Attitude of people on low pay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ticktock]

we were standoffish with the Cleaner and treated it less friendly than before.

It. I guess that's quite standoffish!

[Old Hack]

Being business-like is all well and good, but referring to the cleaner as 'it' is a bit much IMO

My cleaner was hot, the last one. I think calling her it, helped me not becoming friendlier than necessary

[DodgyAgent]

Yup OP, I think this is par for the course with any manual job in the UK.

I dont have the link, but there's a guy in the midlands who now ONLY hires eastern european workers for this reason.

His business is doing well and he's increased his pay scale based on length of service.

I think the problem is our system, since the 80's has totally demeaned any manual labourers - if you tell your children that without academic qualifications that are useful in the office that they are "FAILURES" then what attitude do you expect?

Could you, as a child (which I think 18 yr olds are) really "accept" that you're a failure by working what you've been conditioned to believe is the work undertaken by people with little value?

Yes, I do think its Tory to say 95% can go to college, because they can't - I couldn't .

I blame the crap we're putting our kids through, but us gifted high earning middle classes sometimes have difficulty accepting that the UK is not the land of opportunity it was for us. Everyone's world is different , thats why we have psychology and sociology.

That said, these skills have been completely eroded by Economics and Marketing.

Our education system is now dying a slow death thanks to our current government and no one seems to care.

In 5 years, if things dont change, EVERY school will be out of state control as an academy - Ofsted change from "Satisfactory" to "Needs improvement" means that schools that are doing fine by the national curriculum will also be branded failures - Every school that "Needs improvement" will have a crash team assigned to manage it, to make it an academy.

IMHO <flame away>

It is Tory to suggest the principles of self reliance, personal responsibility and freedom of choice. It is this and only this environment in which people with a work ethic prosper. It is the collective mentality of socialism (not to take responsibility but to expect one's entitlement) that has undermined the worth ethic which is so prevalent in todays western labour markets.

[Doggy Styles]

It is Tory to suggest the principles of self reliance, personal responsibility and freedom of choice. It is this and only this environment in which people with a work ethic prosper. It is the collective mentality of socialism (not to take responsibility but to expect one's entitlement) that has undermined the worth ethic which is so prevalent in todays western labour markets.

You can't touch me I'm part of the Union, till the day I die.

[psychocandy]

I'm with psycho here.

We had the same issues with cleaners in Surrey. £15 an hour, which, I believe, is a fair amount of money, and the service would decline after a while, and that was with 4 or 5 cleaners.

The only time it stayed at a consistent level, was when we were standoffish with the Cleaner and treated it less friendly than before.

Maybe that's the issue, maybe you're too friendly, and they end up taking the piss a little too much.

Possibly. Yep exactly what happened with us.

Shes nice enough. But she started doing a job before us and always said how messy the house was, how they often forgot to leave the money. She admitted she often spend more than the time at that house because it was so messy. So she turned up late at ours looking knackered, spent less time with us.

Consequently, I think we are seen as 'easy' money. Can do the job in less time and we always pay up so why worry about us. Its a banker for her. Not a good way to run your own business.

[SueEllen]

Which is a fair point. If someone says, I will charge you £10 to clean your car, and only does half of it, you'd be a bit aggrieved. It's the same principle; she's agreed to clean his house for £10 an hour, 2 hours a week. She's charging for 2 hours, but not working the 2 hours. Regardless of the quality of the work, this is wrong.

Nope.

Not if you both worked out within 2 hours she would clean certain things.

However when she started due to the level of cleanliness it took her 2 hours 20 minutes to clean those things, it went down to 2 hours and now takes her between 1 hour 30 mins to 1hour 45 mins you aren't being ripped off.

The fact that due to her ongoing cleaning and the fact she knows the best way to clean certain items quickly just means she is more efficient and doesn't mean she is ripping you off.

[Old Hack]

Nope.

Not if you both worked out within 2 hours she would clean certain things.

However when she started due to the level of cleanliness it took her 2 hours 20 minutes to clean those things, it went down to 2 hours and now takes her between 1 hour 30 mins to 1hour 45 mins you aren't being ripped off.

The fact that due to her ongoing cleaning and the fact she knows the best way to clean certain items quickly just means she is more efficient and doesn't mean she is ripping you off.

Sorry, but she's paid per hour. If she's not here for 2 hours, I shouldn't pay for two hours. Simple really; this isn't a job til knock, it's a simple clean my house for 2 hours, then leave, and I will pay you.

Sheesh

[psychocandy]

Sorry, but she's paid per hour. If she's not here for 2 hours, I shouldn't pay for two hours. Simple really; this isn't a job til knock, it's a simple clean my house for 2 hours, then leave, and I will pay you.

Sheesh

Yep. Agree with OH.

Theres always stuff to find to do if the basic stuff has been done. If I leave the house in a tulipstate and it cant be cleaned in 2 hours then my hard luck. If house is clean and takes 5 mins, cleaner finds other stuff to do. There is always something. Clean the windows, skirting boards or whatever.

To be honest, her cleaning was crap as well. It was half-hearted. Seemed to depend on how busy she'd been at previous house. If she had time, she stayed and did an OK job otherwise she rushed in just over hour and left stuff.

Also, as I said, we found that she had been nosing in cupboard etc. Looking through personal stuff etc.

One thing she did do which was a bit spooky. Mrs is due next week, but when she was first pregnant she was taking pregnancy vitamins(Big letters on box - called Pregnacare or something). Cleaner found the empty box in the bin and text mrs same day to say - 'are you pregnant then?'. This was early on and friends and family didnt know. Thought that was a bit weird for her to mention it like that.....

Because she knew people we know in the village we had to tell her to keep it quiet for now please....

[psychocandy]

Nope.

Not if you both worked out within 2 hours she would clean certain things.

However when she started due to the level of cleanliness it took her 2 hours 20 minutes to clean those things, it went down to 2 hours and now takes her between 1 hour 30 mins to 1hour 45 mins you aren't being ripped off.

The fact that due to her ongoing cleaning and the fact she knows the best way to clean certain items quickly just means she is more efficient and doesn't mean she is ripping you off.

But we never had 2 hours to start with..... Probably wouldn't bother me 15 mins total but its getting more and more each time. 20-30 mins late then 20-30 mins leave early.

[SueEllen]

But we never had 2 hours to start with..... Probably wouldn't bother me 15 mins total but its getting more and more each time. 20-30 mins late then 20-30 mins leave early.

That's a p*ss take.