Cleaner drank the juice, ate the salmon and charged her phone

[Shadow743]

I have a cleaner who has been coming for 2hrs a week for approx a year. She is unreliable, often texting the day before with a wide selection of reasons as to why she can't make it, and she doesn't always do a great job. I've been thinking about getting rid of her for a while but I have a lot of guilt around having a cleaner in the first place, as it feels like such a luxury and I feel like a bit of a snob for having one. I've come home whilst she's been there before and seen her charging her devices, noticed that the cordial seems to have been drunk and a couple of weeks ago, I'm sure (but can't be 100% certain) that she finished of the smoked salmon from the fridge. Today, my kids marked a line on the juice bottles as a little experiment and lo and behold, I've come home to find not only has she drunk the cordial, she's finished it AND put the empty bottle on the top of the bin.
Am I being unreasonable to be furious and feel like she's taking the mick now or am I overreacting to some minor issues which I should overlook because a little bit of juice and a little bit of electricity here and there won't kill me???

and she drank all the water in the tap, and all the tea in the pot, and all of daddy's beer.

I agree. People claim lots of shit is going to fly on here. Most likely because it’s not actually happening to them and they aren’t directly affected

She isn't a visitor. Can't you discern the difference?

She's paid to do cleaning.

If refreshments are part of her contract, fair enough.

I completely agree with this!

So where does this 'generosity' the OP is supposed to have end?

Using her cosmetics in the bathroom?
Spraying herself with Chanel?
Helping herself some chocs in a box in the living room?
Mixing herself a G&T?

Come off it- most of you are playing devil's advocate.

What comes over on this thread is how many posters are downright dishonest. They see nothing wrong in helping themselves to food or drink in someone else's home.

If the cleaner had come clean (haha) and said God, I was so thirsty I hope you don't mind that I took a bit of that cordial and I'll buy you some more...'

But oh no, just steal it and say nothing.

God knows how kids grow up with a sense of right and wrong if parents think this is ok.

Yes this!!

You say you feel “guilt” about having a cleaner. But not so much guilt that you’d begrudge her a charged phone (at her place of work) and a DRINK (at her place of work).

Find a new cleaner if you don’t like her work. But you sound like a terrible person to work for.

Howay man dudes.

Goodness. If our cleaner had some food and a drink while working, I'd simply worry that she were hungry and hadn't had chance for lunch. And I'd worry that she was struggling.

The cordial could only have cost pennies unless it's some amazing premium brand of which I've never heard.

Phone charging - if she ran out of charge she might miss a call. This shouldn't ever be a problem. Again, it would cost pennies if anything.

The smoked salmon - I would guess this was someone in your family.

Cleaners are human beings. It's a job I've done in the past, my mother and grandmother were cleaners, and I have friends who clean for a living. One said that people look at her as if she's another species. The British class system really sucks.

But you're entitled to end the contract if you think she's unreliable and unlikely to improve.

If she was reliable and good I couldn't care less about the dilution juice or the phone charging (randomly helping herself to food in the fridge though is a bit strange)…but it she was already shit and then treating everything as her own that would be enough for me.

No 👹 here.

As I mentioned, haven’t had a cleaner for years but very much looking forward to having one again when we retire to our flat!

I fully expect to provide drinks and will happily make a salmon sandwich if they happen to be there when I’m having one. Common courtesy, surely? Using OP’s perfume and eating her chocolates, quite the opposite. Obviously.

Are these just excuses to get rid of her? The salmon id be angry about, but you say youre not 100%...so its a moot point. The juice and electric...i don't see the issue..i wouldn't be happy she finished it off...but wouldn't mind if there was quite a bit of juice left.
I think its diabolical that youve roped the kids into it...their kids...they will now have something over her and kids can be cruel. If i were her, id resign. YABU.

Were your children really pleased with themselves when the lowly cleaner had used the dilute?

I’ve had various cleaners over the years and not one has ever helped themselves to any food or drink. And unlike others I think one should ask. Certainly wouldn’t have a problem with them charging their phone. But it sounds like you aren’t happy for numerous reasons. I’d just caution against what is the standard where you are? Here it is hard to get decent people. My cleaners tend to do what they think irrespective of what I ask and they’re very noisy on their phone whilst working . But they’re decent people, reliable and I know I’d struggle to get better so I accept as is.

My cleaner spends more time in my house than anyone else who doesn't live here. She goes in every room, cleans my toilet, changes my bed sheets. She's at least as (if not more) welcome to the squash and any other refreshments as unpaid visitors. Who are also welcome to the squash and the phone chargers.

You don’t have a contract for a cleaner for a couple of hours a week. Grow up.

😂😂😂

My cleaner spends more time in my house than anyone else who doesn't live here. She goes in every room, cleans my toilet, changes my bed sheets. She's at least as (if not more) welcome to the squash and any other refreshments as unpaid visitors. Who are also welcome to the squash and the phone chargers“

The difference is, @WickieRoy, you quite rightly see you cleaner for who she is. A person, like you, deserving equal consideration and respect.
Unfortunately, some people seem to view people who work in domestic settings as some sort of lessers species.
Mine was a life-saver. Improved our quality of life like you wouldn’t believe and I loved her!😁

Her being unreliable would bother me.

Charging her phone and squash wouldn’t bother me - but I suppose she needs to ask and get the ok as I’d be worried about what else she is taking and not asking.

Also why is having a cleaner being a snob?! So many people have them, if you are at work and can’t do it it makes sense.

Are you saying ‘cordial’ so we know it was more expensive than squash?

What are you talking about? Of course cleaners are human beings. That’s why they shouldn’t steal - cos it’s ya know, it’s the right thing to do as a human. The OP never said the cleaner wasn’t a human being, she was questioning the stealing. If you have someone in your home that you’re supposed to trust with your possessions, you don’t want them stealing out of your fridge. You’re not paying for her to come and eat your food.

And yes some cordial costs a fortune. And the salmon could be anyone.

And you’d be worried that she were ‘hungry’? Why? Cos she’s a lowly cleaner?

Oh my, having a cordial drink. Yabu of course she should be able to have a drink whilst working. Charging phone is a non issue. And you don't know about the salmon, not really.

Do you not charge your phone at work or drink anything?

The salmons not ok, but you’re not sure about that.

Your kids sound vile. Do better.

Holy shit😂. You begrudge her a cold drink and a phone charge?

yes fire her is the quality of her work is poor. Buy bloody hell why so mean spirited?