Cleaner having her children whilst cleaning

[MissMatchy]

Just after some other perspectives. We have a regular cleaner, for about 8 months. She's pretty good tbf although sometimes doesn't fully do the 3 hours we pay her for. No biggie. She came round this week, and whilst she was here our ring doorbell camera notification went off a few times so I logged on to see why. It turns out someone dropped her young child off (presumably after school?) and she let them in, then they were picked up about an hour later.
She didn't check this was ok with us, nor did she mention it had happened. I'm pretty pissed off about it tbh. Surely common respect should be used here? What was the child doing whilst she was cleaning?

It was in reference to your assertion that on £25 per hour a cleaner can easily afford childcare.
I was just pointing out that £25 an hour isn't what she actually earns.

I didn't say that though did I?

Didn't you? Whatever.

I don't care enough about this thread or this overblown, non-issue to argue with you.

This.

it would be fine with me, I’ve struggled before so know how it feels.

Do you actually have a cleaner who brings her children to work
Or is it just a make beleive cleaner you are bending over backwards to accomadate?

Thats the same for everyone nobody actually takes home their hourly rate ..

So here we are again assuming the cleaner must be a poor impoverished mother who is struggling.

Its so insulting isn't it?

Yep!

Well, this has certainly gone off in some interesting directions 😂

Just to clear up a few things because there seems to be an awful lot of projection going on.

I don't think my cleaner is poor, desperate, downtrodden or incapable of arranging childcare simply because she's a cleaner. I have no idea what her financial circumstances are, and neither does anyone else on this thread. I'm also not her employer, so the suggestions that I should be paying her parental leave are rather bizarre.

I don't begrudge her bringing her child with her. Had she texted me and said, "I've got a childcare problem, is it OK if X comes with me for an hour?" I would certainly have said yes.

The ONLY thing that bothered me was that she didn't ask and didn't mention it afterwards. That's important because I trusted her completely to have access to my home when nobody was there. Finding out by chance that she'd brought somebody else into it without telling me has dented that trust slightly. It inevitably makes me wonder what else she might consider perfectly OK not to mention. That's not an accusation that she's doing anything awful; it's simply how trust works.

As for the Ring doorbell, I wasn't "checking up on her". It's my front door camera, it sent me notifications and I looked at them. I'm not going to apologise for having a security camera on my own front door either.

And I'm genuinely baffled by the argument that because I could clean my own toilet, I somehow shouldn't employ a cleaner. I can cook my own dinner, wash my own car and mow my own lawn too. Paying somebody else to do something doesn't mean you think you're above doing it yourself.

Finally, the amount of faux concern about this poor, struggling cleaner juxtaposed with digs about me being "Lady Muck" because I employ one is quite something. Perhaps the more respectful position is to treat her as what she actually is: a self-employed adult providing a service, who is perfectly capable of the same straightforward communication and courtesy I'd expect from anyone else coming into my home.

I'm not sacking her, I'm not outraged and I'm not demanding her firstborn. I'll simply have a conversation with her and ask that, in future, she checks with me before bringing anyone else into my home.

Which, after six pages, still seems a remarkably uncontroversial boundary to me.

So your not going to be getting snacks,drinks little treats in for the child ?
What a terible person you are!
Personally i think you should do your own cleaning and still pay her
Why not even give her your home😂😂

I wouldn't mind as long as I knew first.Did happen once, but her DD was 13 and off school unwell so was only gonna be sitting either on a phone or reading. Made sure she had the wifi code and reminded her mum where the biscuit tin was and to help herself to juice from fridge etc.

But I'd known her a good few years by then, and all her kids are quite quiet,unassuming little things (hence her daughter didnt want to be left at home alone)

That's not what you said though is it, you said she can charge what she wants, when that is blatantly wrong.

Well no becsuse in any job you have to pay tax on it etc thsts the same for everyone
Nobody actually takes home their hourly rate do they?