should I give her another chance?

[bebejam]

I'm due with my first baby in four weeks, and I'm just huge... so a few weeks ago I set out to find someone to help me with the heavy household chores. I took a chance and hired someone from an 'ad' on gumtree.com (yeah, I know I bit risky in the first place). She seemed to be experienced and reliable.

She has been working for two weeks, and does a good job and is pleasant... but last week she showed up an hour late because she slept in. I understand how these things happen. But then today, she was suppose to come at 1pm. At 4:20pm she shows up, I'm still a bit confused as to what happened- but as I understand it, she decided to start taking English classes today.

She said she didn't have my phone number and couldn't call me. I told her that I had e-mailed her my number, to which she said she couldn't check her e-mail.

She then informs me that Tuesdays and Fridays aren't good for her now, and that she can work on Saturdays or maybe Thursdays. She was hired to work on Tuesdays and Fridays, just three weeks ago.

I think the problem is that she may misunderstand that as I'm not working at the moment, that she may think all I do is just sit around being heavily pregnant... so therefore have no schedule. In fact, with the baby's arrival just around the corner I am very, very busy trying to get stuff done.

I've never had "hired help" before, and I think my nice and laid-back personality does not do me any favors. I know I've got a lot to learn.

Do I try to work with her and make her understand the importance of consistency and being professional (and try to work around what is convienient for "her schedule") or do I just find another cleaner?

the pregnancy hormones are making it hard to think straight about this one... I'm hugely annoyed at her at the moment.

i would tell her your concerns and re-iterate exactly what it is you expect from her.
if she is unwilling to do that then get someone else!

my fear is that if she is showing signs of flakiness and unreliability now... that maybe I should heed the red flags and sort things out with a new person before the baby arrives.

The LAST thing I want to be dealing with in the sleep deprived stress-out state that a first newborn baby brings is flaky help.

I'm 10,000 miles away from my family- so don't have much of a support network (thus I'm trying to do the next best thing and "hire support") I guess to me support means being able to rely on someone to be there when they are suppose to be.

let her go and start again!

I've never had a cleaner but i would say that she needs to work on the day you want and preferably the time you want too..and do the particular jobs you need doing, so find someone else while you still have the opportunity

Get someone else. Definitely.

Message withdrawn

I hired a cleaner like this a couple of months ago. She decided she'd rather come in the middle of the day than in thafternoon as previoiusly arranged. This is when DD sleeps, and needless to say it didn't suit me for her to come round hoovering whilst DD was sleeping. So I parted ways... and I'm still cleanerless. My poor filthy house!!

sigh... I'm annoyed at her, but I'm also annoyed at myself. I wish sometimes that I didn't always have to come across as so easy-going and friendly. It seems to always give people the impression that it is okay to completely slack off with me. I need to enroll in one of those assertiveness classes that teach you how to be a hard-ass. :-)

Does anyone else struggle with being "the boss"? I always try and end up being friends in situations like this, which of course, never works well.

She was suppose to work from 1 to 4pm today. I had someone coming over at 5pm, so there wasn't much point in having her work for 1/2 and hour, though I really needed the help. There is just stuff I can't do well at the moment because of my humungous bump and SI joint pain (like anything that requires bending or pushing or pulling).

ack, it is a hassle to replace her... but it is a hassle to worry about whether or not someone is going to come through for you.

Hi yes,

I struggle been the boss, it took me ages to give my cleaner notice despite the fact she was employed for 4 hours per week and I know she wasn't even managing two plus the last month or so she would just mop floors and leave the rest!!
I have to say I waited until I can't hack it anymore and then found an unrelated excuse for why she was no longer needed.

I would say though you employed her for set days, so she should honour this and if she won't get someone else before the baby is born!