Caught Cleaner clipping her Nails in our Bathroom..

[Naliny]

…with my nail clipper.

AIBU to fire her over this?

(Also - have never done an AIBU before and can’t figure out how to do the poll).

Yes to this.

My apologies , I had [maybe wrongly] assumed it was her toenails she was clipping !

Nail clipping (especially a decent pair of) is actually a very distinct sound especially in an otherwise quiet house

She has almost certainly used your bush trimmer too. Definitely a hanging offence.

I wouldn’t fire her over this, @Naliny - but if you are worried about using the clippers, you could wash them, then put them in boiling water - that will get rid of any nasties.

This. Hepatitis C can be transmitted through sharing things like nail clippers where there is a risk of blood being left on the item.

It’s a no no imo.

Not sure I'd fire her over this however I would be now wondering what else she may be doing that crosses professional boundaries

I know. I'm genuinely puzzled why you said "Give people a little credit for intelligence", we appear to be on the same side of this discussion but that implies otherwise.

There's a hygiene issue with this! When you go to a nail salon clippers need to be cleaned with anti-bac/fungicide. It's not the same as eg: just using some hand soap and moisturiser. It is closer to using your toothbrush.

There is the very obvious boundary overstepping but there also a significant gap in her knowledge/behaviour re: what is hygienic. Is she using the same cloth for door handles as she is for the toilet?!

I think you definitely need to say something. What you say should be guided by what your desired outcome is. Do you want to give her a warning and be clear why it is unacceptable? Or is it best you part company given this? Do you have a contract? Would you pay her in lieu of notice?

The disconcerting thing about this is the fact she deliberately concealed what she was doing with your things and thinks she got away with it.

I'd be wondering what other weird/unsavoury things she's doing with your stuff behind your back, tbh.

I think people just want to shit on the OP.
Why couldn't she have ASKED - and the OP would have said yes/no?

//

This

There is some epic projecting going on by some posters ...

I would find that pretty gross, although maybe not an immediately firing offense. It's the sort of thing I would overlook if she's a great cleaner, but wouldn't be so keen on if she isn't, which you say is the case. It depends really on how important the babysitting aspect is, if you care about sparing her feelings you could make up and excuse. Take no notice of the people who say you need to be ok with this, you don't. You can let any employee go for any reason, as long as you aren't rude about it.

It’s a bit weird, but I don’t think I’d get worked up over this given you have a good relationship with her.

Boundaries can become a bit blurred with people who work in your home and with your family, and by the sounds of it she knows she did something stupid.

People are mental. It has nothing to do with thinking a cleaner is “beneath” anyone and I have no idea why people jump to that conclusion.

it has to do with someone - anyone - just going through your cupboards to use an item without asking. If she had indeed needed to use, she should ask. As should a guest etc. I would never just go through someone’s cupboard at their house and use their nail clippers/hair brush or anything else.

her cleaning loos and sinks has absolutely nothing to do with it. That’s something she is employed to do - it’s not something she’s being forced into, it’s her job. And it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of either so im not sure why people are acting like its some awful job!

I adore my cleaner, she’s absolutely fantastic and I would let her use my nail
clippers, but I would expect her to ask me. Just as I would ask her if I went to her house!

Are you certain of this?
😉😁😁

Well actually you can't be certain at all. It's an employer/ employee relationship based on trust. She has access to everything in the home that isn't locked up.
If OP has caught her concealing behaviour then it puts a dent in the trust.

Very sensible view

This wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow for me, tbh.

😂😂

I wouldn't want someone I don't trust wandering around my home, and I wouldn't be able to trust someone who deliberately concealed this from me in an act requiring multiple steps, especially when there was an opportunity to be honest and explain the situation when you ran into her.

Everyone has a different level of comfort with sharing toiletries, etc, but it's the whole ocean's eleven style antics that would make me feel confused and betrayed by this.

If I break a nail then I tend to clip then all down to the same level. It could very well be one split/ snagged so they all got a trim. I’d probably just designate those guest nail clippers and get a pair for my toiletry bag. Unless you want to get rid of her, in which case it’s a decent excuse.

It’s really hard to find a good reliable cleaner round my way. If I were you I’d ask her not to do it again and give the clippers a good wash.

I wouldn't like the idea of someone outside my family/household using my clippers without asking (to give me the chance to sanitise them, just in case), but realistically, it's unlikely to cause any problem. If she was only needing to tidy a nail or two that she'd discovered was snagging fabric, that seems like a reasonable request. However, if she's just randomly decided to trim her nails while on the clock (using your clippers), that's odd. It might make me wonder if she's doing anything else i wouldn't appreciate (sampling beauty products, etc).

The bigger issue is that you aren't satisfied with her cleaning. I'd find a way to let her go on the basis of her poor cleaning ability, but I don't think I'd mention the nail clipping incident. It's just the final straw, really.

Exactly, no-ones going to reuse a used tissues. And the same with a glass,
if she placed it in the sink or dishwasher or whatever you’d see it has been used so you’d wash it. The issue with the clipper is you wouldn’t know she’s been using it.

op said generally speaking she’s not that much of a good cleaner either!

I think you should let her go but don’t mention the nail clippers.