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Original poster

To feel completely betrayed by staff member

135 replies

BurpeesAllTheWay · 12/06/2025 23:24

I run a cleaning company, I started 6 years ago on my own and over the last 1.5 years have added in 6 more employees. The first lady I hired, Ann has been with me since October 23. I employed her daughter to work with us 2 and the pair of them work in a team and the daughter doesn’t drive. Everything was fine until this year, they’ve had 6/7 clients leave and they are calling in sick atleast one of them weekly.
Today, the daughter called in sick because she was too tired to work. I managed to cover her work and team up someone else with Ann for the day, I did ask Ann if she could work late and she said she had something on, which was fine. Then driving home from work today, I drove past one of their old clients houses, who left us a couple of months ago, to see Ann and her daughter loading up their car with all of their cleaning equipment (which is actually all of my cleaning equipment) I’ve had 2 more clients leave in the last 2 weeks, which I now suspect have been taken on privately by them too. Am I being unreasonable to feel really hurt by this dishonesty from someone who I trusted as a friend?! I’ve always subbed her wages early, helped her out when her husband left, we go out for drinks together and catch ups regularly! How would you go about confronting them?! I also now have to sack them, I’m so upset to lose them as members of staff.

OP posts:
Silvertulips · 12/06/2025 23:27

How are their contracts worded?

It does explain the sick days - are they paid? Are they being paid by your company and the private clients? I’m assuming so.

These are staff you need. But tread carefully! Know your rights and what you are going to do/say so you don’t get sued - and make sure you have proof.

CanOfMangoTango · 12/06/2025 23:30

Did you take a photo?

I would go and personally contact all your old clients and ask for details of when this new arrangement started.

It's fraud, it's actually a police matter.

Once you've got some firm details call then both in for a meeting. They owe you back the wages you have paid them for sick days.

Then consider going to the police.

sheknowsitstoolate · 12/06/2025 23:31

That’s dodgy and they’re taking the piss. I’d be sacked (not a cleaning company) if I were taking clients privately from the company I was working for.

Make sure you get all of the cleaning equipment back before they do a runner with it.

Hulabalu · 12/06/2025 23:33

sheknowsitstoolate · 12/06/2025 23:31

That’s dodgy and they’re taking the piss. I’d be sacked (not a cleaning company) if I were taking clients privately from the company I was working for.

Make sure you get all of the cleaning equipment back before they do a runner with it.

Some companies would sue employees for that kind of behaviour ie client stealing & pretending to be sick to work elsewhere…
may depends on contacts

Original poster
BurpeesAllTheWay · 12/06/2025 23:38

I feel like they’re completely taking the piss out of me.
I’ve currently got one client who they work for who hasn’t paid his invoice for 3 weeks and is ignoring my messages. I’ve told them not to go tomorrow due to non payment, but really I think he’s been paying them and I’ve been paying them for the last 3 weeks. I’m going to drive past the house tomorrow morning and I’m fully expecting to see them there as I’ve asked for the keys back and Ann’s reply has been that the client personally gave her the keys and legally she doesn’t think she’s allowed to pass them over to me!!
They have the keys to around 20 houses, I’m worried they are going to refuse to give any of them back to me.

OP posts:
NewBinBag · 12/06/2025 23:39

I honestly think I'd have parked over the drive where they were loading up the car with YOUR cleaning equipment & had it out there & then.

It's awful behaviour.

Next time they call in sick go on a tour of their past clients & gather your evidence ready to sack them for stealing clients & fraudulently claiming sick pay.

DiscoBob · 12/06/2025 23:45

If they pinched your clients then it breached GDPR. I think? They're only allowed the clients data in the course of working for you, so to use it to then contact them and undercut you or take them on is illegal. But I think it is reliant on their employment contract.
Your client list is private data and as the data controller it can't be lifted and used by someone else I don't think. Not in a normal contract.

Dangermoo · 12/06/2025 23:56

You've worked hard to build up your business. Don't let these two take it away from you. They know full well what they are doing. I'm not surprised you feel hurt and stabbed in the back. Act now.

healthybychristmas · 13/06/2025 00:05

I would've blocked the car in and waited to see what they had to say for themselves.

Mintsj · 13/06/2025 00:10

What an utter bitch Ann is. Dishonest and doesn't give a shit about fucking over your business - especially as you have treated her very well indeed.

This is the trouble when you expand a good little business. I have a friend who has a good little business and he could really do with a couple of people to help him - he has loads of work on and could employ 2 people full time. He doesn't because he can't trust anyone not to do a shit job and destroy his thriving business.

You could give it a few months and then report Ann to HMRC. I bet she is taking cash in hand.

TheGirlattheBack · 13/06/2025 00:16

That’s awful. Unfortunately you are going to have to let them both go - is there anything in their contracts about taking your clients?

This happened to my gardener a while ago, he called all of his clients including me to say that one of the guys who worked for him had left and started contacting his clients to book in work - all the one’s that paid cash - and was pretending to still work for him. I felt really sorry for him, he sounded really stressed but I really appreciated to call and knowing what had happened would never employ the other guy if he had contacted me.

I suspect they are undercutting your rate and you may not get the clients back they have taken but I’d recommend doing what my gardener did and contact everyone else, tell all your clients what has happened, people don’t like dishonesty, especially from people who come into your home!

HeyWiggle · 13/06/2025 00:18

point Out you saw her loading your cleaning equipment into a car outside of the ex clients house. Ask her what’s going on.

You need to tell her to get her own clients if she wants to run her own business and not to seal your clients.

HeyWiggle · 13/06/2025 00:20

Depending on the answer, I’d find someone else to do their job. Are they on a zero hours contract? Is stealing your clients a breach of their contract

Jumpingthruhoops · 13/06/2025 00:23

HeyWiggle · 13/06/2025 00:18

point Out you saw her loading your cleaning equipment into a car outside of the ex clients house. Ask her what’s going on.

You need to tell her to get her own clients if she wants to run her own business and not to seal your clients.

The tricky thing with this is that the clients in question get to decide who cleans their house. If they want that person to be Ann then so be it.
But it's a shit situation.

anon4net · 13/06/2025 00:29

I would tread carefully until you get the keys back b/c if they refuse it will make you look unprofessional to clients which could make you lose customers. You may have to replace all their locks if you can't get the keys back, at a cost to you/your company.

I would tell Ann & daughter that you have a company change in policy for insurance reasons and all keys need to be stored in a safe and you will distribute in advance of cleaning. Get them back and then confront, with evidence if you can.

I wouldn't get emotional with them, keep it professional and document everything. I would have a witness on any email correspondence or in person meetings.

Good luck. They really took advantage.

Saddlesore · 13/06/2025 00:36

This happened to me, but I was the customer. I used to employ a firm of window cleaners for regular cleaning. One of them one evening dropped by and handed me a leaflet with his number on it, but still the same name of the company, and said that due to “payroll changes” I would now have to pay in cash after each visit and to cancel the standing order I had in place. I thought it was dodgy and asked him if the company insurance had changed as well. He looked puzzled and I asked him that if, for example, his ladder fell on my car, what was the insurance arrangement. He did look a bit concerned about that. I called the company the next day and of course they knew nothing about the arrangement he was proposing and were very annoyed that was still using their name on his flyer. Never saw him again.

Maybe when you confront Ann you could put the wind up her by asking her if she had insurance against damage or injury?

MooFroo · 13/06/2025 00:36

So sorry to hear @BurpeesAllTheWay it’s a real kick in the gut!

Gather evidence first - speak to ex-clients and then speak to the 2 traitors together once you’ve taken hr/legal advice on what to do. The customer keys are the main issue!

Does your business insurance have a legal helpline you can speak to for advice?

Sadly a very common occurrence in small businesses where the staff are the ones who build the relationship with the client and the ‘big bad boss’ just sits around and counts all the money rolling in!

Negroany · 13/06/2025 00:37

I bet they've not bothered about trivial things like insurance......

Steelworks · 13/06/2025 00:39

Do they have a contract with a non-compete cause in it?

SillyBilly1993 · 13/06/2025 00:42

How awful! Sending you a hand hold OP, you must feel blindsided.

I would spend tomorrow collecting evidence - go to this client’s house and take photos and videos.

Call your clients Ann has worked with and say that you were sorry to lose them as a customer. Unfortunately you have reason to believe that Ann and her daughter have been commiting theft and fraud by using your cleaning products and client list to provide services directly to your clients and accept the money personally, on time that they are being paid by you. I’d ask them if they had any issues with them and if that’s the reason why they didn’t want your cleaning services anymore, or if they think they could be an unknowing participant in the fraud, because if that’s a case then you apologise and will offer them a temporary discount to return to you as a customer with a more trustworthy member of cleaning staff.

They might not take you up on your offer but worth a try!

I’d also warn current clients that unfortunately you have let Ann and her daughter go due to theft from the business.

Once you have evidence I would ask the police for advice on whether this is a criminal matter - keeping the client’s keys which were entrusted to YOUR business is theft. Perhaps Citizen’s Advice could also advise you on civil action.

MrTumbleweed · 13/06/2025 00:43

Seeing as they have your customers keys and you’re concerned about this aspect, I would actually see a solicitor pretty swiftly and have advise you. I think perhaps a legal communication might scare them into giving the keys back and backing off. You could also get some advice on officially terminating their employment.

SillyBilly1993 · 13/06/2025 00:45

anon4net · 13/06/2025 00:29

I would tread carefully until you get the keys back b/c if they refuse it will make you look unprofessional to clients which could make you lose customers. You may have to replace all their locks if you can't get the keys back, at a cost to you/your company.

I would tell Ann & daughter that you have a company change in policy for insurance reasons and all keys need to be stored in a safe and you will distribute in advance of cleaning. Get them back and then confront, with evidence if you can.

I wouldn't get emotional with them, keep it professional and document everything. I would have a witness on any email correspondence or in person meetings.

Good luck. They really took advantage.

This is really good advice re the keys!

DontReplyIWillLie · 13/06/2025 00:47

I also now have to sack them, I’m so upset to lose them as members of staff.

Why? They’re workshy thieves who have taken advantage of you time and time again! Why on earth would you be upset to lose them?!

Slatterndisgrace · 13/06/2025 01:06

That’s so shit, I feel for you OP.

This from google : The line between legality and illegality when dealing with a former employee poaching clients from your company lies with the contractual agreement signed by the former employee. Outside of that, there is nothing a business owner can do through legal action, save for a few circumstances.

Original poster
BurpeesAllTheWay · 13/06/2025 06:19

I classed Ann as a friend, she’d even said last week that we haven’t been out for a drink to catch up in a while and wanted to arrange something. I think that’s why I’m so upset and I feel like I’ve been taken for a complete idiot. A friend had told me that they that’s what they were doing and I didn’t want to believe it.
The clients they have taken are ones that I’ve never worked with, they which clients are my friends or are loyal to me so as far as I’m aware they haven’t tried to take them.

I will change policy on the keys, to get them all back asap. The last thing I want to be having to do is offering to change 20 odd houses locks for them!
I need to keep them on for the moment as I spent most of last night working where I could move clients too if I terminated them immediately and until I can employ someone new I can’t cover all of their cleans…although I suspect some of the clients would be loyal to them and keep with them, which they are perfectly in their rights to do. After all I can always replace clients, I’ve done it before and can do it again. But also I will let the clients know that they have been dishonest and stealing from me. I can’t see anyone wanting them in their home knowing that they are dishonest.
As @MooFroo said, I am not actually the big bad boss, they know I work the most hours on houses myself out of every member of staff, I do admin in evenings and weekends as I’m a single mum. They know all of this and know how much I’ve struggled to get the business to where it is today.

OP posts: