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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:
drpet49 · 22/10/2022 02:03

dontknowwhatisbest · 21/10/2022 20:40

Presumably the two lots of cash were in two separate piles? Sorry, I don't for a minute believe that anyone would think that exactly the same amount of money, left in a different place, without and prior discussion, was some kind of cost of living bonus.

I think she has knowingly stolen from you OP.

I agree

ImustLearn2Cook · 22/10/2022 02:06

@NumberTheory I think that most people can see through a flimsy excuse and then respond accordingly. Also, effective communication would send a very clear message that you won’t be easily messed around with and that you are a reasonable person that doesn’t operate on assumption.

whoisthatpersoninthemirror · 22/10/2022 02:29

Cost of living bonus 😂😂😂😂

NeedingAGoodNap · 22/10/2022 03:19

How is this relevant? She’s working from home, not just laying about. Even if she wasn’t working she can hire a cleaner if wanted or needed

NeedingAGoodNap · 22/10/2022 03:20

Whoops the above was in reply to @GerronBuzanDoThaWomwok

JennyJenny8675309 · 22/10/2022 03:27

weeme02 · 21/10/2022 20:36

I'm a self employed cleaner and would never take more than what I was owed for that day, even if my client had left 2 amounts of cash out.
I would contact her.

Absolutely right.

JustKittenAround · 22/10/2022 03:36

NeedingAGoodNap · 22/10/2022 03:19

How is this relevant? She’s working from home, not just laying about. Even if she wasn’t working she can hire a cleaner if wanted or needed

Exactly! I mean… even if is she was lazy she could hire one as well right? She’s providing someone an opportunity of job should they want it… Is there a stigma to having help around the home that I’m not aware of?

Just truly wondering, why do some people get upset with someone hiring a cleaner here? It’s like some are very angry and I don’t understand.

SeasonFinale · 22/10/2022 03:48

I would message and say it seems you picked up too much money this week. Do you want to bank transfer it back in which case I will send my details or I can just not pay you next week, which would you prefer?

KitchenSupper · 22/10/2022 03:59

FirewomanSam · 21/10/2022 21:21

I was going to say exactly this. If it was the same amount of money, in the same place, at two different moments, she could easily have picked it up by mistake.

Imagine you took some money off a table and then when you went to the table again an hour later the money was still there. You’d probably think ‘oh whoops, I thought I picked that up earlier’ and pocket it again.

Just speak to her about it and I’m sure the mix-up will be cleared right up.

Show quote history

This is the most likely explanation. It’s really surprising that so many people jump directly to dishonesty. OP and her husband have made the mistake of leaving it out twice but she can’t have made the mistake of picking it up twice?

CaitoftheCantii · 22/10/2022 04:22

Did your DH not tell you he’d left the money for the cleaner? Did you not see it in the morning when getting up or does the cleaner come before you get up? She probably thought you’d left extra, especially as it appeared after the initial amount had been left out - equally your fault for not telling her you were putting her wages out (seeing as you were home at the time)

just talk to the woman ffs - she’s not paid to be a mind reader..,

midnightmilk · 22/10/2022 04:22

I think it's strange that she took the second lot after collecting her wages. Surely that could have just been your money that you'd left on the side for shopping or something? Especially as it's not in an envelope etc with her name on.
Surely she could have just mentioned it to you before taking it!

Gingernan · 22/10/2022 04:29

I've done private cleaning in the past and would only take what I was owed. My partner has various private customers and also works for an agency. He's scrupulously honest but some of them are randomly generous with tips,that's just them. He knows it's for him.Others are not so generous and if they left money all over the floor he'd pick it up and leave in a nice pile for them.
I don't know what this cleaner was thinking,I wouldn't sack her out of hand,question her explaining it's a mistake.

Derrymare · 22/10/2022 05:10

goodbyestranger
Your way off mark

WiddlinDiddlin · 22/10/2022 05:18

drpet49 · 22/10/2022 02:03

I agree

Show quote history

But neither of you can even read the full thread... because this is not what happened... if you can't do that, when the information is in front of you - how is it impossible to believe someone picked up a note, tootled about cleaning, saw a note in the exact same spot and thought 'oh, mustn't have picked it up' and taken the second note, and not realised until later what they've done.

If the OP doesn't have her number, then its likely the cleaner hasn't got the OP's number either (if shes from an agency she wouldn't need it!).

marcopront · 22/10/2022 05:31

On auto pilot both you and your husband paid her

On auto pilot she picked up both payments

One of these incidents is a mistake and the other is theft.
Why?

ALittleUnwell · 22/10/2022 06:07

goodbyestranger · 21/10/2022 20:41

No Worthy I wouldn't question it if I were a cleaner in the current economic mess that the less well off are in.

OP is clearly as tight as they come.

You are too invested in this. You are clearly very biased and not giving a fair and balanced reply. I can only assume that you must not have much integrity and you are happy to take advantage of anyone that you perceive as better off than yourself.

girlmom21 · 22/10/2022 06:13

marcopront · 22/10/2022 05:31

On auto pilot both you and your husband paid her

On auto pilot she picked up both payments

One of these incidents is a mistake and the other is theft.
Why?

Because one of those things is two different people leaving money out in their own home and the other is someone taking twice what they're owed.

BigChesterDraws · 22/10/2022 06:24

How do you know for certain that she took both sets of money? How do you know for certain your husband left £50 on the hall table? You obviously didn’t see him leave any money because otherwise you wouldn’t have left another £50 there too. If this is the same husband as mentioned in your previous threads, he won’t win any prizes for his honesty or the choices he makes so is it possible he lied to you about leaving money for the cleaner on the table?

Marchitectmummy · 22/10/2022 06:37

For me that would be the end of using that cleaner. Why would she thimk you would pay her twice, she wouldn't have forgotten. Deceitful

marcopront · 22/10/2022 06:39

@girlmom21

Because one of those things is two different people leaving money out in their own home and the other is someone taking twice what they're owed.

No both are potentially a mistake.

It is possible the cleaner got home and realised she had picked up the money twice. As I said both actions could have been auto pilot.

girlmom21 · 22/10/2022 06:53

marcopront · 22/10/2022 06:39

@girlmom21

Because one of those things is two different people leaving money out in their own home and the other is someone taking twice what they're owed.

No both are potentially a mistake.

It is possible the cleaner got home and realised she had picked up the money twice. As I said both actions could have been auto pilot.

Would you not then call the agency and ask them to contact the people you clean for to explain and apologise?

Tiani4 · 22/10/2022 06:55

She is a thief who is hoping to get away with it

This was left as cash with no name or instructions. She took her wages. £50 is hardly difficult to count. Then she took £50 money left laying around in the half table. She knew exactly what she was doing hoping you wouldn't notice. It's dishonest, what else has she "lifted" from your house.

Contact the agency and ask them to contact her to call you

Then text her to say, you took your wages why did you take £50 I put in table as well? I didn't know my DH had left wages out. You need to return that.
I'd expect her to bring it back or to say that's next weeks wages so I don't expect to be paid for then

If she's self employed working for you (effectively the cleaning company are introductory agents) then you should have her details. That she's being paid in cash indicates possibility she's not declaring income to tax office

But, the concern I'd have is her dishonesty, that she stole £50 and by not contacting you afterwards to say you left out two lots sorry I accidentally picked up your money, she is hoping to get away with it.

If she doesn't return the money or assure you she sees it as next weeks wages, then I'd report her to the police for theft. If she's stealing from you how many other people is she stealing from, and has she taken other items from your house? I'd find it hard to trust her. I had sad experience where we found out my cleaning was stealing from me, hundreds of pounds and some of my nice stuff. It was things like this that tipped me off . Nice as anything to my face Shock

GloriousGlory · 22/10/2022 07:05

Tiani4 · 22/10/2022 06:55

She is a thief who is hoping to get away with it

This was left as cash with no name or instructions. She took her wages. £50 is hardly difficult to count. Then she took £50 money left laying around in the half table. She knew exactly what she was doing hoping you wouldn't notice. It's dishonest, what else has she "lifted" from your house.

Contact the agency and ask them to contact her to call you

Then text her to say, you took your wages why did you take £50 I put in table as well? I didn't know my DH had left wages out. You need to return that.
I'd expect her to bring it back or to say that's next weeks wages so I don't expect to be paid for then

If she's self employed working for you (effectively the cleaning company are introductory agents) then you should have her details. That she's being paid in cash indicates possibility she's not declaring income to tax office

But, the concern I'd have is her dishonesty, that she stole £50 and by not contacting you afterwards to say you left out two lots sorry I accidentally picked up your money, she is hoping to get away with it.

If she doesn't return the money or assure you she sees it as next weeks wages, then I'd report her to the police for theft. If she's stealing from you how many other people is she stealing from, and has she taken other items from your house? I'd find it hard to trust her. I had sad experience where we found out my cleaning was stealing from me, hundreds of pounds and some of my nice stuff. It was things like this that tipped me off . Nice as anything to my face Shock

Report to the police GrinGrinGrinGrinGrinGrin

You sound horribly suspicious, I assume you've not heard of benefit of the doubt?

marcopront · 22/10/2022 07:22

@girlmom21

Would you not then call the agency and ask them to contact the people you clean for to explain and apologise?

And the OP could call the agency and say we made a mistake with the payment.and ask them to contact the cleaner

girlmom21 · 22/10/2022 07:28

marcopront · 22/10/2022 07:22

@girlmom21

Would you not then call the agency and ask them to contact the people you clean for to explain and apologise?

And the OP could call the agency and say we made a mistake with the payment.and ask them to contact the cleaner

I agree. But that doesn't make the cleaner any more trustworthy.