No, you're not.
I can look at it from both ways as I have done some casual house cleaning. My full time job was as a teacher but when I was on family leave I just wanted a few hours of work a week and found doing a couple of hours a time suited me. I got one job where I was doing a house for a woman who was on a govt payment for work injury and they also paid for her house cleaning.

She told me that I was the first cleaner she had had that could work independently and who didn't expect to sit there half the time drinking tea and telling her all my problems.

There was one time she was in hospital and I stayed an extra 5 mins over my time to finish the last shirt in the ironing basket (I mean really-why leave one shirt there?).

It seemed to me to be the logical thing to do and no big deal, but the woman especially mentioned it in surprise the next week, that I had 'gone over my time. Embarrassing, when we are talking 5 mins. But apparently some of these cleaners down tools to the second.

A few years back, my parents were getting frail and had council home help. I was there one day when she arrived. About half way through, she came out, sat outside with us, helped herself to some chocolates and licorice I had given to my parents and started to chat.

I am pretty sure they are told that part of their job is to talk to their customers, suss out how they are etc, but I didn't think it was needed this day. Had it been me, I would have waited to be offered something too, before just taking it. And we would have offered.


The woman was also a bit stroppy with my mother at times (so my dad told me). It reminds me of the comment you got that they were 'not your servant". I think mum got that a few times too.

Mum was in the early stages of dementia and would say thinks such as 'Don't bother to vacuum, I can do it" and so the woman would just not do it, even though dad would explain they really needed it done.

Had it been me, I would have gone on to another task and then come back to it or else just humoured her and said now I had the vacuum cleaner out I would just do one room (then do the lot). The woman had no nouse. I am sure people with dementia can be difficult but it is part and parcel of the job.

Some of the cleaners are obviously not the best. Not sure why anyone would cheat on the time as that is easily checked out, maybe even reported by neighbours but also, if a job isn't done, do they think no one will notice?

Oh-and I did have one experience that made me think some migrants don't know when they are lucky. I had a one off job to replace a cleaner who was away on holidays. It was to the home of a man who had only been in this country 9 months. He lived with his sister and teenage daughter. He was on some sort of work injury (back, I think) and had not been working for 6 months though he could get around petty freely as far a I could make out. His sister did not work at all.
He spent half the time following me around and complaining that he only got 4 hours of cleaning per week and they didn't give him gardening home help as well. I think he really wanted me to mow the lawn but I didn't. I thought a migrant who had only worked 2 months here was jolly lucky to be on a pension and with 4 hours of housework supplied, to be honest.
My daughter badly injured her knee at work a couple of years back, needed an op. She was only given a couple of weeks off work, had to return on crutches, couldn't drive so we had to take her (and she doesn't live at home) & no suggestion of home help or anything.

olde.sault wrote on Apr 14^th, 2014 at 8:10am:


Of course you're not being racist. White people - especially Australian white people - are much harder workers than brown people, which is why brown people should not be allowed to work. Imagine if some of them became doctors or something? Scary.

Annie, I think there can be a problem with cleaners generally. From what I have heard, it can be hard to find an honest, reliable one.
Mind you, sometimes the pay rate they are offered is ridiculous. I saw an ad on gumtree where the person expected someone to work 5 mornings a week, at 2 locations (about 35km apart), for $100. Under $10 an hour.
Whether he got anyone I don't know but I hope not.

sherri wrote on Apr 14^th, 2014 at 9:14am:


Of course it's a problem, but that problem has nothing to do with ethnicity. It's a ridiculous prejudice, but to be expected from Olde Sault.

In the case of cleaners who work through the government, the agencies need to be clear to their client about what is both within and outside of the scope of the cleaner's role. Boundaries should be established from the beginning. It is the same in the private sector - managing expectations and good communication is key.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Apr 14^th, 2014 at 9:39am:


Not "real social workers, otherwise known as "snobs"

I need vacuuming, floor-washing and driven over to the surgeries to see doctors.

I was offered back washing, chat.

Well, I do well enough showering and do my best chatting--

Had to explain to one haughty the meaning of "politics" and what a "revolution" meant.

I suppose I could teach some of them "English"!

I'd say if you live in Qld you better enjoy what help you get, whether it's up to your standard or not because Newman has this service on his 'cut list'. Nil home help for the aged and infirm....happy voting olde sault.

Sir Grappler Truth Teller wrote on Apr 14^th, 2014 at 12:08pm:


They seem to come under "aged care"  workers, however, if they are paid for 2 hours cleaning they should fulfil this time whatever they want to call this service.

Unclean surrounding add to the depressive state of the aged or disabled and chats with the uninformed spouting an attitude, is hardly uplifting.

As far as what is happening in Q-land, I'm sure that no government will cut its throat electorally by denying help to the needy.


That is Labor propaganda - you leftards are full of shet as is your present leader and the past two PMs who brought the country down in debt.