To sack cleaner for this?

[Katrinawaves]

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?

She’s been cheeky. You don’t forget you took the first amount.
Id get her to clean next week so you get your money and then state you paid twice last month so won’t be paying this week and then I’d sack her too.

Last week*

The circumstances you describe are very important.

That is not the same as having 2 piles of money out and taking both. The most likely reasoning is she thought she hadn’t picked her wages up earlier.

The chances that she is a thief are very very low.

Hmm
Sounds like a finders fee and you are an employer
Are you paying tax, NI, pension and holiday pay for her?

I'd assume she was either dishonest (and hoping you'd not notice you'd overpaid her) or not very intelligent. If it had been a bonus, someone probably would have mentioned it, and it definitely would've all been in a single bundle. I can't imagine forgetting I'd already been paid once that day. She should have counted the money to be sure it wasn't the correct/usual amount and then checked with you. Instead, she's kept quiet in the hopes that you won't compare notes and notice.

Whether you sack her or not is entirely your own concern, but unless she had a good explanation for taking both bundles of cash, I'd definitely trust her rather less than before, even if I kept her on. It's a shame, but that's what happens when you take more than you're owed without making certain it was a bonus or a gift.

I agree you need to talk to her about it. If it were me I'd bring it up casually like "oh didnt we pay you twice last week? Me and DH both recall leaving your cash out on the table". Then see what she says. If she's dishonest then I wouldn't make a big deal of it with her but I'd be requesting the agency to send someone else.

Don't be so sure you can trust your DH's recollection (or your own) though. I once had a man shouting at me that I needed to find his suit (I work in a dry cleaners) even though the ticket he was waving in my face was from a totally different shop. He came back very sheepishly with his wife to apologise later that day as he was mistaken about the shop. He was so, so sure that he was right though.

That's really odd. I have an agency cleaner. The agency is paid online.

She might have forgot she picked the first lot up?

Just tell her that you've realised you both left money out so that should cover next week. End of.

Never in mine either. That is a recipe for disaster all round. The potential for not paying/ lying about being paid, getting tax, vat wrong is huge.

That's exactly what it is.

I would speak to her rather than just sacking her outright. Could well have been a mistake - she might have thought you meant to pay extra.

The agency system is similar to one around here which I didn’t like at all - the paying of an agency for very little in perpetuity and the cleaner wanting cash. Didn’t really like that system.

I use a proper cleaning company with all the cleaners as employees. Works really well.

When she looked at the two piles of money she should have taken what she was owed and no more. She has stolen the second lot she took.

She had the opportunity to go to where you were working and ask why there were two piles of money. She didn't. She's a thief.

I’d speak to her but I do think it’s odd she took both piles of money and I would question this. One could have been left out for your DC or to pay the window cleaner or anything.

Maybe she thought you were paying her in advance for next week as you weren’t going to be around. Why don’t you just ask her next week?

If he/she is any good then no, if shit then yes!

You could give her an out and text something like "I left cash out for xyz but have misplaced it, did you perhaps notice it or move it when cleaning?"

If she says no, you know she is dishonest and have every right to sack her or she e could say 'I'm sorry, I thought it was in advance for next week and took it'

I think it's weird that she didn't mention it to you. If we've overpaid our cleaner they have very quickly checked with me what has happened, as I think there's a real impetus to demonstrate honesty. Tbf I understand that as I bet they get accused of stealing stuff all the time that they haven't.

Anyway, I'd ask the agency for her details (not saying why), and be in touch sooner rather than later with her. Assuming you've signed something and so has she that you're not going to undercut the agency to work directly, they should be able to give you her details. We have our cleaners and nanny through an agency but have their details to speak to directly so it's not a crazy ask.

Same here but it's a direct debit.

I'm a cleaner and I even question if someone leaves say £30 instead of 28 I say I meed to get your charge blah blah, I NEVER assume. It COULD be a mistake, in that she has picked it up on autopilot forgetting she's picked up the first lot, but there is no way in hell she would think you had just kindly pay her double. You could text and smooth it out but I fully get why the ops trust has been broken!

Do you need to address this? Yes, definitely.

Do you need to sack her? No, absolutely not.

As has been mentioned on here, there are many reasons, some more likely than others, that mean she may be wholly innocent and has taken the money by mistake, may have thought it was an advance payment for next week, or could even have been a bonus.

Whether or not this is the case, I think anybody deserves the right to be heard before something as life changing as being sacked. There are so many threads on Mumsnet about people who are struggling to make ends meet, please don't send another family down that path needlessly.

And I really struggle with comments of some members on this thread who seem to be painting your cleaner as a criminal mastermind for taking a pile of notes left out on the table where she normally collects her wage. If she was out to fleece you, this is not the smartest way to go about it. I reckon it will all be sorted out after an honest chat, cup of tea and packet of malted milks.

I don't think you should leave it until next time she comes before you say anything. Ask the agency for her number, or say to them there was a mix up and she was paid twice.

She should have checked with you. Bit odd.

But of course you have an adult conversation with her re… sacking someone for this without a chat seems like overkill.

Alternatively, maybe your husband is having an affair with the cleaner and has been caught out leaving her a little bit extra on the side????? 🤔

Kidding. This is innocent. All a misunderstanding. 😂

Yes too many options of what this could be.don’t sack her yet.it really could be innocent.and it really might not be.total lapse in memory and picking it up on auto pilot.
and if she did pick it up in the morning and there is more there later,it makes even more sense it’s innocent.as she would think oh how lovely they think I’ve done a good job they have given me more now at the end of shift.and I don’t think you would automatically ask your employer.You’d be gracious in silence no?