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?

That's a very fair response tbh.

From the title it sounded like she was giving birth whilst trying to clean... 😂

View 1 — You are put out she didn't ask or mention it and she should have done.

View 2 — Nothing bad happened and it seems to have been an exception to the norm which makes you sound like you're over-reacting.

Which is more important to you?

I would ask why it happened. Then you can decide whether it was inappropriate on their part. And ask to be given a heads up if it's going to happen again. (I'd also probably offer squash and a biscuit or a piece of fruit). Looking at other posts, you probably need to lay some ground rules as to where said child can go if it happens again.

Get away with it? It's not getting away with something.

Life happens. Needs must. It's either that or not go to work.

I've also had to take my dog in for half a day - that was a year ago. I advised work that he could not be home for 9 plus hours alone. I want in the morning. At lunch time I went home and walked him back to work. He sat under the desk for 3 hours.

If you work well and don't take advantage, work places are usually accomodating. These are extraordinary events. I've worked at this company nearly 6 years and this was a one off emergency.

Maybe I've just been extremely fortunate.

My cleaner used to bring her 8 year old during half term and school holidays. He sat on sofa watching TV and had a snack and drink. Honestly he was no trouble at all. I think 1 day he played in garden.

It's just different company cultures/policies. Neither DH nor I have ever worked anywhere where it would have been an option. No matter how important a meeting or how senior a member of staff it's just completely off the table, and has been for over 20 years in our respective industries.

I think there is a difference to taking a child to an office and to someone else's home. It's polite to ask either way, but more so when it's someone's house.

I have some lovely weekly cleaners. Occasionally, their infant school-aged children end up coming with them for one reason or another in the holidays/inset days, and I honestly don't mind... but we're all different, and what one person would tolerate, another wouldn't.

Exactly. Just because some work places are fine with bringing kids in other places will not be. If you bring a child to a large global company and they accidentally break or damage a printer or a mug or a chair the company will likely just pay to replace it without much thought. If they are at their parents clients house and spill a drink and totally ruin someone’s carpet or smashes a very expensive vase let’s face it the cleaner isn’t likely to be able to pay to replace it.
I’ve worked in offices where it wouldn’t be an issue for a child to come in for a day here and there. But I’ve also worked in places where they absolutely could not. People saying well emergencies happen so what else can you do obviously have never worked in those sort of industries. For example a healthcare worker making house calls to elderly or disabled people just cannot bring a child with them. Even if they will happily sit on an iPad in the elderly persons living room they just can’t be there even if they elderly person agrees. It’s not appropriate in the slightest.