British Parliament Cleaner Fired for Secret 17 Hour Workday in 16 Year

The Extraordinary Grind for Survival-This is the deeply personal and extraordinary story of Mulikat Ogumodede, a mother whose sheer will to survive and provide in the UK drove her to maintain one of the most punishing work schedules imaginable. For sixteen years, from approximately 2008 to 2024, Ms. Ogumodede essentially lived two working lives, dedicating 17 hours a day, five days a week, to cleaning two high-profile premises in London, Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.

Her day began with a shift at the Deutsche Bank offices, running from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. After a brief five-hour break in the evening, she would return to work at 10:00 PM to clean the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, a night shift that lasted until 6:00 AM. This relentless pattern left her with only seven non-work hours in a 24-hour cycle, a routine she claims she successfully sustained by resting fully during her weekends. As an indication of her potential heritage and roots, court documents noted that a Yoruba interpreter (a language predominantly spoken in Nigeria) was present during her employment tribunal.

The Concealment and the Uncovering-The tribunal judgment highlighted the central issue: Ms. Ogumodede had "deliberately" hidden the fact of her full-time day job from her Houses of Parliament employer. She was acutely aware that combining the two roles—which involved an exhausting schedule with only two hours of rest before the start of her day shift—was in breach of the UK's long-standing Working Time Regulations, specifically the requirement for an 11-hour rest break between shifts.

Her incredible double life came to light in May 2024 when Churchill Contract Services, her employer at Deutsche Bank since 2004, took over the cleaning contract at the Houses of Parliament. Suddenly, the company became her employer for both roles, immediately revealing the perilous schedule she was maintaining. Concerned about the legal and safety liabilities of having an employee working such extreme hours—especially in a location as sensitive as Parliament—they quickly acted.

Dismissal and the Fight for Justice-In July 2024, after confronting her about the breach, the company suspended her pay and ultimately terminated her contract for the Houses of Parliament role in October 2024. They argued that her working pattern was unsustainable, posed a risk of "mistakes or accidents," and carried potential "reputational damage" to the organisation.

Ms. Ogumodede was unwavering in her defence, asserting to managers, "I feel very well" and confirming she had worked like this since 2008. Supported by a clean attendance and disciplinary record, she took Churchill Contract Services to an employment tribunal, alleging unfair dismissal, unlawful deduction from wages, and other claims. She fought for her job, arguing she should have been offered redundancy like some of her colleagues.

However, in a decision handed down in September 2025, Employment Judge Richard Woodhead dismissed all of her claims. While acknowledging it was "remarkable" she sustained the hours, the judge ruled the dismissal was "clearly fair." He stressed the paramount importance of "strong health, safety and public interest considerations" behind the working time limits, noting that fatigue from excessive hours—particularly night work—increases the risk of errors that could affect both colleagues and "wider society."

The judge ultimately concluded that had Ms. Ogumodede been truthful about her employment with Deutsche Bank, she would likely never have been offered the night shift at Parliament due to the statutory rest requirements. The legal system, designed to protect workers from overwork, ended her fight to survive by maintaining the only schedule she felt allowed her to provide for her family.