To be annoyed at cleaner leaving early

[spacenation]

So firstly I realise that having a cleaner is a luxury!
Anyway..our cleaner comes once every 2 weeks for 3 hours. She was recommended by a colleague and is very nice. It's cash in hand and price is reasonable and looking in to it is a bit less than getting someone from a company.
I'm on mat leave at the moment and our cleaner comes while we are in the house as my husband in particular would rather we were in.
The issue is she always leaves before doing the full time. So usually she will do 2 hrs 40 minutes ish. But the last twice she has arrived half an hour late and we've had to leave so she has locked up and on those occasions she did less than 2.5 hours.
I wouldn't mind if everything was done but the standard isn't great and also I always pay her a bit extra so it's a round amount.
Last time I kind of mentioned it a bit asking if she just wanted to do 2 hours as she was running late but she kind of acted like she didn't understand (English isn't her first language) so I left it.
AIBU for being annoyed at her always leaving early when she is paid for 3 hours?

This has been an issue every single time I've had a cleaner (self employed or local company). Like you, I wouldn't have minded if they did a good job but corners were often cut. I'm sure there are great cleaners out there but I've given up trying to find one...

She's taking the piss. If she stays for less then you pay for the time she gives you, but I would get a new cleaner as the trust is broken

It’s called respect for workers and it’s reason why some people get to keep the same cleaner for 10+ years whilst others need to find a cleaner every year. You need to be generous to cleaners because It’s really hard work with little recognition.

Respect for workers? You need to be generous to cleaners? You're having a laugh aren't you! Respect for someone who agrees to come in to do your cleaning for 3 hours by mutual agreement, involves paying them on time, on the day they clean, and giving them clear instructions on what you need them to do.

it certainly doesn't involve turning a blind eye to them buggering off half an hour early without discussing it with the person they are cleaning for and to boot, still expecting to be paid. You're treating your clients like mugs, more fool them.

with your work ethic, I wouldn't have you as a cleaner if you were the last one on earth.

I fired a cleaner for doing this even after I’d reminded her she was paid for four hours so needed to do four hours or be paid less. YANBU.

This

I would be annoyed, 15 minutes would not bother me but half an hour is a lot.
Maybe seeing as you pay extra anyway, you might be better off with the agency after all. X

Compose what you want to say before hand and put it into Google translate so she can read it. It's not brilliant but it will get your point across, if you keep it simple. I am living in a country where I do this all the time.

I would feel resentment also, especially if I was paying for hours and not a particular task that she could speed through.

Absolutely
If you are there , tell her she's leaving early and hasn't finished . I wouldn't pay for 3 hours of cleaner was leaving early

Her wages absolutely need to be adjusted each week to how long she worked for
Don't round it up and get change so that you can calculate it

Ultimately though this is not a good cleaner

Straight off the start she cheats you by charging for 3 hours and doing less

She also doesn't do a good job "the standard isn't great"

I'd text her and say 'we no longer need you, thanks , x at no yz'
It's cash in hand she has just started and service is poor so far and dishonest (turning up 1/2 hour late and expecting to take over 3 hours money) so there is no need for notice period. Just get rid of her & find another cleaner. Our local Fb page will generate lots of suggestions when people post asking for recommended cleaners/ repair men/ plumbers, etc

I'd let the people who recommended her know that she didn't work out

Find a different cleaner

If she not doing a good job and is leaving early then I'd look for another cleaner.

To PP that said they employ self employed cleaner who takes cash in hand

• if self employed cleaner reporting to HMRC all their earnings there would be paperwork or digital paperwork
• invoices for work completed whether it was monthly after the event "paid this month for x hours from /to (dates in month)

Or receipts for payment - I'd expect receipts for cash in hand payments if substantial

• they would have provided a contract as is regular work as it's not a one off
• would have liability insurance related to their job
• would keep good record of hours worked
• would be able to show person on HMRC website their entry that they are registered as self employed

I find it hard to believe that a cleaner will 'run out of jobs'. I can always think of something else that can be done.

I had one like that, started out paying for 2 hous, a few months in they started leaving after 40 minutes claiming they were done.

I no longer have a cleaner.

I use an agency, and if I am not happy with a cleaner I write them an email telling them why I don’t want that one back.
mind you, our cleaner has been with us for 12 years (apart from 6 months when she was caring for a terminally ill relative and we had a number of full ins). We pay her over the rate, and she never, ever leaves early unless previously agreed (eg appointment).
i have rejected cleaners because they were late/ left early, standard was low, they took cleaning supplies from my house, they used the bathroom cloth to wipe the dining table…

YANBU if she is leaving things she should be able to do in the time given.

Get a new cleaner

There is a great deal of value in a cleaner who is reliable and doesn't break stuff or steal from you. The pay is terrible and am guessing you don't pay sick or pension and is all cash in hand (illegal probs)

Forget about her shortchanging you by 30 mins

I had a Gardner doing this, I wasn’t sure at first but the last two times I clicked and I’ve found a replacement. The replacement I told what I wanted done and he told me the price - he can take as long as he likes or be as quick, as long as the jobs get done.

if you give her a list of stuff you want done and say leave when you e done it all I’ll pay you £x as paying by the hour isn’t working and your not getting the jobs done

I’ve now had to ‘part ways’ with two as the replacement cleaner I got was probably worse than the original. She got very little cleaned in the time and then left after 1.5 hours when I paid for 2. She smashed a dish in the bathroom and didn’t even wipe the surfaces in the living room 🤦🏼‍♀️ I’ve given up and now just doing it myself (heavily pregnant) rather than giving away money for someone to sit in my house on their phone most likely!

I know this thread is a few months old but now I want to know what op did @spacenation

We have a cleaner via a company, she's just started leaving early in the last few weeks, I think it's as she's getting quicker but since we pay an hourly rate I said I'd prefer her to do something else in the time leftover, maybe clean inside the windows or iron some clothes. She said that would be an extra charge, same with cleaning the oven. So I'm thinking of reducing her hours, if she's finishing what she's prepared to do then I don't fancy paying her extra. I don't know anyone in our area who charges as much (£18-20 an hour depending on what tasks to be done).

Get a translation app on your phone, or use google translate to explain in her language, that she is paid for the hours worked, and that going forward, you will only pay for the time worked etc.

Maybe it is a language barrier- maybe taking the piss because everyone, you included, is giving her a tip regardless of arriving late and leaving early! 🙄

IF after explaining in her language what the expectation is, if she continues and the job isn't done- find someone else.

Having this issue too. I find the time it takes to clean gets less as they get into a routine/rhythm and that doesn't bother me. I pay a set price, with the agreement it was it was the equivalent of about 3 hrs, it then took just over 2, but I'm finding now it's taking less than 2 which wouldn't bother me as such except now the cleaning is getting worse too and things are being missed. It means her hourly rate has almost doubled for a worse job.I find this with most of the cleaners I've had so far.

I’m kind of between @Flyingdodo and @LiquoriceAllsorts2 on this.

If I’m paying for three hours and someone has cleaned to a high standard and has done two hours and fifty minutes I’m not going to quibble over ten minutes, but the cleaner we had was a piss taker and it has put me off getting another.

This is one of the dumbest things I've ever read. What job do people get paid extra out of courtesy? I'd rather pay more for a good job, rather than less for someone who leaves early all the time.

I would have the discussion with her. Is she still doing a good job or getting quicker because she's cutting corners? There will be things other than those that she could do - cleaning cupboards, scrubbing the shower more thoroughly, etc.

Mine left 45 minutes early yesterday and did a crap job of what she did do. Next week I am going to write a list and expect it to be followed (she says she works from the agency's list but nah). I'm only giving her a second chance because it's hard to find a cleaner at present where I live. Over it.

99% of cleaners I've had (and I've had many) do this. Start late, leave early and don't make a good job of it. A few years ago, I shared a cleaner with my neighbour, I nipped round to take her something she'd left behind. She was sat at their kitchen table snoozing with her head in her hands.

Gave up and do it myself.