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.

Of course not! This however was a one off. Yes an opportunistic bunk off, but come on, who doesn’t have some days when you think ‘fuck this’. I know I want my employees motivated and to feel they value working for me. I give them enough rope that if they want to take the piss, they can certainly hang themselves. Clearly a situation like this needs a wary eye, but it wasn’t a pattern of behaviour. I have and I would sack someone, but not like the OP has done.

My office manager used to jump on people for every bloody ‘offence’ and it doesn’t get her anywhere and people don’t enjoy working for her. She knows now how I do things and it’s more permissive.

My team are loyal and hardworking. My cleaner has been with me for years. All of them have off days, but all of them work hard too.

I say let things go, before crushing people. Perhaps I’m a soft touch, but my business is very successful so….

@Wavinggoodbyetoo

When you let someone in your home, especially when you're not there, the key element is trust. If there's no trust, it can't work.

The cleaner broke trust 1. by leaving before their contracted hours, 2. then lying about it.

The benefit of someone cleaning will be undone by having someone in your home who you know you can't trust.

This however was a one off

Yes, because it is the first chance she has had! The OP is usually there

I trust my people to be sat working at their desks… and yet I’d put money on they do a bit of surfing, shopping, faffing. Don’t you? I am right now! I know my admin is texting his mate about a wine question we were chatting about, we regularly talk shit and waste time.

She swinging the lead, are you telling me that you’ve NEVER done this? Clearly she’s not the smartest (Ring doorbells are not exactly hidden), she’s not up to an elaborate deceit. She panicked when ‘caught’

This holier than though attitude, yes OK I get what she’s done, but really, get real.

I pay my cleaner for two hours, if she does it quicker than I don't mind. As long as the work gets done

I don't think you are harsh or mean op. Some pp have a working class apologist mindset with "luxury" employees.
You cannot let someone you don't trust 100% have free access to to your home. When I had my cleaner I knew I could leave money out etc and that it wouldn't be touched. She knew I was flexible with times but would never take the piss.

More people are living alone in this day and age than ever before!
https://www.jrf.org.uk/file/37100/download?token=2S_buec5&filetype=summary

Did you change time on doorbell when the clocks changed? It seems a coincidence that she left exactly 1hr earlier than she claims

Was the house clean though

I don’t think most people have a “working class apologist” attitude. Most reasonable suggestions were to give the self employed cleaner a word about time keeping- ask her to make up the extra time and share your disappointment at her trying to bluff it this time?

Op says they had a good working relationship, chat over coffee, she does a good job, no problems until now.

Its the drama of mumsnet to be egged on to “get rid!” after the slightest of misdemeanours from cleaners, tradesmen , mother in laws or even husbands 😂

Several posters are convinced this woman is now going to be a thief who can’t be trusted because she sloped off early.

I don’t think anyone trusts someone working in their homes “100%” do they? Always worth keeping in eye on them to some extent and checking over their work/ giving feedback if unhappy about something.

The first customer I worked for as a cleaner sat me down and accused me of stealing a silver locket from her daughter’s room. This was after two years of knocking my pipe out cleaning her house to a really good standard every week.
She later apologised when it was found but it taught me a lesson that clients often think very badly of their cleaner and will accuse them at the drop of a hat.

As with all self employed cleaners, my work is mainly through recommendation and on the back of excellent references.
I resent the inference that most cleaners are going to take advantage or scam their customers.

Op it wasn't when the clocks changed was it?

Cleaner here.. If I get finished my usual jobs I find other stuff to do.. Nobody's home is so clean there isn't a window or some paintwork to wipe..

14% so 14 out of 100 people live alone... that is 'very few people' and definitely the minority.

Are you paying by the hour, or by the jobs to be done? If you are paying by the hour I would definitely question it. More from the perspective that if she has managed to get everything done in that time while you’re away, it seems she’s been dragging out for extra cash the rest of the time!

I see your point. Most of my customers are long time regulars so I always do the same clean. It more often than not runs over a bit- more washing up than usual, a spillage to clean or they’ve had guests staying or something.

Occasionally I might finish a bit earlier. I generally don’t start cleaning windows if I’ve been exceptionally energetic and finished 10 mins early, neither do I pack up tools at the strike of the clock, I just finish what I’m doing.

I don’t have customers that clock watch though and always do a great job !

I charge by the HOUR so a 1 hr 30 minute clean for example is charged at 2 hours.

@Scarletthoo2 Check just in case.

The clocks don't change by 40 minutes and OP said her partner in the UK checked to be sure

I’m a cleaner and this takes the piss, I would NEVER. A lot of the clients are not home and I wouldn’t dream of doing this. I would send her exact money for time she did and ask her not to come back, don’t bother giving an explanation and if she asks why then tell her then

If you're paying for 2 hours, she should stay for 2 hours. I'm pretty sure there are always little extra jobs that could be done.

If she can be finished after an hour and a half then that's all she needs and that's what she should be committing to and paid for.

I had a similar situation with a cleaner who came whilst I was on a virtual conference one day so I was in the basement study with headphones on. I couldn't holler up to her to say hello so I thought I'd wait till she came down to do that room and the bedroom we have down there. She never did. She left after 1h10 mins, leaving sinks unwiped and various half done jobs then text me 50 minutes later to say she was "just leaving".

I couldn't get worked up by this.

Hiya, I own a c

Thanks for letting us know

I would send her exact money for time she did You mean calculate how much she charges per minute? Seems a bit pernickity when it’s a matter of a couple of quid.

I always charge by the hour, never faff around working out minutes- just round up or down to nearest hour.

I think customers on here complaining that their cleaners leave sinks dirty and the task not done should stop using the cleaner for those reasons of course.

Op has said her cleaner has always been very thorough and good at her job so I think it’s a bit rash to cut her loose over the first issue in what? years of good work?

She sneaked off half hour early when the boss was abroad and there was possibly less to clean.

Im struggling to feel shocked and horrified tbh.

However it’s done now. I’d advise finding a cleaner on local recommendation with references you can check out, even if that means paying slightly more and going on a waiting list.
Then set out tasks to be done so your expectations are clear.

Not really that few, 14% is a very significant minority. In any case not so small that you need to jump on me for entertaining the possibility that the OP might live alone.

(Which I didn't assume, actually, her family could have been away from home with her. But since she has clarified the situation, this is all immaterial).

Does she normally do the exact hours, or in my case the odd extra 5-10 minutes now and again? I'm a cleaner and I do the right hours 95% of the time, extra 3% then I might head out a bit earlier now and again. If she's a good cleaner and you're happy with her normally then just mention you saw she left early and could she let you know if she needs to leave early next time. If you're working from home, I doubt you're always sitting at your desk for the full hours you're getting paid so cut her some slack