To be a bit annoyed that my cleaner made herself a cuppa?

[kwaker5]

Have had a cleaner for about 8 weeks. On first visit I offered her a cuppa as I was having one but she declined and said she always brought her own drinks with her [pointed to cool bag].

I usually let her in and clear off with the DCs while she's there but last week I came back a bit earlier than normal and noticed she'd made herself a brew.

I'm not really pissed off but it's niggling at me. Isn't there and unwritten rule that they shouldn't go in your cupboards/drawers?

Pixie Cleaners aren't real people, they're an admission that you live like a filthy pig - so whilst you want someone in every corner of your life - you must not acknowledge them lest their all-seeing eyes peer in to your soul and whisper "aspirant".

Oh. That was a joke!

You know - a joke - whoops sorry I'm assuming you don't have a sense of humour.

Smile grin blush

Having a tea break does not mean that people do not have a good work ethic.

Why shouldn't people have a break? I don't have a cleaner but I would expect them to have a break should we ever employ one.

When I can I often stop for a drink after 90 minutes or even after just an hour. Lazy slattern that I am.

Clean not can.

rofl

you are welcome to talk to my staff any time at all

I can't wait for kitty to return with her ex-cleaners opinion of other cleaners who drink tea.

I bet she disapproves.

no one's answered my Q about ciggie breaks versus tea breaks

I've never worked in any place of employment where people didn't stop for a teabreak at least every three hours. Why should a cleaner be any different? It's pretty hard physical work.

Anyone who would begrudge their employee a cup of tea, or the time to enjoy someone is a bit of a selfish loon. You're employing people not robots.

It's illegal to smoke in your workplace.

I don't think it's illegal to drink tea.

"When I can I often stop for a drink after 90 minutes or even after just an hour" Me too! Tea will do if nothing else is available

Then I will, kittywise. For me, it would depend on the quality of the work she was achieving. If she was doing a good job, then I wouldn't begrudge her either a teabreak or a quick cigarette. If she was taking lots of ciggie breaks and not getting the work done, then I'd be having a word with her.

In my experience, a cleaner can make a much bigger impact on my housework than I can, because they tackle it singlemindedly, whereas I get sidetracked by sorting things out, doing household paperwork, making essential phonecalls etc etc, and I found that such a boon that it was worth the odd cup of tea or two.

Hmm - I think I haven't answered kitty's question - note to self, proofread post before posting.

What I meant to say was I don't think there's a huge difference between a ciggie break and a tea/coffee break if the work is getting done to the agreed standard.

Well I suppose for a cigarette, you'd go outside whereas a cup of tea you can set it down and keep going back to it.

Surely nobody would grudge someone a 5 min break for a cup of tea, or a cigarette, I mean, come on. As long as the work gets done I don't see the big deal.

When i read this thread yesterday i thought it was trolling (too sad to be real).
But it is real (??)

Ok. I thought cleaners are self-employed and the agreement is 'i ll do this and this, beds, stairs etc, will take me about 4 hours, so will be £40'. At least this how it worked when i was supposed to 'manage' cleaners during my 20 years of nannying. I was making them cups of tea and toast . All my employers knew and they didn't mind. Sometimes they would work very fast and leave early, other times would take longer. No difference as long as the job was done.

Anyone who doesn't look at whether the job was done but whether 'their employee' broke enough sweat needs therapy.

Unless the OP keeps her vibrator and bondage items in her kitchen cupboards alongside the PG Tips, I can't see the problem even from a boundaries POV.

"What's the difference between tea and coffee breaks and having a ciggie?"

Smoking cigarettes is a disgusting, foul habit which should be banned entirely and which leaves a smell and rubbish whereas a cup of tea is a different cup of tea entirely. Does that answer your question?

no soupdragon it doesn't because that's purely a subjective answer.

No, it's not subjective at all. It is fact that smoking leaves a stink and rubbish.

Also, food and drink are basic requirements for life (although I'm not saying that the cleaner would have died without refreshment )

Smoking is an addiction.

SoupDragon, actually i don't think she has one in her cupboards. If she had she would be happier, wouldn't she?

I appreciate that but having to have a cup of tea when only working 3 hours is not a necessity either.

No it might not be a necessity but it isn't necessary to be so bloody selfish that you'd(general you) would begrudge someone a cup of tea.

It's not about being selfish. It's not about the teabag or the milk. It's about the attitude to work that that you feel the need to make yourself a drink in someone else's house when they are paying you to work for them.

It wouldn't occur to me not to offer a drink, kittywise. For example, we had builders in converting our garages for us earlier in the year. I very quickly learned how they took their tea or coffee, and made several cups a day - in the end, I didn't ask if they wanted one, I just made them.

IMO it made for a good working relationship - and I certainly am not saying that I felt blackmailed into providing refreshments because otherwise they wouldn't have done their best - I just felt it was part of the give and take of the working relationship.

Perhaps it was more about my attitude - of wanting to make them feel valued, than of theirs - though as they were doing heavy manual work in the cold, I believe that regular hot drinks were a necessary luxury.

Perhaps your regular cleaner, who is now a friend, felt you conveyed to her how valuable she was to you in other ways than cups of tea? If the relationship worked for both of you, then that is great - but for other people the relationship works differently, and each time you have to find what suits you and the other person.

Of course having a cup of tea when only working 3 hours isn't a necessity. It is, however, a nice thing to have, and personally I can't see the harm. If she was sitting down with a magazine and a cuppa for half an hour maybe it would be excessive, but certainly in my experience my cleaner drinks her tea "on the go"; it sits in the kitchen and she drinks it as she cleans downstairs. It's taking, what, 2 mins out of her working time?

I guess because I've always worked in enviroments where you manage your own time, take coffees/lunch when you feel like it (and get paid for it, no unpaid breaks) I feel my cleaner should be entitled to the same. Occasionally she finishes her work early, and goes early; occasionally she gets a bee in her bonnet about something (the disgusting state of my oven or fridge, for example, ) and stays a little longer til she's finished. Again, that's the way I've always worked - paid to do a job, not for set hours - so it makes perfect sense to me...