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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Cleaner calling off sick

16 replies

orsettorusso · 07/11/2022 16:20

Hello, my cleaner comes to clean my house on Tuesday and Thursdays. On Monday last week she called off sick (flu type of thing). I said fine, please let me know if you're coming on Thursday. On Wednesday I chased her and she said she was still sick. Yesterday (Sunday morning) I texted please let me know if you are coming to work on Tuesday and if not I will do the cleaning myself during the weekend because I can't do it during the week as I work. She hasn't replied to my WhatsApp message (but I can see on WhatsApp that she's been checking messages every 10 minutes). What is the agreement between you and your cleaners? If they call sick once, do they have to call again before the next time they're due if they are still off sick and can't come? Or do they call only once for however long they are off sick? I mean, who's responsible to call? Me or her?

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 07/11/2022 16:29

I do t have an agreement. I presume she'll let me know when she can next come in. I wouldn't chase her.

JudgedAgain · 07/11/2022 16:31

I had a cleaner like this through an agency she was cancelling nearly every time and they never had someone available for the days I could do so in the end I gave up

gogohmm · 07/11/2022 16:50

I've sacked 2 cleaners for regularly calling me sick at last minute (but in one case I then saw her at the supermarket) I suspect they took more lucrative moving day or spring clean jobs

CuriousCatfish · 07/11/2022 16:52

Perhaps she didn't know on Sunday if she would still feel ill on Tuesday.

Original poster
orsettorusso · 07/11/2022 20:13

If you presume that she'll let you know when she'll come next, in the meantime do you clean risking that that she comes and cleans a clean house or do you allow the laundry and dirt piling up until god knows when? Honest question, no judgement.

OP posts:
legalseagull · 07/11/2022 21:24

Don't you stay on top of tidying and laundry during the week? Just have a quick tidy round and wait and see how she's feeling. I wouldn't pester my cleaner. I'd expect a text from her the day before if she couldn't come

Original poster
orsettorusso · 08/11/2022 13:17

I am not pestering her but today she didn't tell me she wouldn't come. I understand cleaning my house it's only a job for her, but AIBU to feel hurt because she didn't even tell me she wasn't coming? I should add I gave her clothes and toys that my children outgrew and I'm in the house when she cleans as I WFH, so it's not that we have never met.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 08/11/2022 13:24

She shouldn't just not turn up. She should tell you the night before or first thing in the morning if she is still unwell.

Badger1970 · 08/11/2022 13:28

Blimey, my lovely cleaner sends an email out at the beginning of the year with all of her holiday dates and if she can't do a particular day, she tries to move you onto another one. If she's been off sick, she's let me know the day before so it's at least 24 hours notice. And bless her she nearly always tries to fit you in on another day.

Your cleaner sounds a bit slack - I'd expect to be told when she's due back.

Thesehills · 08/11/2022 20:10

CuriousCatfish · 07/11/2022 16:52

Perhaps she didn't know on Sunday if she would still feel ill on Tuesday.

I agree with this

Thesehills · 08/11/2022 20:11

dementedpixie · 08/11/2022 13:24

She shouldn't just not turn up. She should tell you the night before or first thing in the morning if she is still unwell.

and this

ANiceBigCupOfTea · 23/11/2022 23:05

She definitely shouldn't just not turn up. She should let you know in advance if she will make it or not.

MelchiorsMistress · 23/11/2022 23:08

She’s someone you’re supposed to be able to trust in your home without you there. If she’s shown herself to be unprofessional, I’d say it’s time to let her go and find someone else.

Original poster
orsettorusso · 24/11/2022 09:17

It turns out she quit the job without telling me! She first said she was off sick and then she didn't read or reply to my WhatsApp messages and declined two calls. As I always paid her on time and replaced cleaning products as she asked, I can only think she left the job because it was too tiring, as she had previously done with my neighbour. It has happened to me before that solo cleaners have quit without giving me any notice. I have now decided I will only work with cleaners sent by agency staff. Thank you everyone for your comments and support.

OP posts:
NotTooOldPaul · 25/11/2022 17:39

We used to have a cleaner who would cancel and mess us about.
We then started to use a company, it is slightly more expensive but they always turn up and clean the house. It is the companies problem is someone if off sick not mine.
In the six years we have used the company there has been one occasion when they phoned and asked if the could come a day early, or a day late as on our day they were very busy. We were happy to let them change the day that one time

Original poster
orsettorusso · 27/11/2022 21:40

NotTooOldPaul · 25/11/2022 17:39

We used to have a cleaner who would cancel and mess us about.
We then started to use a company, it is slightly more expensive but they always turn up and clean the house. It is the companies problem is someone if off sick not mine.
In the six years we have used the company there has been one occasion when they phoned and asked if the could come a day early, or a day late as on our day they were very busy. We were happy to let them change the day that one time

Exactly, thank you for confirming that the best way to ensure some reliability is through an agency. I am determined not to go back to being let down.

OP posts:
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