Cleaner left 40 minutes early because I wasn't home

[Scarletthoo2]

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.

People saying 'did she do the same amount of work as normal?'... well if she did then thats a bigger issue because she has been deliberately taking twice as long so as to overcharge previously which would be worse.

This is clearly paid by the HOUR, you can't decide to knock off 40 minutes early and still get paid. You especially can't then argue that you usually deliberately work slower to squeeze more money out of the employer (and as such still want paying the full amount despite only working half your contracted hours).

Was there less for her to do because you haven't been there making a mess?

Is the house cleaned fully to your standard? If not pay for the hours she did. If so, does it actually really matter? The job got done and you pay for it.

My cleaner often slopes off a bit early. I kind of let it go because she does a good job. At the same time it irritates me because I could easily find work for her!
I'd pay for 1 hour 20 mins and say you noticed she left early. I'd soften it by saying "Well done for finishing quickly!". If she knows she'll get paid less she'll stop leaving early.

I think I would say something like, "Hi Jane, I saw on the ring doorbell that you only stayed for 1h 20m the other day. Is there a reason for this?"

And then if she says she'd done everything, you say, "Well I'll let it slide this time but I do pay you to clean for two hours. Next time I will leave a list of less urgent tasks which you can make a start on if you finish the main cleaning quicker than expected."

Then leave a list of things like, "clean oven and cooker hood, bleach white grout in bathrooms, iron shirts" etc.

"I can’t believe people are saying as long as the Jon is as done ok then it’s ok for her to leave early (well I can on mumsnet). There is always something extra that she could be doing - a cupboard, a more thorough clean of a room. Whatever."

And I actually feel the opposite. I can't believe people hold these views about work. I imagine you're all wealthier than me though, hey ho...

There is a bit of give and take with my cleaners. They are paid to do a 6 hour clean (2 cleaners for 3 hours duration). Sometimes they have stayed longer than 3 hours, to get the list of jobs done. Occasionally they have bought a new cleaner they are training, so I have 3 cleaners for 3 hours but they still charge me the same. Sometimes they have completed the job in 2hrs 40 mins and so they leave early, and I’m absolutely fine with that because they usually go above and beyond.
If your cleaner is otherwise excellent, I would let it slide one time, but keep a close eye on their timings going forward to make sure they aren’t taking the piss. If they aren’t that great and have never stayed a minute longer than your allotted time, then I’d probably say something/pay less.

I'd message her and say that "I noticed on the Ring doorbell that your left early today. Is everything ok ?"

She will then know you know.
She will also know that the Ring doorbell means she can't skive off early anymore when you're not at home.

Also another thought - if you are away on holiday, is the house maybe much cleaner than usual as it’s been unoccupied? Might have been much less for them to do than usual?

Why don’t you ask her why she left early? No need to make any accusations but you’re paying her for a service, she’s not doing you a favour!

My response would depend on what the agreement is - do you pay her for a set amount of tasks or do you pay her for two hours cleaning, as that’s two different types of agreement.

I'd just pay her for the time she did. If she queries it, I'd mention that was the hours she did. She has the opportunity to mention she had to finish early. If my cleaner finishes early, she always texts me 'I only took 2.5 hours so no need to pay me for 3'. So, of course, I pay her for 3 but if she just left without mention, I'd pay her for what time she did.

Every time I think about getting a cleaner one of these threads pops up and it just seems like such a faff.

Although I am amused at the thought that she may have broke the time/space continuum and done 2 hours of work in 80 minutes.

I caught her

I really wouldn't want to work for someone with your attitude.

If you're happy with the standard of cleaning, what does it matter ifs she works quickly?

My cleaner always leaves early. I find it annoying but tbh I hate conflict and I haven’t said anything as I’m pretty sure she’ll just work slower and do the same amount of work.

Don't be like "I caught her!". What you need to do is ask her if she's finding two hours to be "about right" for the jobs she has to do. If she says yes, just say OK cool, I know it might vary week to week but I'll leave a list of 'when you have time' jobs pinned to the fridge (tops of cupboards, clean the oven, tidy the shed, etc) and of course you know she won't have time every week to do all these but if she finds herself finishing a bit early then it would be great if she could do a couple of the things on the list.

This would be a good way to get rid of your cleaner if that's what you want to do. Some cleaners are fast especially if no one is around to slow things down. Depends if you like them and want to keep them.

How would you phrase it? OP did 'catch her' if the cleaner hasn't said she left early. She wasn't trying to catch the cleaner out, she didn't set her up to fail but at this point the cleaner left early and simply hasn't said anything.

Presumably the cleaner asked for 2 hours because that's how long she said it takes to do what OP needs. If it can be done in an hour I'm sure OP would rather pay less. Either the cleaner has exaggerated the time needed or she has done a rush job today because she saw an opportunity to get away with it. Or there's a genuine reason she left early that will be discovered in good time. But when you charge for a service by the hour (as I myself do) you use the full time the client is paying for or you adjust your quote. Doing a good job in half the time you are charging for does not make over-charging acceptable.

She never leaves early when I'm there. And it's coincidental she left nearly an hour early when she knows I'm abroad - no reason she just couldn't be bothered

Exactly this. Easy. Via text too, if you’re afraid of confrontation.

I would ask her why she left early and see what her answer is, she may make some excuse and offer to make up the time. If she doesn't then pay her the correct amount for the actual time worked and find a new cleaner.

This^
Polite, non confrontational but making the point that you know how long she worked.
( if indeed she was working, and not just having a nice cuppa🤯)

So my cleaner has lied. Saying she left at 1:30 when I can see she clearly left at 12:33 on my camera...

I pay my cleaner in advance. She stays for the time she's supposed to, even if I'm not there. She does some different tasks by prior arrangement if I'm away. In the case of the OP I'm not sure I'd trust her going forward.

The problem with calling her on it, is that next time you're not there, she'll just sit in the house when she's decided she's done enough.

She's shown you that you can't trust her to be honest about her hours. That would be enough for me.

OP, if she has now directly lied to you and has stated the later time on her invoice, I would now advise her that her time is inaccurate as your doorbell shows her leaving at X time and that you will be paying her for the actual time worked.