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Original poster

Our cleaner charges more hours than she actually spends working

58 replies

Hocuspoc · 14/10/2024 16:17

We hired a cleaner recently to help out, it is not much work but she made a judgement she will need 2 hours a week, and I said OK. Previous ond needed 2 hours every fortnight but ok ..
She doesn't speak english well, but she has someone translating on the chat when we were agreeing the timing/price.
Anyway, first time she worked for 2 hours and we payed 2timesX.
She then ask if she can come in not exactly at 1pm but some time between 12 and 1 as she finishes previous flat early sometimes and I said yes.
And then it began. She would come at say 12:45 and then comes 1:30 she would say I'm done, and when I ask - ok so how much for today - she goes: 2 hours so 2timesX
I was like OK, maybe she thinks she started at 12:30 I will make a point of it next time.
Next time she comes say 12:40 and I go, ok it is 12:40 now here are the mops etc... she again finishes early and says 2 hours.
My husband had a theory where he thinks maybe she rounds it up to the closest hour (which is odd because it is not like there is nothing else to fill out 15 mins - she could have watered the plants or ask me what can she do).

And then finally last time she started 12:45 and at 1:15 she said she is done, started packing and said - 2 hours for today.

I don't know how to resolve this. On one side she is really doing great job at what she actually gets done, she is professional and quiet too - no chitchat which I hate. So I don't want to let her go.
But I also feel she takes me for a fool. Am I being unreasonable here?

OP posts:
ShowerOfShites · 14/10/2024 16:19

On one side she is really doing great job at what she actually gets done, she is professional and quiet too - no chitchat which I hate. So I don't want to let her go.

Leave her be then.

It's clearly job and finish with her, she doesn't need to be watering your plants just because she works quickly and efficiently.

AlertCat · 14/10/2024 16:21

Is she doing all the work you would expect to be done? Maybe see it in terms of the job rather than the time…

Dozycuntlaters · 14/10/2024 16:22

So she cleaned for half an hour but charged you for two? And you just handed over the money? Why didnt you tell her you know she has only been there 30 minutes?

Gretagarbaled · 14/10/2024 16:23

Nah, she's taking you for a fool. If the work takes 90 minutes then she gets paid 90 mins, nature of self employed work when you charge by the hour. If she wants paid for 2 hours then she needs to work for 2 hours. She can either slow down or do other cleaning tasks.
Maybe easier employing someone who speaks the same language if that's the issue.

Scutterbug · 14/10/2024 16:23

Is she doing a decent job? I can’t imagine she gets much done in half an hour?

threeunrelatedwords · 14/10/2024 16:23

Fire her, she’s taking the piss.

Frozensnow · 14/10/2024 16:25

Hocuspoc · 14/10/2024 16:17

We hired a cleaner recently to help out, it is not much work but she made a judgement she will need 2 hours a week, and I said OK. Previous ond needed 2 hours every fortnight but ok ..
She doesn't speak english well, but she has someone translating on the chat when we were agreeing the timing/price.
Anyway, first time she worked for 2 hours and we payed 2timesX.
She then ask if she can come in not exactly at 1pm but some time between 12 and 1 as she finishes previous flat early sometimes and I said yes.
And then it began. She would come at say 12:45 and then comes 1:30 she would say I'm done, and when I ask - ok so how much for today - she goes: 2 hours so 2timesX
I was like OK, maybe she thinks she started at 12:30 I will make a point of it next time.
Next time she comes say 12:40 and I go, ok it is 12:40 now here are the mops etc... she again finishes early and says 2 hours.
My husband had a theory where he thinks maybe she rounds it up to the closest hour (which is odd because it is not like there is nothing else to fill out 15 mins - she could have watered the plants or ask me what can she do).

And then finally last time she started 12:45 and at 1:15 she said she is done, started packing and said - 2 hours for today.

I don't know how to resolve this. On one side she is really doing great job at what she actually gets done, she is professional and quiet too - no chitchat which I hate. So I don't want to let her go.
But I also feel she takes me for a fool. Am I being unreasonable here?

The final time she did half an hour?! I wouldn’t have handed the money over. If you’re paying for 2 hours then she should clean for 2 hours. Surely she can’t have achieved much at all in 30 mins

AffIt · 14/10/2024 16:27

No matter how efficient you are, it isn't possible to do two hours of work in 30 minutes, unless she's found a way to bend the laws of space and time.

She has either over-estimated, in which case I would give her the opportunity to revise, or she's taking the piss, which I think is the more likely scenario.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 14/10/2024 16:32

finally last time she started 12:45 and at 1:15 she said she is done, started packing and said - 2 hours for today

So why on earth didn't you say "But it's not been 2 hours has it?"

You're right that she's taking you for a fool, but you are rather handing it to her.
Unfortunately I doubt that getting this onto a better footing will work with this one, so I'd simply look for someone else and then say she's no longer needed

JaceLancs · 14/10/2024 16:35

I used to pay my cleaner for 2 hours a week but the basic clean took approximately 90 minutes
I left them with a long list of when you’ve finished do another task from the list until the 2 hours are up
worked really well for those little jobs that don’t need doing every week

Dotto · 14/10/2024 16:38

She can't believe her luck and seeing how far she can push it. Get someone else, or renegotiate with her.

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 14/10/2024 16:38

Keep her. So long as she does a good job she’s worth it.

LaKatya · 14/10/2024 16:38

She's taking the absolute piss. She's dishonest. I'd get rid.

yeaitsmeagain · 14/10/2024 16:45

For 10 minutes you're being dramatic. The half hour one is different. I would ignore anything smaller than half an hour.

But your house doesn't take the exact same amount of time to clean each week. Sometimes there will be more, sometimes less. So sometimes she will likely stay 10 minutes extra in the future. If you don't need two hours, change it to 1.5 hours.

Cleaners also have a specific list of tasks to do, they don't do extra random things or ask you for things to do just to fill the time. They do what's been agreed.

If you're paying less than £20 an hour and she's a good cleaner, you'll struggle to get anyone as good or better.

Skyrainlight · 14/10/2024 16:57

You have two options, either call her out on it and only pay for hours worked. Or think of it as she needs to get a certain amount of cleaning done in the time for you to be happy. Some cleaners work fast and others slow. It would annoy me too, but ultimately I'd decide if I was happy with the job she was doing for the price.

Thisismetooaswell · 14/10/2024 17:14

I used to pay my cleaner £20 to clean my flat. If she was hungover and took 4 hours over it, she got £20. If she was mega busy, brought her mum to help and did it an hour, she got £20. Maybe view it as are you happy with the amount and standard of her work and is what you're paying reasonable for that?

MissMoneyFairy · 14/10/2024 17:18

She's taking the mick, why would you pay 2 hours for half an hours work, if she's that quick and efficient reduce it to one hour a week for 2 x 1hr sessions a week.

Redglitter · 14/10/2024 17:21

And then finally last time she started 12:45 and at 1:15 she said she is done, started packing and said - 2 hours for today

So she was in 30 mins, charged you for 2 and you handed over the money without question? She's taking you for a mug and you're letting her

What on earth possessed you to meekly hand over 2 hours money.

On one side she is really doing great job

How can she possibly be doing a good job in 30 mins.

The rate she's going next time she'll just come to the door & demand payment without setting foot in the house

Stop being such a blooming walk over. Next time she says 2 hours tell her the 2 hours aren't up til X time so she still has work to do or ask if she wants just paid for the time she's been

2kbak · 14/10/2024 17:22

She is absolutely pisstaking. Charging 2 hours for half an hour of work!

And the thing is, this type of person only gets worse. Not better, not constant. Worse.

I would sack her immediately and just try to get the cleaning done between yourselves. I'd prefer my house to be a bit dirty, rather than have someone round and essentially pickpocket me.

NeverEnoughPants · 14/10/2024 17:22

So the first time was 45 minutes and the last time was 30 minutes?

It's fair enough if she gave you a flat rate figure, if she gets the job done well, but as she gave an hourly rate, that's really not on. Didn't you say 'but you've only been here half an hour?'

Gremling · 14/10/2024 17:24

This is why I no longer have cleaners.

AW24 · 14/10/2024 17:25

You could say I see your getting it done sooner now. Do you still think I need the two hours?

cardibach · 14/10/2024 17:25

She would come at say 12:45 and then comes 1:30 she would say I'm done, and when I ask - ok so how much for today - she goes: 2 hours so 2timesX. I was like OK, maybe she thinks she started at 12:30 I will make a point of it next time.
Your times don’t make sense @Hocuspoc
Even if she thought she started at 12.30 by your timings that’s only an hour. Did you mean she started at 11.45? Or finished at 2.30?
I think this is confusing people, because the next pair of t8mes you give are only half an hour apart

Superhansrantowindsor · 14/10/2024 17:33

How on earth does she do the cleaning in 30 mins? If she is getting it all done in that time to a standard you are happy with then I’d suggest unless there are health/mobility issues, you don’t need a cleaner.

Freshersfluforyou · 14/10/2024 17:35

Gremling · 14/10/2024 17:24

This is why I no longer have cleaners.

This, my experience and that of friends was that this happens constantly.
Someone posted up thread that good for if she works quickly and efficiently.... Er anybody im paying should be working quickly and efficiently its paid employment not an opportunity to saunter around slowly!!!
I found that within weeks every cleaner i employed started arriving late, and leaving early.

Im not a mug so i fired them.

Now i clean my own house because i can achieve twice as much in half the time, it wasnt worth it having a cleaner.