Cleaner leaving 30-45 mins early

[MyWiseBiscuit]

I’ve had a cleaner for 5 weeks. First week she did a great job, then second week asked if it’s ok to leave (10 mins early). Everything was done so I said yes. The last 2 weeks she’s left 45 mins early and then 30 mins early and the time I’m paying for is 2.5hrs. Didn’t ask just left.

What she did looked ok (not amazing) but things got left (cup marks on coffee tables, dusty skirting boards, few bits on kitchen floor, kitchen cupboards had a few food splashes. It’s like she’s rushing so she can leave as early as she likes. I ended up spending 30mins finishing after she’d done. Like the main things were done but details missing and I’m so annoyed she’s leaving so early.

After the initial 45mins early leave I gave her an extra job the next time, but all she did was then did a worse job on the other areas to leave 30mins early! I’m not going to quibble over 5-10 mins but 30-45 mins feels a lot.

what do I do? Find someone else or tackle it? I hate confrontation and it’s a lot of trust having someone in your home and relies on a positive relationship (always the worry if you upset them they’ll do something to your tooth brush). I also don’t feel great knowing they are in my home but not staying the whole time I’m paying them for which makes me question their integrity

if I do tackle, what do I say?
thanks

@MyWiseBiscuit

I know you don’t like confrontation. However I wanted to say that this is not tricky at all. It really isn’t.

There is no need for any confrontation at all.

You are paying for a cleaner to provide cleaning services and she is short changing you by doing a half arsed job and leaving early as well.

This is not acceptable because she is not doing you a favour - you are paying her to do a job and she is not doing it.

Just send a text and say that it’s not working out and you no longer need her services.

Yes I’m pretty easy going and 10 mins wouldn’t bother me (if the house looked amazing). I was staggered at 45mins and only realised when I saw her on the ring. She came at a different time that week so thought maybe she’d mistakenly left early. Then the following week she left 30mins early I knew it was a pattern

Can you pay someone to literally do the bathrooms once a week and with what you save pay for a deep clean every couple of months? I would get so pissed off with someone leaving 45mins early (5-10 mins I could let go) Does your cleaner realise you have a ring doorbell so know when she leaves? Could you start paying via bank transfer once you have established how long she stayed?

How much does she charge per hour?

£15 which is less than others.

If I get someone else I will be paying more. However it’s a the principle isn’t it. If they blatantly think it’s ok to take the money for 2.5hrs but only work 1.45 what else would they think is ok

I'd probably (bit PA) ask if she wanted to change the day or time that she comes as you've noticed she seems to need to leave early. Alternatively just pay her for 2 hours and when she queries it say you are paying fro the time she was there.

She’s been messing me around with days too. I worry that if I start doing that she’s going to be annoyed and she’s in my home

I had pretty much the same problem. She would rush through the clean and leave early. Then started changing the days and times on the day. Then started asking to borrow money! Should have got rid when she became unreliable, but she also lives near me. You are paying for time as much as getting the job done, so if she’s not there for 2.5hrs and also not cleaning very well then I would get someone else

2.5 Hours is not enough time for a decent size family house. This should be costing at least £60 for the whole job. Forget £s per hour, get a quote for the whole job, once every fortnight, or once a week.

the cash thing is a right pain as who has cash these days

Cleaners, builders and barbers 😂

Just tell her that you wanted 2.5 hours, and if she runs out of tasks to ask you for more.

You're not paying £15/hour though - given she is leaving 30/45 min early you are paying £18.75-£20/hour!

Get rid asap. I wouldn't want a disrespectful (walking in with shoes although you told her not to) or dishonest (working less time but still takes the money for more) in my home.

My Mils cleaner always insists on staying later if she's late (even 10 min). She's an honest person that you feel comfortable having in your home. This is what you need.

If she's working for £15, she's working for minimum wage once her expenses are taken out isn't she?
I charge per job so people like you don't have a time expectation put on us. I bring and use my own products and I charge £18.50 (if worked out) per hour. I would be saying your house unseen would be £60+

They don’t do the bedrooms (at my request) so should be plenty (I always had people do the whole house in that time). Also she’s managing to leave 45 mins early 🤣

Which is a more honest wage for her

True. She set the rate not me though

I don’t mind the time spent as such (don’t mind a 10 mins early leave) but when there’s dust, cup marks, splashes on kitchen floor and leaving 30 mins early I do have an issue. I wouldn’t mind a fixed fee as long as everything done

I doubt she has expenses. I provide the products. She walks here. It’s cash in hand (her request)

I had this and got rid eventually. Actually, she fired me after I raised it very gently when she dashed out the door over an hour early repeatedly!! I had asked previously if she just wanted to be work for 3 hours a week (dropping a heavy hint as she was going early every week) rather than the 4 she was booked for. She said ‘no, no, four hours is fine’. She then ramped up her early departures from half an hour to an hour early.

I was ghosted after bringing it up the final time! Thankfully I already had back the keys.

It has left me wondering whether it is cultural. My cleaners tended to come from a particular area. I happen to speak the language randomly. Perhaps they had the belief that if they finished the job, they could go? In my house however, there is ALWAYS more work to do than the four hours I have allocated!

Are cleaners meant to clean the front of kitchen cupboards or is that classed as a deep clean?

I agree with the sentiment of cleaners usually drop their standards over time. That’s because many of them are not professional cleaners and are doing the job as they may not be able to get other work (and who can blame them in this terrible economy)… Or perhaps it’s because they’re humans like us and can get bored in a role.

I am a cleaner who has previously cleaned in private homes.It is not the done thing to leave early.You find things to clean.She is being disrespectful.Just text her and say, sorry but I no longer need a cleaner ,all the best. Then give it a few weeks and start looking for a new cleaner, from an agency, as then both you and the cleaner are protected from work place issues. She has messed her job up herself so only has her self to blame.
Good luck

Thank you. It’s good to get the view from a cleaner.

It does feel very disrespectful. If she’s very quick and genuinely feels like she’s done the job early then surely she should flag this up and say are there extra things to do.

Depends what you pay?

As a cleaner, where ever I work ,you would clean the front of cupboards and only the inside,if asked.Yes it can become a bit boring sometimes but so can a lot of other jobs.It really is down to how well a cleaner wants to do the job, unless you say please can you clean such and such,they may not think to clean it . I don't currently work in private homes but have done.Unless you hire from an agency,you don't have much legal protection.You could write a list of everything you want cleaning.So the cleaner has a tick list, until they know it off by heart.🙂

yes always things to clean. I’ve found cobwebs in plain sight and dust after she’s been

I think a clean is whatever you ask them to do? Cupboard fronts get dirty if it’s a white kitchen and is only a quick wipe