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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have sacked cleaner so close to Christmas ?

122 replies

rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:11

I’ve had a cleaner for approx 9 months and literally only the first 2 visits were ok.

Every single other time she’s been 5/10 mins late (sometimes 15 mins) and leaves between 15-30 mins early.

The first visits the cleaning was to an ok standard but then things started going downhill . No dusting done at all so I asked could the dusting and hoovering be the priority . Then for a few visits she spent 80% of the time upstairs continuously hoovering so I went up one day and the hoover was just on - she wasn’t actually hoovering! I asked could we please have a chat and I’d let her know my expectations and she could let me know what was and wasn’t working for her as I wanted to give her another chance. We drew up a list of what was achievable in the 3 hours and I mentioned again about it being a full 3 hours as on average she had been doing 2hr 15 min or 2hr 30 min when I booked 3 hours .

Nothing changed and I had to ask again for her to stay for the whole time and if she couldn’t find something to do to just please ask and I could let her know what needed doing.

Then she started cancelling on the morning she was due to come saying she had an appointment (so not like an unexpected illness something she could have told me about the week before ?)

I booked in an extra 2 days for the week before Xmas and she agreed . Now she’s cancelled and I’ve had to say that’s it. Apparently I’m out of order for sacking someone so close to Christmas when I had booked extra hours and she says she had factored that in and needed the extra money for Xmas but I’ve tried to be reasonable and I’m getting nowhere at all.

OP posts:
Original poster
rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:14

i should have added she expected to be paid when she had cancelled as previously I’ve paid her for when she’s been Ill she is saying she’s had to cancel but i should pay her as we agreed a 2 week notice period

OP posts:
FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 10/12/2022 11:16

Fuck that. She's taking the piss.

Ignore her. You owe her nothing. You certainly do not owe her for extra she hasn't bloody done!

Original poster
rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:16

I’d booked an extra 6 hours per Xmas - I’m tempted to say all the times I’ve paid her for 3 hours and she’s done approx 2.5 so had more than she should have actually more than covers the 6 hours lost money ?

OP posts:
Original poster
rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:16

*pre

OP posts:
ReedOfFate · 10/12/2022 11:17

I think YANBU - you’ve tried to work things out and it’s not worked. You can’t keep on paying for a service that’s not being provided

I don’t think it’s any worse being just before Christmas either - I mean, it’s bad being sacked at any time of year, and while she may have been relying on the money, she would have also had to do the work!

jtaeapa · 10/12/2022 11:17

You were out of order for not sacking her months ago. She’s taking the piss out of you.

Brunilde · 10/12/2022 11:17

Absolutely not she sounds like a lazy piss taker. I'd tell her exactly why she wasn't being kept on and wouldn't be paying a penny. Sounds like you've already overpaid for what you got.

PearlclutchersInc · 10/12/2022 11:18

Should have given her the boot much sooner....right after the hoover incident in fact. What was her excuse for that??

Original poster
rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:18

jtaeapa · 10/12/2022 11:17

You were out of order for not sacking her months ago. She’s taking the piss out of you.

I’m hindsight yes. I should have been firmer but I thought I’d give her a chance

OP posts:
jtaeapa · 10/12/2022 11:19

OP you are too nice. People like her can smell people like you a mile off.

Original poster
rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:20

PearlclutchersInc · 10/12/2022 11:18

Should have given her the boot much sooner....right after the hoover incident in fact. What was her excuse for that??

She said she had only sat down for a few mins as felt unwell - I gave her the benefit of the doubt but on other occasions it had happened there was no movement upstairs so it was obvious I’d asked for hoovering to be done so she was sitting there with it on to make me think she was doing it! I’m no good with confrontation so I didn’t want to call her a liar and hoped just having a chat would sort it out

OP posts:
frustratedashell · 10/12/2022 11:24

I'm a cleaner, her behaviour is totally unacceptable. I would have sacked her after the hoover being left on incident. You've bent over backwards. Time for a new cleaner!

Mercy1968 · 10/12/2022 11:26

Tell her you ve already overpaid her for all the time she took 3 hours pay and worked 2.
Bill her for the wasted electric leaving the hoover roaring along on it's own pointlessly.
She wanted the extra money for Christmas fair enough....she has to actually work for it.

Mercy1968 · 10/12/2022 11:27

And I say that as a former cleaning supervisor...the useless ones drove me mad and had to go.

alasangne · 10/12/2022 11:27

I was going to say oof yes a bit unreasonable but the more I read the more I was like nah get her out your house!

MenaiMna · 10/12/2022 11:29

rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:16

I’d booked an extra 6 hours per Xmas - I’m tempted to say all the times I’ve paid her for 3 hours and she’s done approx 2.5 so had more than she should have actually more than covers the 6 hours lost money ?

I'd give in to that temptation! And tell her not to expect any good reference. Should have sacked her when she tried to kill your hoover motor!

Tillybobbins · 10/12/2022 11:30

Totally agree with PPs. She’s well out of order yet trying her best to guilt trip you to extort money.
An alternative tactic could have been to tell her you were having work done on your property so her cleaning was no longer required.

HelllBaby · 10/12/2022 11:32

You tolerated her for longer than I would have

Original poster
rubbishcleaner · 10/12/2022 11:37

Thankyou everyone ! I feel better now and not so guilty (I’m such a doormat and hate confrontation)
ive messaged that I had paid on numerous occasions for 3 full hours and she hadn’t worked 3 hours so that offsets what she thinks she’s owed

OP posts:
SantaBakula · 10/12/2022 11:43

Like pp I was going to say this close to Christmas is a bit mean but after reading your post , yup you have been to soft ,
"Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out Mrs cleaner "

Willmafrockfit · 10/12/2022 11:44

you have sacked her
so too late to ask if it was wrong.
fair enough though

CarpetOfGreen · 10/12/2022 11:46

This sounds like the cleaner I had - you have done the right thing!

dcut · 10/12/2022 11:46

She should have been sacked months ago.
She made no effort to improve after you pointed things out to her - such as doing the full 3 hours. Then there was the hoover incident - that should have been instant sacking. And then the constant cancellations - you even paid her when she cancelled because she said she was "ill".
She has taken the piss from the start so there is no need for you to feel bad about it at all.

Goldbar · 10/12/2022 11:46

So she was expecting to be paid for the extra 6 hours without having to work it, just because you booked it?

You've got to admire her front 😂.

shangelawasrobbed · 10/12/2022 11:49

I clicked on this thread fully expecting to think you were a heartless cow, but nope - sounds like you were perfectly reasonable to let them go.

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