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 ?

Many labourers, electricians and plumbers don’t pay tax either!

I really wish this were true - DH falls into the above category and pays tax and VAT!

the idea that the op would simply not have transferred this cleaner her pay unless mumsnet had advised her differently 😞

Of course, many (hopefully the majority!) do! I would never assume someone doesn’t pay tax just because they’re self-employed (and I only use tradespeople who invoice properly etc. – have found only a v small minority offer a cheaper rate cash, etc.)

I’d assume the same goes for cleaners.

I wish I could be so sure that I left something in a particular place. But I know myself, I might have moved it again and forgotten. Can't tell you the number of times I've "found" money in a pocket, placed something somewhere for safekeeping and forgetting where. Every year we find at least one Christmas gift from months ago, tucked away and forgotten.

My husband lost a ring he was hiding from me. He forgot because it was such an unexpected spot. I found it while cleaning; it was in a metal flower jug, and had to tell him before he totally lost the plot. 🙄

Nailed it with this message. Exactly that!

I found €20 in my purse left over from holiday the other day. Put it on my dressing table and now it’s gone. Nobody else has been in the house! So it is possible for these things to just disappear. Perhaps it’s fallen somewhere? Perhaps i moved it and don’t remember? You have no proof she took it

It wouldn't make sense to steal like that and lose a good recurring job, IMHO.

Cleaner here.. I have house keys to the customers who work.. Some of them are very well off. Plenty of times money and jewellery left around
. Why wouldn't they? I am not a thief.
Have been known to grab a bowl or pot and make a change holder! Notes get put on sight but under am ornament or book - would hate to vacuum any up! Very sad to hear people being told not to trust their cleaner...

It's not quite the same as the thread, but I have a friend I have known for 35 years. She and her now-husband went on a honeymoon to Canada, and one evening, she put both their passports in a "hidden pocket" in a small rucksack.

They stayed in a hostel and the next day the passports were missing. She unpacked everything, took the backpack apart, looked everywhere, no passports to be found. They did not have a lot of money and had to hire cars and spent an absolute fortune getting to the British embassy to get temporary passports to get home. They had to stay in hotels etc they couldn't afford and extend the trip until they could get the paperwork sorted out. I can't remember the exact figure but it ran into £££'s they didn't have and took days to sort out. A total nightmare.

Six months later she went on a camping trip and took the same backpack and found the passports in the "hidden" pocket. She swears to this day she took the backpack apart but I guess the hidden pocket did its job too well on that occasion.

I bet the £100 turns up at some point. I do not believe the cleaner took it, it's just too obvious and convenient. If I was a cleaner in that situation I would have assumed it was a trap.

I've always trusted our cleaners and they have always been lovely and trustworthy. However, I started to question my sanity with one particular cleaner. I had always kept my bag in the same cupboard and began to wonder why I needed to go to the bank machine so often to top up my purse. One morning, before she arrived, I checked the money in my purse and put a post it note inside with '£100' written on it. When she left, I checked and the money was untouched - but she didn't turn up the following week and never contacted me again. And somehow, after she left, I didn't need to go to the bank machine so often. It left a really sour taste in my mouth.....

I pull a room apart because I was sure I left money in a particular place, I almost accused my child of taking it. 3 weeks later I found it in a place I’d would have sworn I’d never put it. The child I almost accused told me although I hadn’t said it out loud, they felt accused. If you let her go and it was misplaced, she’ll know that you think she took it.

I assumed they looked in my 7 year old brain - I mean I told them where the things were.

The truly odd thing though was they moved twice and the documents - to be fair they were in the middle of other documents - were packed and unpacked each time without either of them noticing.

Oh how nice it is that you have a cleaner. Oh how NOT nice it is to accuse her of stealing £100 “ it could only be her”. Pay the lady and don’t have her back if you are that convinced she has taken it. As you can afford a cleaner why not invest in a couple of very small cameras place in specific areas of your house. These tiny cameras are cheap and the next time this should happen you might catch the miscreant in the act. Then and only then will you have your evidence rather than making wild accusations.

i’m guessing you and your mother went on to have many years of a tricky relationship?

Years ago a cleaner we liked and trusted took some blank cheques from the back of the book and cashed them over a period on weeks. Small amounts that we didn't notice at first but eventually it added up to over a grand. Police we called and she pleaded guilty.

and?

I can't believe so many people are tripping over themselves to say it couldn't possibly have been the cleaner that stole the money. What sheltered lives they must have led.

Can you quote the poster who has said that “it couldn’t possibly be the cleaner”

@ThePinkBiscuit lol. Was just being conversational and sharing an experience of a dodgy cleaner. Thanks for your input too 😏

We had a cleaner who stole from my child. 100s of £. I caught her on camera.
I posted on here and it seemed to be my fault apparently for employing someone to clean..

How is it 'clever' to pay a thief 50 quid to get your stolen property back?

Well she wouldn’t have got it back at all otherwise?

Sounds like the sentimental value was much higher than £50

IKR 😂😂😂

yes but i think the question was what happened next ie after the cleaner “pleaded guilty” to the police @Hobbesmanc

This happened at my work. I asked the likely culprit to help me look for it and said if it doesn't turn up I'll have to bag search. It turned up, it was in the bin. Fancy that.