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!

Then it’s their responsibility.
Idiots who don’t want to admit responsibility.

Keeping a bleach bottle in the home around young children with no cap on the bottle is just asking for trouble. Definitely not your fault.

Can you go in tomorrow? Problem is that they will take money for the Boden clothes out of your wages surely? I would try to solve this before you go back if possible

Can you take someone with you to accompany you tomorrow - for moral support whilst you get your things, (also someone who can witness anything they might say).

With your short and punchy resignation letter, I would attach a bullet pointed list confirming that it is a totally false accusation made against you and listing the actions you took - to leave them in no doubt.

I totally feel for you.

How hard is it to get work as a house keeper? I'd really want to leave. This is really shitty behaviour. I'd really want them to know you can't treat people like shit and get away with it. It's totally reasonable to feel betrayed. You thought you were liked and valued by them. But the instant blame shows that's not the case. Sorry

Tell them you don't use bleach because you hate the stuff, therefore, did not lose or leave the cap off the bottle. If they left bleach in their cupboard with no lid it's their responsibility, whether you tried to move it or not. If they don't accept that, walk away.

Of course you feel betrayed OP. That’s completely understandable.

Upsetting as it is, try and filter out all the noise about ruined Boden clothes.

You were safeguarding with all your earlier warnings, even though childcare isn’t your main role.

Hold on to that because it shows you pay attention and you care. That adds value even if current employers can’t see it.

If you re-read the OP's posts, you will read that there was no cap on the bottle. It was an open bottle of bleach.

And what’s the betting that when @kangaroopelicanartic is long gone it happens again - who will they blame then? At that point the parents realise who is really at fault (though they probably know full well).

I hope you retrieve your stuff OP and as I and many others have said, refute the false allegations with a business like, detailed and precise written record sent to them formally.

You can no longer trust them going forward . They are horrible. I hope you find nice new employers.

I think you're quite lucky the child wasn't hurt as they sound the sort to sue. I'd find someone to pick up your stuff and tell them you are too upset to work having been accused. What bastards.

Yes, the op already corrected me on that. I misread it as the top had been taken off and not been put back on. But thank you for putting me right. 🙂

Problem is that they will take money for the Boden clothes out of your wages surely? I would try to solve this before you go back if possible

how will they take money for the clothing out of Ops wages?

go and get your things ,
if you have a camera on your phone, press video record, because these people sounds like they will accuse you of stealing after you leave

tell them that you are leaving and you will not be paying for the clothing items,

they have no case because you weren't in the house when the bleach incident happened
you will not allow them to treat you poorly, if they are rude or threaten you tell them you will call the police

I knew someone who was a housekeeper and on multiple occasions they were let go just before a holiday.

They shouldn't have any cleaning products in a low, unlocked cupboard in the first place.

Wouldn't be surprised if nothing had even happened and they just said this to get ride of you. My friend said so many people got grumpy at them for taking a week off. An old couple let her go, and were nasty about it, just before her week off and then begged for her to come back.

Actually I’ve thought about this some more. They moved the bleach without cap back to a floor level location? After you’d flagged it?

Total mockery of your safeguarding attempts.

The GC Boden clothes dousing but no injury? But you have no proof apart from their word on this?

It’s just too bizarre on their part.

Have you had any pay rises?

It looks to me more like a strategy they use for employees they’ve had the best out of. Messing with your head, weaponising the professionalism and care they know you have - knowing you’ll feel mortified about GC

It is strange about the bleach

I wonder ....is this too far fetched?.....that they deliberately put the open bleach bottle there to blame you

Not to get £70 out of you, but to ease you out?

Send them a text.

I put bleach out of reach. Not my fault she got it. Neglect on your part. A matter for social services. I won't pay for damage. I consider myself constructively dismissed and will collect my things tomorrow.

@Ladybug14 I’ve known apparently clever people to do riskier things over and over again despite being warned. Some people just lack common sense.

They are blaming you so the kids parents dont blame them. You are an easy scapegoat. Which is awful . They sound like terrible people .

I’d message tonight asking for photos of the damaged clothing. State “I repeatedly moved the bleach precisely to ensure such incidents could not happen and have told you so. However, the fact that you have not offered any proof, and the unlikelihood of your grandchild’s clothing being damaged beyond repair, but with no mention of harm or injury to the child herself, makes me question if there was such an incident. I will look forward to receiving the evidence.”

Sure, they’ll be outraged at the suggestion they’ve made it up, but it’s only what they’re doing to you. There’s no going back from this, so you may as well go for the jugular.

I bet they were trying to save face in front of their daughter/DIL who was probably fuming her little one had easy access to a bottle of bleach with no lid. So they went for the easy way out and the "butler did it" or in this case the housekeeper.

Have you been set up so they can save a few quid on redundancy money.

Go in tomorrow.
Get your stuff and go home.
Get another job, because let's face it, this ones over and they won't be paying you at the end of the week!!

Ridiculous people. Kids clothes get ruined when they’re tearing around a place. Don’t put them in Boden if you’re going to be precious about it. If you do replace the clothes (which I don’t think you should) ask for the link because there’s usually a massive sale on. Or get them on Vinted for a fiver; it’s not like they were brand new presumably.