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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:
forthisinamechange · 18/04/2023 17:16

Eve if she got her times mixed up why couldn't she text when she left to say she'd finished earlier!

SmileyClare · 18/04/2023 17:20

I’m a cleaner and sometimes if I have a customer away for a couple of weeks, I’ll let myself in and clean as and when. Eg 1.5 hours on the Monday, 3.5 hours the following week. As long as it’s all done before they return.

Cleaners seem to be in high demand at the moment, I’ve put my charge up to £17.50 an hour and have a waiting list.

Hope you can find a replacement 😬

It’s quite likely there wasn’t so much to do because you’ve been away. She nicked 40 mins from you granted but if there have never been issues before I think you’ve been unnecessarily rash in sacking her.

A warning could have sufficed.

MMM2022 · 18/04/2023 17:21

Mortimercat · 18/04/2023 14:31

How can two hours of work be done in 1hr 20? That makes no sense. 🧐. She is paid for two hours and should be working for two hours, getting done as much as possible in those two hours.

Show quote history

I have a cleaner once a month. When we discussed what I needed they quoted me for 3 hours guessing that’s how long it would take and we agreed on that. It’s basically a deep clean all round. However it usually takes them 2-2.5 hours to do the work and that’s all they charge me for. I guess it depends on how much I manage to keep on top of 😂

Greysilverbluehair · 18/04/2023 17:25

This is a common problem in my experience.

I had such a gutsful of cleaners taking the piss, I do my own cleaning now using the organised mum method and 'pay' myself £20 an hour (the going rate around here) for a much superior job.

Shelefttheweb · 18/04/2023 17:28

lokienji · 18/04/2023 14:25

Was 2hrs of work done in 1hr 20 minutes though? Depends how clean your house looks when you get home. I’d send the full amount for now and not invite her back if it’s not done to standard

In that case it has always been 1 hr 20 mins of work which she has been stringing out for 2 hours pay. Different if you are paying for a house clean rather than hours worked. If you were paying for the former then you would need to assess if it was still up to spec.

Blossomtoes · 18/04/2023 17:29

Dulra · 18/04/2023 14:31

See what's she's done in that time. If it's the usual pay as normal. Paying cleaner by the hour doesn't make sense, anyone I've ever had quotes on size of house and what you want done never by the hour. I'd prefer someone efficient to do it in 1.5 hours rather then someone slow taking 3

This. If the place is sparkling the amount of time is irrelevant.

RattlewhenIwalk · 18/04/2023 17:31

Mine does that. It's once in a lifetime and I can't see what she's not done I let her off.

She works well the rest of the time so 🤷

FangedFrisbee · 18/04/2023 17:35

How can she not know you have a ring doorbell? Does she not have eyes?

ilovebrie8 · 18/04/2023 17:36

You did the right thing OP as she has lied to you, as soon as you are out the country she has taken advantage it seems. There are always other jobs that can be found to do and it wasn't just 10/15 minutes.

sweetdreamstenasee · 18/04/2023 17:38

right decision to get rid, don’t let anyone on this post make you feel bad.

If you pay by the hour and she leaves earlier whilst taking full payment it’s robbery.

You gave her a chance to be honest and she didn’t take it. It’s important to be able to trust who you let into your home.

Moveoverdarlin · 18/04/2023 17:39

All ok today Jane? I noticed you dashed off early?

Snoopyandthemuppets · 18/04/2023 17:39

I had a cleaner that I normally had for 3 hours and she was seen on the ring doorbell leaving after 2. Difference was she texted immediately and said ‘I’ve only done 2 today, not feeling great’ but I can come back later in the week and do the extra hour or do 4 next week.

There is a huge amount of trust having someone in your home particularly when you aren’t there.

She chose to lie thinking you didn’t now or wouldn’t double check.

If I knew I was with a client 2-4 pm and left at 3.20 pm I would bloody know and inform our time sheets I wouldn’t bill for 2 hours!!

caringcarer · 18/04/2023 17:45

I'd just find another cleaner and tell her you won't be using her anymore. If she asks why I'd tell her trust is very important.

Laughloveloneliness · 18/04/2023 17:49

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 18/04/2023 16:08

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?

If she works quickly then OP no longer needs to pay her for 2 hours. Win win!

Hallmark1234 · 18/04/2023 17:50

Send her a message and ask was there a reason she left early today? She will realise either a neighbour told you, or you have a camera, but it will give her the chance to give an reason and say she'll make it up next time.

Hallmark1234 · 18/04/2023 17:56

Oops sorry too late...... I've just read your latest posts OP.

SmileyClare · 18/04/2023 17:58

its robbery

If she otherwise works hard, does the full 2 hours and you’re pleased with her work then I would have given her a warning to never over charge again.

Its not ideal but have none of you posters had a lazy afternoon at work or slacked off a bit because the boss is away?

I don’t think it’s a sackable offence.

However it’s done now.
Let your replacement cleaner know you’ll be recording her arrival/departure time when you’re away and I’m sure you’ll get the full 2 hours.

niugboo · 18/04/2023 18:00

Scarletthoo2 · 18/04/2023 17:05

She said she got her times mixed up and is very apologetic. Bullshit.

Did it not occur to her that if you were asking what time she left you knew already??

Jonei · 18/04/2023 18:02

Scarletthoo2 · 18/04/2023 17:05

She said she got her times mixed up and is very apologetic. Bullshit.

Yes I'd struggle to believe that too tbh.

Jonei · 18/04/2023 18:04

Its not ideal but have none of you posters had a lazy afternoon at work or slacked off a bit because the boss is away?

Not the same as leaving early and trying to charge for that time.

I don’t think it’s a sackable offence

It is.

Dibbydoos · 18/04/2023 18:11

Yes pull her up and pay her less.

So sick if reading about people who take the piss. Does she realise how bad unemployment is getting right now?!

mybeautifuloak · 18/04/2023 18:16

Allywill · 18/04/2023 14:27

i think there is maybe another issue to consider- her leaving early is one thing but was your house cleaned satisfactorily or not? i.e did she leave when there were other jobs she could have done or had everything been completed?

There is ALWAYS stuff that could be done and seriously, 1 hour and 20 mins to clean a house well?

mybeautifuloak · 18/04/2023 18:18

LilyAndTheKing · 18/04/2023 14:27

You've assumed that she left early because she thought she'd get away with it. Could be any number of reasons why. The trust has gone so I'd suggest you get a new cleaner. I wouldn't come back to clean for you if you didn't pay the amount I'd asked for.

But you'd think it was fine to leave 40 mins early and expect to still get paid when you quoted for 2 hours? Where is the possible logic on that?

mybeautifuloak · 18/04/2023 18:22

Scarletthoo2 · 18/04/2023 17:05

She said she got her times mixed up and is very apologetic. Bullshit.

If she was supposed to be somewhere for 10 hours and screwed up 40 mins time I would think she was an idiot. If she was supposed to be there for TWO hours and managed to get confused after 1hr 20 mins then she's suffering some sort of brain deficiency. Or she's lying. Duh

TwoFluffyDogsOnMyBed · 18/04/2023 18:24

It depends. I used to work as a self-employed cleaner. I wouldn’t necessarily work at the same pace every week so it might be that she worked her arse off and left early. She wouldn’t be able to keep up that pace all the time though. If she’s a really good cleaner she might have done a brilliant job the previous week and be able to miss a few bits this week.

My exH has had several cleaners over the years and the one one that was actually any good, blitzed the place for the first couple of weeks and then left early for one or two weeks after that. His other cleaners stayed for the full two hours and were absolutely useless….one of them only seemed to clean the floors! I’d have kept the first cleaner. To be honest, even though I always stayed for the full amount of time, once I’d completed the job I’d sit and eat my lunch. It’s a shit job…no one would be able to do it for long if they didn’t take a few short cuts.

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