To not pay the cleaner

[MamaD2207]

We have had a cleaner for about a month and she is absolutely great. Today I had £100 on my bedside table this morning. There is no one else who could have taken it, but there is no evidence it was her. Am I being unreasonable not paying her ?

My goodness…you can’t just not pay someone without any proof!
pay her wage and don’t let her back again if you like but you can’t make that assumption! Jeez!

Yabu people do this shit all the time lose something or forget what they've done with it and their first thought is it's been stolen.

No, you have to pay her but then don't have her back
Maybe she took the money and maybe she didn't (its unlikley) but if theres no trust then you can't have her in your house unfortunately

No you cannot. It is highly unlikely that they took it. More likely that it got knocked when she was changing sheets or hoovering. I bet if you pull out the bedside locker or bed it would be there. Or if there was a bin nearby I would check that and the bin bag.

If you are 10000% sure it was her then tell her you know she stole it and you don't want her back. If there's a slight doubt, tell her you don't need her anymore and pay her what you owe.

You must pay her, but then ask her not to come back if you don't trust her.

Pay her then tell her you don’t want her to come again.

Ask her if she’s moved it

I'm sorry but why leave £100 on your bedside table when you knew she was coming into clean? I know if she works for you you should be able to count on her honesty but that's just not fair to leave temptation in people's way. It may be loose change to you but it's a lot of money to some people.
You can't just not pay her. If you really think she took the money then pay her what she is due and finish her contract and find someone else.

Ask her where she tidied it away to.

Then decide if you trust her or not, but yes you pay her. You have no evidence that she took it. She may have done; she may not, so up to you if you prefer to part ways if it doesn’t turn up.

So I have asked if she moved it. She has said no . I am 100% certain. Sadly it look like I will have to pay and ask her not come back. So frustrating

How certain are you OP?

Yep! I would look for it very carefully and ask others in your house first. Quite often recollections of where things were can vary from reality. I've been absolutely sure I've put something in one place, but it's been found somewhere else and then I've subsequently remembered I did something else with it.

Also it would be a very stupid thing for a cleaner to do, as it would be obvious it was them. So it seems unlikely to me 🤷‍♀️

Can you be sure she took the money? It’s a very serious accusation. It could have fallen under the bed or into the drawer or been tucked absent mindedly into a pocket.

Could she have thought it was her payment? I always left cash out for the cleaner. If not then you obviously can’t withhold payment, you can ask her not to return though if you believe she stole.

edit: just seen your update that she said she hasn’t moved it. Have a good look for it but if not then I’d ask her not to come back.

You can't just not pay her, no.
What you could do is set a trap, set up a camera to try and see if it was her? Or just don't use her again.
Have you asked her about it?
If you literally live alone so it could only be her then that's terrible, but I think you'll need proof.

Did you ask to her face or did you text her? Doing it via text was pointless if so

If you are absolutely 100% certain, then personally I would not pay her and would log it with the police.

Completely certain. I know it was there this morning, I know it is no longer there or anywhere around there. My first thought it’s been knocked / moved

If I left €100 out and it was gone I might ask my cleaner did she pop it in a drawer but only after I searched everywhere because I'd be MORTIFIED incase she thought I was accusing her. But then if I didn't trust her completely she a) wouldn't be in my house and b) I wouldn't be leaving money out

As long as you're ok with walking into a shop and the shopkeeper refusing to hand over your change, because something's gone missing from a shelf?

'We' have a cleaner? Who's the we? Could they have taken it?

I believe you. Cleaner took my daughter's engagement ring. Nothing she nor the police could do. She had form they found out afterwards. Lesson is not to trust anyone.

Wow.

It's clearly been knocked, taken by someone else in your house or you've misremembered.

Pay her.

Depends how sure you are? I’d ask first if she moved it or has tidied it away.

A former cleaner insisted in being paid cash, one week I messaged when I realised I’d forgotten to move it from the cupboard to leave it out for her and offered to drop it over than evening but she said to just leave it out the following morning as had a neighbour as a client and she’d collect then.

The following morning I went to get it out, and it wasn’t there. I was perplexed but it wasn’t there. I messaged asking if she’d taken it was robustly assured she hadn’t.

The indoor cameras just picked her up bustling around and with her purse/keys in the kitchen and I couldn’t be certain either way, so I spent the day worrying over it. Until that evening when I watched the complete recording and could see clear as day her going into the cupboard as soon as she arrived and taking it.

She’d so staunchly denied removing it, it was really difficult to say anything else, and then claimed she’d “just forgotten”. But the trust was gone and that was it which was a shame as she was a decent cleaner.