How to let cleaning lady go?

amother

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:20 am

I share a cleaning lady with my next door neighbor. We share a wall, that’s how close we live....I have her 2 hours a week. She’s terrible. On her phone most of the time, slow, etc, now after Pesach I want to get rid of her. Don’t want my neighbor to be mad or make me find her a replacement for these hours. How do I say it to my neighbor and to the cleaning lady with out anyone being angry?

amother

Lime

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:25 am

The cleaning help is not working for me. I feel she got more work down when she first started here. It invaded my space especially when she's on the phone. I need to take a break from having cleaning help now. if you want I can look around to find someone else. Or do you want me to keep her another 2 weeks until you find someone else?

tweek

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:33 am

Honestly, I think it's a chillul Hashem to let cleaning help go right after Pesach. I would wait a little.

Before pesach we ask our cleaning help to do more work than usual, and also different types of work that is not part of their usual routine. Most workers extend themselves in good faith because it is part of their "bigger picture ".

It is like firing someone in a business right after your busy season when you asked them to extend themselves more than usual.

Last edited by tweek on Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:45 am; edited 1 time in total

momsrus

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:45 am

tweek wrote:

Honestly, I think it's a chillul Hashem to let cleaning help go right after Pesach. I would wait a little.

Why?

How is it different than any other service that peak season is over?

tweek

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:46 am

momsrus wrote:

Why?

How is it different than any other service that peak season is over?

I edited my post to explain. I'm not saying this for sure applies in this case. Maybe op didn't even make Pesach, but just thought I'd point it out in case she didn't see it that way....

tweek

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:48 am

momsrus wrote:

Why?

How is it different than any other service that peak season is over?

Also, it is only ok to let someone go after peak season is over if that was clarified before they started, that they are being hired temporarily for a peak season

33055

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:48 am

Tell her to get off the phone. Why do you put up with it? She may very well clean better if you show her what you expect her to do.

If you want to fire her, tell your neighbor first.

momsrus

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 10:57 am

tweek wrote:

Also, it is only ok to let someone go after peak season is over if that was clarified before they started, that they are being hired temporarily for a peak season

Wasn’t hired temporarily. She was hired A long time ago. Also obviously she didn’t overextend herself. She was doing a poor job.

MiracleMama

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 11:15 am

tweek wrote:

I tend to agree with you in general but this is not full time help or even 1 day a week help. OP said she has her only two hours a week. How busy with extra Pesach cleaning could she have been?

OP, it’s hard to get much done in only two hours a week. It’s unfair for you to expect a clean house. Still, it’s your right to let her go. Just explain to your neighbor it’s not working out for you.

Last edited by MiracleMama on Sun, Apr 28 2019, 11:18 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Puce

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 1:52 pm

tweek wrote:

Actually that's pretty normal. We take in a lot of new hires at the beginning of busy season with the hope that they'll be good long term employees, but busy season gives us a chance to see how they actually work and interact with the team, and the ones who aren't good are kept on because we need the hands, but right after busy season they are let go. I think that's fairly standard.

amother

Cerise

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 3:43 pm

I'm thinking of doing the same thing! I told the person in charge of her schedule a couple of weeks before pessach that I'm not sure I'll keep her as she's not really helpful. She does a poor job and I have to redo everything after she leaves! Sad

We'll see when she comes this week if I stick to my decision.
You seem pretty decided already, I would say: " sorry, the cleaning help is not really working out for me I will have stop for now."

Cheiny

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 3:47 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

First of all, you don’t owe it to your neighbor to give an explanation. Your neighbor has no right to be mad if you don’t wish to use her any more. Simply say to the cleaning lady, “Thnak you but I won’t be needing you any longer.” Finished. If you neighbor asks you why you’re not using her any more (do not volunteer any info if she doesn’t ask), you can simply say, “She wasn’t doing a very good job for me.”

Cheiny

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 3:49 pm

tweek wrote:

This is ridiculous. A Jew has no obligation to let themselves get ripped off, and employ someone who isn’t doing the job they were paid to do.

tweek

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 4:02 pm

Cheiny wrote:

This is ridiculous. A Jew has no obligation to let themselves get ripped off, and employ someone who isn’t doing the job they were paid to do.

Just my opinion that it would be nicer to wait a little...... just pointing it out....... just offering a perspective.....

amother

Aquamarine

Sun, Apr 28 2019, 6:56 pm

I had a cleaning lady who I needed to let go for very similar reasons. I actually knew her personal life story and felt bad and kept her on for a super long time to give her a chance. But she didn’t get anything done to the point it was a relief when she stopped coming.

I tried keeping the call short and to the point but she pressed me for an answer. I simply said that right now the arrangement didn’t work out for me financially at this point (Truth- I am not loaded and was paying for her to be busy texting while drinking coffee)

Its Friday

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 9:24 am

I think If she was a very bad worker give your neighbor some time to orient herself like a month. If great worker you owe to the helper too. I know its a pain.... Maybe your neighbor is also unhappy and will be more than happy to try a new one. Be flexible and play by ear, Its important to keep good term with neighbor at all costs

Its Friday

Mon, Apr 29 2019, 9:29 am

Reminds me of a different one : someone who could not let go her very scary strange helper. At the end after many months Hashem did it, She stopped coming.