WWYD? (Housecleaning)

[dawnball]

Well, this certainly explains why I've been getting the feeling she's worried that I'll fire her.

And while I appreciate everyone's advice, no, I won't be firing her. Aside from always being 15 minutes late, which I know enough to plan for now (and have arranged for afterschool care), she's been more reliable and communicative than the last woman I had cleaning for me. It just took me some time to realize that she didn't -want- extra work and to stop offering it. Since I was doing it as a courtesy, it doesn't bother me that a skipped week is a skipped week.

It's more of a hassle and a time sink for me to find someone new to clean than it is to be home in the window that she comes. I work from home anyway, so it's more about scheduling meetings and projects than missing work to wait for her. It's a bit frustrating to have to unexpectedly clean my house - but if that's the biggest complaint I have in week, I should be counting my blessings.

However, I do anticipate that when her father is released from the hospital in two weeks that she'll call to say she can't come anymore, and that's okay with me.

I won't replace her for the same reason I'm not really inclined to fire her, though. I started looking for someone to clean because I was over committed,
but agreeing to do more than I have time for isn't solved by making more time. Since I've been working on the underlying problem, I don't "need" someone else cleaning to make my life work. It's just a convenience and a way to increase the velocity of money in my own small way.

Now, if the house wasn't clean to my standards when she was done, or if she didn't do the things I asked her to do, that would be a different story entirely.

 

[cm8]

To quote Donald Trump I would tell her , "You're Fired."
I would not accept this in my company and I see my house as a company.

:

 

[abmitch01]

I had a similar situation, we just weren't a good match. It took me a year and a half to finally say enough is enough. I looked on Craig's list for a new person but ended up using someone a friend recommended. I was paying $80 every 2 weeks. This person fits in with what I'm lookng for and I feel very comfortable with her. To top it off, she only charges $15 an hr and lately has been getting my house done for $30! That is saving me $100 a month.

Go for it, for all the reasons you brought up.

 

[Evi]

You need to figure out is if she wasn't late and if there was not the possibility that she would eventually leave (which can happen with any employee). Would you rather have someone else come into your home or would you be happy with her? I only say this because I'm really weird about strangers in my home. I've had the opportunity to have a cleaning lady but I'm really weird about other people in my stuff. I'm also a bit of a clean freak and once had a housekeeper climb into my tub in sneakers to clean it. Was just to weird for me I don't even wear my shoes in my house much less my tub. That being said you have to put a price on your time and hers and see where it meets. If its not adding up then I'd look for someone else who meets your expectations and so long as your not me I'm sure you'll have a much easier time of it. I don't know prices where you are but I'll tell you here housekeeping is not by hour its by sq ft and by how dirty your house is. 3 of my friends have a cleaning service and they pay between $75 and 150 a week. There also never home when the service comes they have keys and a set time they show up (another reason I don't have a regular service giving out my key and alarm code just don't sit with me but I'm on the paranoid side lol).

 

[ttrfanatic]

I personally think you are making the right decision. I think that the communication aspect was (is) lacking and that this is the first thing that needs to be fixed.

You are the employer and need to set her expectations. Let her know up-front what you expect and then stick to your guns. Let her know that if she can't meet your expectations then something would have to be done at that time. This way some guidelines are set so that she knows what is expected of her.

I am a true believer in giving everyone a second chance, but if they screw up the second chance that is their fault and they have to live with the consquences.

 

[badblackpug]

I'm not really sure what the question is then...you don't want to fire her and you don't want to find someone new, but you are dissatisfied. I guess either you can go on being dissatisfied or fire her. My housekeeper comes on time. If she is unable to come she calls giving us reasonable notice. Mostly she is unreliable because you give her permission to be so by not correcting the behavior. If she shows up late, I would dock her. I would not pay for after school care because my housekeeper can't get to work on time. I would tell her "I have to leave to pick up the kids now, I will pay you for (whatever amount) but I can't pay you the full amount because you didn't finish, and I will have to clean the kids bathroom myself" (or whatever) If she pulled a no call, no show I would call her and let her know that this is not acceptable, that you rearranged your schedule to accommodate her. If she did it again, I would fire her.

 

[dawnball]

I'm not really sure what the question is then...

I said in my original post that I already knew what I was going to do, and that I was just curious what other people would do and how they made those choices. Sometimes I find new ways of looking at things by asking questions like this.

you don't want to fire her and you don't want to find someone new, but you are dissatisfied. I guess either you can go on being dissatisfied or fire her.

I'm actually not dissatisfied. She's not perfect, but very few people are. Until she mentioned that she was looking for work, it never occurred to me to think about replacing her. The conversation (and then the knowledge that her parents are going to need a lot of help for the forseeable future) encouraged me to evaluate the situation. And I find it perfectly acceptable, if only slightly better than cleaning the house myself.

 

[beansmom]

well, then, now you know.

Good thing for her she works for you and not most of us by the comments here.

Good luck with it.