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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To sack cleaner for this?

383 replies

Katrinawaves · 21/10/2022 20:33

My husband and I had a mix up today and both left cash out to pay the cleaner. She has taken both lots of cash so double her normal payment for the day. Would I be unreasonable to sack her for this? My husband is saying we should just not pay her next week but I am concerned now about her honesty. What would you do?

OP posts:
LoveMyCats1 · 21/10/2022 20:48

Yea I would sack them they are taking the P.

dontknowwhatisbest · 21/10/2022 20:49

I'm with you OP. Cleaner is a CF who hoped she would get away with it.

She might well be up the financial shit creek. Lots of us are. It sucks. But if I stole from my employer it would be gross misconduct and I would rightly be fired.

I've no idea why somehow cleaners are exempt from this, because we should be wracked with middle class guilt I guess.

chickchickpox · 21/10/2022 20:49

goodbyestranger · 21/10/2022 20:42

She broke no-one's trust. She took the money left out.

Bollocks. She knows how much she is paid (no doubt she is the one who told the OP how much she charges) and she took double that. That isn't just a 'bonus' it's double what she charges. She knew exactly what she was doing and it is dishonest. I think maybe a few people on here are just bitter that they can't afford a cleaner and aren't being honest about how they would feel if they were the OP. And for reference I would like to add I cannot afford a cleaner either but if I could I would definitely have one!

LoveMyCats1 · 21/10/2022 20:51

She took her wages and stole the second lot of money she found in your home.

FistFullOfRegrets · 21/10/2022 20:51

goodbyestranger · 21/10/2022 20:42

She broke no-one's trust. She took the money left out.

So she can take the jewellery/other money she finds?

nope! She cleans in exchange for £x. She doesn't just get to take any money lying around!

that's theft.

@Katrinawaves I'd be very uncomfortable with that. Part of my business involves going into peoples homes & some of them leave cash for me (prefer being paid on line, but sometimes it's easier for them) if they left out more than we'd agreed I'd only take what we'd agreed. Anything more is theft unless they leave a note to say it's a 'thank you' /bonus/gift. I get gifts, it's nice 😊but it's usually flowers, not cash.

PurplePansy05 · 21/10/2022 20:52

LoveMyCats1 · 21/10/2022 20:51

She took her wages and stole the second lot of money she found in your home.

This.

Some of the responses on this thread are truly weird!

Tomorrowisalatterday · 21/10/2022 20:54

I have occasionally accidentally left out too much money, my cleaner always comes to find me and gives me back the extra.

Because she is an honest person unlike your cleaner

ShirleyPhallus · 21/10/2022 20:54

MN gets more fucking crackers by the minute I swear. Some of these responses are 🤯

WizardOfUK · 21/10/2022 20:56

Why on Earth wouldn't you speak to her about it, just explain that you and your dh both left money out, you've seen she's taken both amounts so you won't pay her next week

ordinarilyordinary · 21/10/2022 20:57

Have you spoken to her? Surely that's the obvious thing to do before you post on MN

Bzzz · 21/10/2022 20:58

Katrinawaves · 21/10/2022 20:46

I work from home so I was in the house at the time so she could have checked with me if she was unsure!

my husband had left the money out when he went to work and she picked it up first thing. I left the same amount out towards the end of the shift so she did not lift them both together without counting.

I’m not sure why some think not wanting to pay someone twice makes me tight or cheap!

Especially after this update i think she knew what she was doing

girlmom21 · 21/10/2022 20:59

I initially thought you were unreasonable but she knew exactly what she was doing if she took two lots of cash.

Did she think you wouldn't discuss it?!

Original poster
Katrinawaves · 21/10/2022 21:01

I haven’t discussed it with her as she comes via an agency and I don’t have direct contact details for her. If I message the agency, she risks being sacked from all her cleaning jobs. I will speak to her when she comes back next week though.

OP posts:
HunterHearstHelmsley · 21/10/2022 21:01

Were both lots of money in the same place?

JulieMarooley · 21/10/2022 21:01

Maybe she forgot by the end, that she’d taken it at the start? If she’d cleaned a few houses that day perhaps? But yeah, I’d be suspicious.

MarshaBradyo · 21/10/2022 21:01

I think you should talk to her next week

Original poster
Katrinawaves · 21/10/2022 21:02

HunterHearstHelmsley · 21/10/2022 21:01

Were both lots of money in the same place?

Yes they were both left on the hall table

OP posts:
Mycatsgoldtooth · 21/10/2022 21:03

Not wanting to pay someone twice as much for doing their job doesn’t make the OP tight. I’d be really concerned with someone taking two lots of money without asking if it was a meant as a bonus or two weeks pay in advance.

Delatron · 21/10/2022 21:04

I think your update saying it was left separately means she knows it wasn’t a bonus as that would have all been left in the same pile? So most likely is you paid then husband paid - she should have either left it as she had already collected her wages or spoken to you. Was it left in exactly the same place?

You just need to speak to her though and see what she says.

Delatron · 21/10/2022 21:05

For reference- once I paid my cleaner double for the next week as I was away on holiday and she immediately messaged me to tell me (it was a bank transfer).

ohfook · 21/10/2022 21:05

No don't sack her when there's numerous other explanations- the most likely one being that she thought it was a tip or a bit extra because you were pleased with her work.

UnicornsDoExist · 21/10/2022 21:05

She was dishonest

senua · 21/10/2022 21:06

Katrinawaves · 21/10/2022 21:01

I haven’t discussed it with her as she comes via an agency and I don’t have direct contact details for her. If I message the agency, she risks being sacked from all her cleaning jobs. I will speak to her when she comes back next week though.

Eh?
Don't you pay the Agency rather than the worker?
Why do you allow someone in to work in your house without having their contact details?

BatshitBanshee · 21/10/2022 21:07

Maybe she thought you'd be away next week and wanted to pay her beforehand or maybe she thought the first lot was short and you were topping up - especially as it was left in the exact same place. I'd speak to her first rather than just sack her.

butchersshrink · 21/10/2022 21:10

I do wish people would stop bleating on about 'why post on mumsnet? why not ask her? Mumsnet is my entertainment. I enjoy reading people's little random shituations like this one.