Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Cleaner leaving 1.5 hours early

61 replies

IwaswasntI · 22/09/2023 12:00

We have/had a very efficient cleaner. She wanted as many hours as possible so we paid her twice a week for four hours a time.

She started off brilliantly and did lots in that time including tidying as well as cleaning but since moving further away, she has really cut down what she does to a basic clean and leaves after 2.5 hours. I offered to reduce her hours or days and said it was fine if she wanted to go elsewhere as the travel time is long but she insisted she likes coming to us.

She was really struggling with cost of living and health issues so I did not force the issue until she had fully recovered.

Last week she left really early - 2.5 hours - and I noticed the top floor barely looked touched and sent a text - her English is minimal.

I started by praising things she had done well but added I noticed the floor upstairs looked untouched and that it may be the vacuum bag needed changing but also saying I noticed she was only staying for 2.5 hours and wondered if she wanted to change her hours as there is always something to do to fill the time. I listed a few things eg making sure the bins are emptied (which she has stopped doing). I said that if she needed to leave half an hour early, I could accommodate as I know she tries to work between school hours.

The tone I thought was friendly. Her English is not strong enough to have this conversation face to face and she is always racing out the door.

Do cleaners get paid per job rather than per hour now? The quality of most her work is good for the time it takes but the house is too big to clean it properly in 2.5 hours - even twice a week as inevitably the main rooms need going over again.

We pay £14 an hour but it’s more like £20 when you look at the hours worked.

She has not replied to my question of whether she is coming today or tomorrow so suspect she has binned us.

AIBU in (gently) calling out the hours worked?

I will message later to say I hope she’s not offended as that was not my intention. DH thinks she’s taking the piss. I think she is very understandably thin-skinned having learned a bit about her background. I tried to be as nice as possible in delivering the feedback. Argh!

OP posts:

Summermeadowflowers · 22/09/2023 12:03

I think this is unfortunately common with cleaners. It is certainly what happened with ours: started off really well and then started leaving after an hour . I don’t mind ten/twenty minutes early but I do think when hours are shaved off it’s piss taking.

We just stopped using ours but the experience wasn’t great and I’m not keen to repeat it!

OldEvilOwl · 22/09/2023 12:05

I think you were too nice. I would have kept the message shorter. 'Noticed you left 2.5hrs early, and not all cleaning done is everything ok?'

OldEvilOwl · 22/09/2023 12:06

Sorry 1.5hrs early but still

Whataretheodds · 22/09/2023 12:07

I will message later to say I hope she’s not offended

Unless your inital messages were actually rude don't do this.

I've had a similar problem with my cleaner. She took the money for 3 hours but then only did 2, and now says 'oh we agreed 2 hours' which would have meant we'd paid for 2 whole sessions a month in advance, and she didn't mention it.

I think you need to be clear about expectations. Maybe work with her to write a list of all the things that need to be done each time and the things that need to be done periodically. Use Google translate if necessary.

It would be preferable if you could trust her to use her initiative but she's not showing you that you can do that.

Baldieheid · 22/09/2023 12:09

Without a decent reason, which I'd assume she'd explain before she left, staying 1.5 hours and charging for 4 is taking the absolute piss.

Don't be a wimp. Insist she does her hours. If if there's not enough work, reduce her hours. If she continues to muck around, fire her.

rubyslippers · 22/09/2023 12:09

We pay our cleaner by the hour
Leaving 2.5 hours early and still being paid isn’t right - she knows that which is why she won’t speak to you
she’s now realised the game is up and probably won’t come back

Whataretheodds · 22/09/2023 12:11

I don’t mind ten/twenty minutes early but I do think when hours are shaved off it’s piss taking.

Mine is shaving 20 minutes off a 2 hour slot, it's almost 25%!

Cosyblankets · 22/09/2023 12:11

Are you leaving the cash and she's just leaving early and taking it?
I would be paying by bank transfer for the hours she's done. That's an absolute pisstake

Caro678 · 22/09/2023 12:13

She’s taking the absolute piss. Don’t feel that you have to apologise to her!

OhComeOnFFS · 22/09/2023 12:13

You will always find people on here who'll say that it's fine if they leave early, but there are tons of jobs where that would be a sackable offence. Why should cleaning be different?

I'd cut my losses, OP. If she had to leave early it was up to her to mention that to you, not for you to discover.

FloweryName · 22/09/2023 12:15

Why are you worried about upsetting her when she’s been taking the piss out of you?

PickledPurplePickle · 22/09/2023 12:15

Just pay her for the hours she is actually doing and stop being so gentle, you need to be firm

Original poster

IwaswasntI · 22/09/2023 12:16

We pay by bank transfer at her request. She dashed off last week after about 1.5 hours after her son had a fall at school although her DH was also there. I paid her in full as she is very anxiety prone and hovers around him a lot. She is honestly very sweet and hardworking within the hours she does (unlike at least 2 others I have had) but as a messy and busy household, we really need all the help we can get!

What is the going rate for London these days?

OP posts:

Cosyblankets · 22/09/2023 12:17

I'm self employed.
If i had a family emergency and couldn't work i would absolutely not expect to be paid

Oysterbabe · 22/09/2023 12:18

My cleaner tried to bill me the full amount when I saw on the doorbell camera she left 20 minutes early. Pulled her up on it immediately and it hasn't happened again.
Why are you being such a door mat?

Original poster

IwaswasntI · 22/09/2023 12:19

As it happens I am employed through an agency so do not get sick pay etc. But I do recognise my privilege in having a cleaner and living in a decent house. She does live in poverty. She can’t for example afford wrap around care for her DC in order to clean more as the journey times home and cost of clubs would wipe out any financial benefit from cleaning for longer.

OP posts:

Puzzledandpissedoff · 22/09/2023 12:21

she insisted she likes coming to us

I'm not surprised - who wouldn't like being given "as many hours as possible" at their request, then being paid for not doing them?

Frankly you're being far too nice about this, though there's no need for actual unpleasantness either; it's not going to get any better so just find someone else and tell her she's out

Whichsideoftherock · 22/09/2023 12:22

This happened to us too but it turned out she couldn’t understand/read English so didn’t reply to texts. So don’t assume she is binning you!

It’s far better to try and be there in person to discuss this issue face to face. Sit down with a cup of coffee and be direct and clear. If her English is minimal, she may not understand British middle class “delicate” speak! Just be kind but direct about the problem, explain that you are paying her for x hours, and if she finishes early, (hand over list) these are the extra tasks she can do and go through the list with her. And repeat you want her working for the full time.

And then I would give her two more chances to change and if she is still leaving early after that, then let her go.

caringcarer · 22/09/2023 12:24

You need a new cleaner. One that works the hours they are paid for. I'd pay £15 ph but expect the cleaner to not leave more than 5 minutes early. We all know there are always jobs to be found to do in a large house.

flexigirl · 22/09/2023 12:25

She's massively taking the piss , and HOPE she's binned you . It's like now she's got her feet under the table she's put the Natalie's on. You just need a new cleaner. Don't put up with being treated like a mug

Original poster

IwaswasntI · 22/09/2023 12:27

Good advice thank you @Whichsideoftherock. She does always reply and I have had conversations over text about things such as housing and travel etc so I think she uses Google translate.

I am not sure I will have the opportunity to have that talk in person as normally I would hear back about which day she is coming… especially as it was possibly going to be today!

OP posts:

Birch101 · 22/09/2023 12:27

I think your being taken advantage of. Your paying her for hrs, if she is clearly not working those hrs then wtf . Have a written list of things you want done and an additional section for work if she finishes early. Or literally just pay her for hours work.

Our family had a horrible experience with a cleaner and trying to be nice just made her treat us like mugs.

Rosiem2808 · 22/09/2023 12:28

Can I just say - cleaners are not another species! I cleaned when my children were at infant and primary school.

I worked hard because cleaning - done properly is hard graft and some of those people I cleaned for were not very nice at all and thought I was beneath them for some godawful reason...
I cleaned six days a week and it enabled me to take my children to school and collect them afterwards. it enabled me to come into school as a parent helper and to earn some money and be proud of myself and have a pride in my work.

We are not all the same.

if the cleaner is not working her hours then you need to pull her on it and ask why and depending upon the reason given perhaps then find another cleaner who will work those hours because as I say cleaners are not another species/lesser form of life.

I have not cleaned for donkey's but something here on this thread hit a nerve !

Dreamingofthathouse · 22/09/2023 12:28

We are in London, paying our cleaner 18 per hour. Others seem to pay between 15 and 25 per hour.

Cosyblankets · 22/09/2023 12:30

IwaswasntI · 22/09/2023 12:19

None of that is your responsibility
You are paying to have your house cleaned. Nothing else

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread