, is good at what she does, takes good care of the house and the clothes, asks good questions and is a great cook. However, she is constantly on the phone. Usually with her earpods but today they must have been out of battery and so she was holding the phone with one hand and emptying the dishwasher with the other hand. I started to get a bit irritated and went to check on her several times (I also wanted her to notice I knew she was on the phone) and she was constantly talking to someone.
Initially I didn't really mind as she recently arrived in the country and had loads of stuffs to sort out for her kids but now things are more or less settled and I can see these are not "admin" calls or emergencies she is dealing with, but just casual chats with friends, husband etc
I also noticed her productivity is very poor. Initially I put it down to being new in the house but now I can clearly see she's not focusing and tasks are taking much longer than they should. She is in her early 40s, very fit (she told me she liked exercising) and experienced so she should be much more productive. She works full time for us and doesn't do as much as the previous lady who used to work half the amount of hours.

She is still on a trial and as I now have to give her a contract I have to take the matter seriously as in this country it's almost impossible to lay off someone without being sued (if things were to deteriorate further).

I really want to keep her but I would like to address the matter in an elegant and non confrontational way. I was planning to sit down and tell her what a great cleaner and cook I think she is but there is a long "to do list" (printed black on white on paper) which she's never able to complete due to being distracted constantly by her phone.

AIBU: You should cut your losses and not renew her trial period
YANBU: You're right to try and make it work (and any tips welcome!)

She will be never change

Check you out being able to afford a cleaner. Pfft

Yes - this. You should give her money for nothing and thank her for it.

@sago1 there is a reason you're posting stuff like this, pull your finger out.

"Ilike her, she's smart, is good at what she does, takes good care of the house and the clothes, asks good questions and is a great cook.

I dont get it - how is that true and have poor productivity given she only works 2.5 hours a week.

And if you are not happy, you need to say something.

Just tell her that you would like her not to use the phone while working! This seems obvious that she shouldn't- but you should have nipped it in the bud first time.

She has been working for us for 2.5 weeks (2 weeks and a half) not 2.5 hours per week. She works for us full time and I feel like I am bleeding money for not much in exchange!
I can see she's got good potential, what she does is done well and she seems smart, she's just too slow and to me that's 100% due to her being on the phone 80% of the time.

Sorry, misread.

Then you must say something. Otherwise it will irritate and then you'll likely say something less measured and planned.

Very true. I got to that stage today, got quite irritated (hence me posting) and ended up being quite directive with her, which is so unlike me.
I'll try and have a chat with her tomorrow or Friday and hope things will improve.

I had a cleaner who spent 1.5 hours upstairs hoovering …… or so I thought. On investigation the hoover was just on while she sat there on her phone

wouldn't you have noticed after the 1st time when the floors were still dirty? I hoover our kitchen and halls daily and sometimes even twice daily because they get filthy. It takes me around half an hour each time, if I sat there pretending it be visibly obvious.

She did a quick Hoover at first but then I could still hear the hoover but no walking around ….and it was continuously on the first couple of times I thought ok well that’s odd but I’ll let her get on with it as I was working the third time I had a break and went up and she was sitting in one room on her phone the hoover just on by the top of the stairs

She is a waste f time. Anyone who thinks its ok to be on their phone all the time when they are at work has really poor judgement and a poor work ethic. Get rid.

The way I see it if it isn't done up to your standard get rid. I've hired cleaners before, came home and the place was still a mess. I never got them back.

If you're employing her then you need to act like an employer. She would never get a normal job where she could chat on the phone the whole time. Anyone who does that - especially while you're there - is just taking the piss and showing you absolutely no respect at all.