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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cleaner left 40 minutes early because I wasn't home

357 replies

Scarletthoo2 · 18/04/2023 14:23

Our cleaner only did 1 hour and 20 minutes when I pay her for 2 hours. She doesn't realise I have a ring doorbell and majority of the time I'm working from home so I know when she arrives and leaves. However, I'm away for work and she is aware of that. I caught her arriving at 11:33 and leaving at 12:53. I'm obviously really pissed off about it. Do I mention it to her and let her know I can see her or just send her half of the money? She left 40 minutes early.

OP posts:
SchoolTripDrama · 12/05/2023 21:20

Reigateforever · 18/04/2023 17:15

It has happened twice to me. One cleaner used to dash round so fast that things got broken, also chairs, tables and sofa were not moved for the carpet to be vacuumed. People could say job done but to what level.
Another cleaner left early and wasn’t there to let my 8 year old in, who had been dropped off by a neighbour.

You leave your 8 yr old in the house alone?????? What the fuck?!?

SmileyClare · 12/05/2023 22:05

SchoolTripDrama · 12/05/2023 21:20

You leave your 8 yr old in the house alone?????? What the fuck?!?

Show quote history

Presumably that poster expected an adult to be in the house with their child- namely the cleaner?

Ive been asked to keep an eye on children, dogs, take in parcels, let in tradesmen etc while cleaning homes.

Reigateforever · 12/05/2023 22:21

SchoolTripDrama · 12/05/2023 21:20

You leave your 8 yr old in the house alone?????? What the fuck?!?

Show quote history

Neighbour had seen that the door hadn’t been opened so took her home with her. I was at work. Cleaner lost her job because she wasn’t trustworthy.

mastertomsmum · 12/05/2023 22:40

I can’t believe people spy on their cleaners with a ring doorbell. I can’t believe a cleaning job is a clocking in and out job like old fashioned factories in the 60s/70s

SchoolTripDrama · 13/05/2023 03:58

@SmileyClare PP said "let my 8yr old in" not "to babysit my 8yr old" 😳

SchoolTripDrama · 13/05/2023 04:00

@Reigateforever Yes but why?! You said "let my 8yr old in" not "to babysit my 8yr old" so who was going to care for him/her until you or your DH got home?

C1N1C · 13/05/2023 04:43

Imagine if the attitude many in here have was used with babysitting...

"You asked me to babysit your child for five hours, but I did five times as much entertaining in the first hour, so I just left after that"

MrsMorrisey · 13/05/2023 05:42

If he/she got the work done that you required of her then good on her for getting the work done quickly.
I was a cleaner once and left if I got the work done that was asked.
If you want extra you need to explain that.

BadNomad · 13/05/2023 05:54

If an 8-year-old is old enough to be left home alone, shouldn't he have his own key to let himself in with? That's not really a cleaner's jobs. Anything could have happened to her that day. I hope that isn't the reason she lost her job. If so, that is outrageous.

NeedCoffeeNowPlease · 13/05/2023 05:56

When I was at uni and cleaned I sometimes left early. I did a more thorough job than required too, as per the person I cleaned for. I was paid for three hours and told them I needed more to do. When I did take initiative and find things to do, they asked me not to do that. So, with everything thoroughly cleaned, I left early. Was I just meant to hang around another 20-30 minutes and twiddle my thumbs? I'd be happy to pay the full time to a cleaner who did a really good job.

Nosejobent · 13/05/2023 05:57

MrsMorrisey · 13/05/2023 05:42

If he/she got the work done that you required of her then good on her for getting the work done quickly.
I was a cleaner once and left if I got the work done that was asked.
If you want extra you need to explain that.

Did you also lie to your employer?
I think that is the main point in this case.

SparklyBlackKitten · 13/05/2023 06:08

Bit rough to fire her over a one time lie op.
Have you never lied. Or been late to work and cover up with a lie? Of course you have.
If it was a pattern: fire her
A one off occasion: keep your eye on her and if it happens again: speak to her about it.

I can understand the anger. But the firing was too much.. too hard. Too quick

Srin · 13/05/2023 06:44

I pay my cleaner to clean the house. She is brilliant and I don’t spy on her. Sometimes she has to go a bit early and sometimes she has a bit less to do, so she goes early. She has been working for me for over 15yrs. My house is cleaned every week and she never complains if we have been untidy or had builders in etc. She keeps an eye on the house when I am away and just lets me know the hours she has done. It isn’t a big business where she has to clock in and clock out. I would be devastated if she left.

MrsMorrisey · 13/05/2023 06:54

Nosejobent
No didn't have to because she trusted me to get the work done and said if I get it done quicker than good on me.
It was a non issue.

Batalax · 13/05/2023 06:59

She lied. She’s broken your trust. There is no way back from that.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 13/05/2023 07:06

Is it possible that she had less tasks/less cleaning because you are currently abroad?
And therefore didn't create as much dirt as you usually would?

RogersOrganismicProcess · 13/05/2023 07:07

Agree, it is the dishonesty. If you are letting someone into your home, your privacy, you need to be able to trust them. You gave her a chance to say “oh yes sorry I left early because x,y,z” she covered up her dishonest actions with another lie.

Hellenabe · 13/05/2023 07:09

Yikes, id get rid of her. Leaving early is a breach of trust. Who needs that. You're paying good money, spend it on someone else.

Ariela · 13/05/2023 07:12

Assuming you're the only home occupant, surely there's less to clean when you've not been there? I just love weeks when DH isn't WFH and is away, as it makes the house so much cleaner

MouseMama · 13/05/2023 07:31

This happened to me a few years ago. Hired a second cleaner and she seemed very inefficient compared to the first one but she worked for us for a few weeks. Then I checked the arriving/leaving times and she was shaving off hours of work. I messaged her to say I saw she was only there a short time so just paying her for that bit (accepted I’d been overpaying her for weeks). I didn’t get a message back but she dropped my keys back through my letterbox the next day 🫣

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 13/05/2023 07:32

Ariela · 13/05/2023 07:12

Assuming you're the only home occupant, surely there's less to clean when you've not been there? I just love weeks when DH isn't WFH and is away, as it makes the house so much cleaner

That was my first thought as well.

But she did lie, and trust is important in a cleaner.

WonderingWanda · 13/05/2023 07:38

When I had a cleaner she would either find more things to do if she had done everything e.g clean the oven or she would message me and tell me she left early so only to pay x amount.

I would just be honest with her. Something like.

'I should let you know I have a ring doorbell so noticed you left 40 mins early the other day. In the event of finishing the main cleaning early would you prefer a list of additional tasks to make up the time or to leave early and receive less pay that week?'

Thesehills · 13/05/2023 07:40

SmileyClare · 23/04/2023 19:56

Ok look I was just pointing out that a self employed person you’ve hired to work in your home is a little different to an employed 9-5 role working under a manager.

If you want to set the hours you work then go self employed. I’ve had plenty of people snort at the hours I work and how much I charge p/h and laugh bitterly that they’re in the wrong job. They wish they could earn 70 quid for 4 hirs work. Well maybe you are?

Its entirely possible to complete the same clean in a shorter time than you did the last time; there are many variables- it’s a manual job.

Its going off on a tangent a bit because most posters have agreed that the cleaner shouldn’t have lied about staying the full 2 hours.

The fact remains that all jobs in your home are quoted factoring in estimated labour time at a charge of X per hour or X per day. I’m certainly not timing myself to the minute, neither are my customers.

In the unlikely event I finish early because there are less toys to pick up before hoovering for example, I’m not going to start throwing in free chores such as cleaning out cupboards or washing windows.
Ive done that in the past and customers start expecting extras every time- it over complicates things.

I agree that trust needs to be built up. The relationship between client and cleaner has to be carefully developed overtime, so yes dishonesty isn’t recommended but I’ve also learnt that I have to manage customer’s expectations and make it clear what they are paying for.

Absolutely right.

Beeinalily · 13/05/2023 07:55

@mastertomsmum I can only assume you've never worked in retail!

DemonicCaveMaggot · 13/05/2023 08:18

mastertomsmum people are still clocking in and out in factories, labs, and offices. In my place of work it was with cards or with biometrics.