Blamed for something at work that's not my fault

[kangaroopelicanartic]

I work in a private house as a housekeeper to an older couple. They have no young children but have grandchildren who visit very often. The oldest is 8, the youngest 18mo. I work Mon-Fri and have worked for the family for nearly four years.

Last Wed when I went in, I noticed a bottle of bleach in the cupboard under the sink in the utility room that didn't have a cap. I put it on the shelf on the wall where the kids can't reach it and told the lady I'd moved it because I didn't think it was safe to have an open bottle of bleach where the children could reach it. I moved it again on Thur and Fri and again said why to both of them.

I've just had an angry phone call because the littlest grand child found the bleach and tipped it all over herself. She's not hurt (thank god!!!) but it has ruined her clothes along with her mum's.

The family want me to pay to replace them. Both of them are denying that I'd warned them about the bottle and moved it out of reach multiple times. They're Boden clothes and there's no way I can afford to replace them. No one is believing me when I said I'd moved the bleach multiple times. The husband actually said "we know it's your fault so just stop lying."

I'm absolutely devastated because it's always been a good place to work and in general I really like the family. Now i feel like I can't stay because the trust is broken. I just don't know what to do!

Fingers crossed for a new job. They sound an awful family.

You will pay because they’ll just deduct it from your wages!

You need to record your conversation and tell them that you are saddened because you’ve moved the bleach out of reach multiple times and each time you go in it’s back in the cupboard. Also that you’ve no idea why the kid is off as you NEVER use the bleach!

Also I would gently remind them that the mother / father should’ve been supervising their child.

I would be expecting a lower payment this Friday.

Do you have insurance?

You will pay because they’ll just deduct it from your wages!

I think OP said she's already had all the money due from them (?) and if she's doing no further work there won't be anything to deduct the cost from

And a damned good thing too ...

I was going to say the same - stay as only long as you absolutely need to and look for another job.

They have thrown away four years of trust in a heartbeat, and without a second thought. You deserve better.

I would get in touch with acas and ask them your legal position re constructive dismissal if you feel your position is now untenable

And do this - you may be able to leave at once and get severance pay of some sort which will tide you over until you find other employment - it'll certainly help if you need to claim benefits.

Glad you got an apology but that still doesn't make up for the stress they put you through over the weekend

Certainly doesn't!

Interested to know if you knew there are cameras everywhere…

Good point! I'm assuming not otherwise OP would have asked to see the footage of the "accident".

Just wondering - did this "apology" come before or after you told them to stick their job up their bottoms? 🤔

What on earth was an 8 year old doing with bleach

I can't understand what though process the son had by moving it each time. You're well out of there tbh.

@kangaroopelicanartic Good on you for having self respect. After 4 years this is how they treat you! Awful people.

Hope you find a much better family to work for. Wishing you luck 🍀

*"Don't be hasty, we need you. We accept that you didn't do anything wrong."
*
That's not even close to an apology. They were very quick to accuse you of negligence, of risking their GC, of ruining clothing and accusing you of lying but are not able to come up with a half decent apology. The trust is surely gone anyway but there should have been a grovelling apology after all that!

How old in the son and why was he fucking about with the bleach?

I wouldn't go back either. That wasn't an apology and what will they do next time? Teach them a lesson and leave.

She stated she needs the job and isn’t quitting?

I apologise. I hadn’t read the update.
I thought I’d read all OP’s posts but I must’ve missed a page.

So glad you’ve got an apology and got it recorded on your phone as evidence.

Sounds like they reacted in the moment … however whether the son was moving the bottle back or not, they still denied being told there was a bottle without a lid on.

Maybe they’ll think in future before treating an employee with such rudeness

Do they have videos throughout the house monitoring you and whoever is there? Who saw the video - I'm guessing the grandparents saw it and knew their son lied and then blamed you...

I think it is OP who did the videoing with her phone, when they admitted it was son's fault and apologised.

I don’t know much about the way housekeepers are employed and whether OP is self employed, informally employed or salaried, but I wonder if it’s standard to take out an insurance policy to cover for problems that could be encountered working in other people’s homes in this kind of role. I’ve never met a cleaner or the one or two housekeepers I’ve met who have considered this. This incident seems to highlight the wisdom of insurance.

@T1Dmama I can't find an update saying that op is staying?

I would go in get your stuff together do your clean and get paid then go from
there.

I can't find the update saying it was the grandson, either.

I wonder if there's some glitch in the system.

Just found your update after all.

I think that you are right to leave if you possibly can.

They didn't really apologise and weren't even going to tell you who was at fault - in fact there were at least two people at fault: the idiot who kept putting the bleach back, and whoever was supposed to be looking after the 18m old baby. And then they, knowing that you weren't to blame, covered up for the culprits.

As you say - anything could happen now and you would be blamed - an ear-ring gets lost and they accuse you of taking it, a jug gets broken, and you have done it out of "revenge", a child falls over and you left something out that they tripped on . . . and anyway, as you said - the trust is lost and the friendly working relationship you thought you had has been revealed to be s self-serving sham.

It is a toxic household and you are actually lucky to have found it out,

Best of luck with the new job.

Try clicking on "show all" - it came up that way for me, though it didn't show in the ordinary thread for some reason.

What kind of apology is that? They’re a disgrace! How dare they accuse you of lying and try and force you to pay for something when the brat was unsupervised. I can’t believe the son didn’t apologise either. I’d be billing them for the month’s wage.

I'm not sure why he kept putting it back - he's a bit of an odd duck, to be honest and is very particular about stuff being in the "right" place. Beyond that, I don't know what he was thinking.

Not staying, the interview went very well and I've been offered the job at the other house. It's a bit further away (and even bigger!) but they're a young family with several children and it seems like a fun house.

Congrats op on the new job op

congrats on the new job, well done.

Congrats on the excellent news, OP - onwards and upwards!!

Congratulations OP.

Well done.

I would be VERY honest about why you left.

He was vicious on that phone call, blaming you and calling you a liar.

They are NOT to be trusted.

Best of luck to you.