Cleaner situation please advise

[Tospyornottospy]

Hello everyone - just wanted a bit of advice on the following. Sorry for long post just want to be thorough.

we’ve had a cleaner for 9 months. She does 2 full days (as per her request), 8am-4pm. So 2 x 8 hour days. She was recommended to us via a friend of hers and was previously also a nanny, so for her 8 hours the initial agreement was:

1. for 1-2 hours (broken up) to watch 2 year old whilst I’m running errands/cooking etc
2. take dog for 30 min walk
3. do a little bit of ironing (about 30 mins worth)

so there was 4-5 hours left to clean 2 x a week a 5 bed house (2 bedrooms aren’t used so need very little focus). House is always very tidy. After a few months it became clear she was extremely slow as the ironing that took me 30 mins max was taking 90 mins, so I asked her to drop the ironing and spend more time on the house.

the issue is it’s very unclear to me what she’s actually doing. Surfaces are covered in dust, windows are not clean, under furniture not hoovered etc, mould in parts of the bathroom, mirrors smudged. I’ve pointed these things out various times and they are solved the next time but then not done again.

I feel the hours she is doing are enough for the house to be clean clean but maybe i am
Expecting too much? We pay 18£ an hour plus her travel so it’s not nothing.

our previous cleaner kept the house much cleaner than this in less time and sadly she moved away.

also, DS went upstairs to get a top during the holidays and told me she was just sitting down up there. He’s 7 so could just be bollocks but im not sure how to handle. Sometimes there isn’t a lot of noise up there when im downstairs but i cant really go and stand over here and it’s awkward to keep bringing it up. On the other hand she’s very sweet and the children love her.

what do i do? Speak to her again? Let her go? Get a nanny cam to confirm if she’s actually working up there? Am I expecting too much?

she lives ages away by car - 90 mins? By train probably an hour. I just don’t have the time. It’s 150£ a day so another 150£ but yes I don’t particularly feel great about paying her any more money. This whole thing has pissed me off massively

Sack her right away with respect to her contract notice. Tell her as she leaves that she was not cleaning and she will get
no reference from you. If she’s from a cleaning company hopefully they’ll sack her from their workforce.

I don’t particularly feel great about paying her any more money

I can understand that OP, and while I'm a great believer in playaing fair I'd be tempted to remind her of all the money you've paid for things not done and invite her to sue you

That said, you've wasted so much on her that another £150 probably makes little difference, so maybe it's best to just suck up the cost to be rid of her

I really would change the locks though, whether you get the key back or not. She's hardly been principled in her own approach and will doubtless massively resent losing this cushy number, so frankly I wouldn't trust her

Report her to the tax authorities and social security offices. Get your key back, change the locks, get a camera. Notice as per her contract. If she doesn’t have a contract then you can sack her without payment as soon as she hands over the key. Meet her at the train station unexpectedly to get your key (I think you wrote she takes the train).

She doesn’t have a contract

Then meet her from her transport stop and get your key. Don’t pay her. Give her the sack. Report her.

Some people really need lists and very clear instructions (and the chance to ask questions).

To be fair to her I'd sit down with her @Tospyornottospy and ask her how she's finding the job, what works/doesn't, etc. Then talk about wanting to be clear about expectations and go through what is reasonable together in a day.

I'd do that and give her two to four more cleans (1-2 more weeks). If it's not more on par with what is reasonable then I'd give her notice.

Sorry @Tospyornottospy I didn't refresh the page and read your reply. Good luck getting that key back. Has she replied yet??

Op

you must be absolutely bonkers to give her another chance

maybe your husband is keen for another reason?!

Love this phrase, I had one until a year ago.

She'd spend ages picking up and giving a thorough wipe over of each spirit bottle on the bar and spend ages doing it.

I'd hear a chink chink every couple of minutes as I was washing up the dog bowls in the next room and want to scream JUST CLEAN THE FUCKING HOUSE YOU BLOODY WEIRDO!
Dust and dog hairs untouched everywhere but my Bombay Sapphire was sparkling

dying at the sparkling Bombay sapphire 🤣

I tried to find the cling film
folder sketch and couldn’t, sadly.

feels a bit mean to meet her at the station to get the key

Definitely not, no!

Sounds like there is too much to justify keeping her on.

It's not one thing, it's many.

Time for you to find someone who can clean, and do the job you want done!!

If she's willing to commuting 1.5 hours for a cleaning job, then she must think she's onto a winner.

She must've seen you coming a mile away! I bet she has a good giggle with her pals about how little she does for so much money!

I'm always amazed by these sort of threads.... probably because I am a bit of a cow. I am not paying someone to not work.

I usually have a two week trial period when employing a housekeeper and initially spend a lot of time going over things and give them pdf check lists for daily and weekly tasks. if small things are missed/Forgotten eg. topping up drinks in the fridge or organising shelves correctly, it's fine but not actually doing the job and slacking off (im a believer in regular breaks but not just sitting around all day or being on the phone apart from emergency calla) - absolutely not. some people will behave like this if they feel they can get away with it. this person literally took advantage of you OP.

I also have cameras and inform all staff beforehand.

I wouldn't pay her another penny OP. get her to mail back the key and tell her she is fired.

also not a good idea to get someone from so far away. means less flexibility for both parties and very inconvenient.
I have found my housekeepers on care.com but I am very clear with my expectations and standards from the start.

not mean. she has been awful to you. maybe give her money for travel costs and that's it

It’s just one of those things - I’m generally a pretty robust person but I struggle with this sort of thing, I’m weak and feel sorry for people/feel unjustified when I’m annoyed and don’t want to be harsh. Then I hate confrontation.

even now I sort of wonder does she just not know / even though I agree with a PP there is no way she’s thinking this is fine. I wanted the camera footage to sort of back myself a bit/see the evidence she’s fleecing me, rather than the lack of cleaning.

and with little children/being pregnant there’s an element of just wanting some of it done, even if it’s not worth what I’m paying. I have a couple of options lined up now. Will discuss again with DH the idea of just getting key back.

Only did this as it was a recommendation from someone I really trust and we wanted someone asap. But again it’s why I agreed to 8 hours as it’s a long commute.

I wouldn't worry to much about getting the key back.
She is hardly going to come back and Rob you.
Just text to tell her you have had a rethink and will be taking a break from having her clean and can she post the key.
Hope you get someone else soon.

I need the key for her replacement and you can’t just get our keys cut I would have to go into central London to get a new one it’s a whole thing - that’s why I keep banging on about the keys. Also maybe she won’t come back and rob us, but I also don’t want someone I don’t trust who will be annoyed at being let go, to have a house key of mine!

DH still doesn’t want to replace her though

then tell him he has to do the extra cleaning that is required because of her incompetence

🤣 I will!

What's going on here OP?

You already said you have a couple of other "possibles" lined up, so what exactly is his objection to getting rid?