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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To report the cleaner

452 replies

EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 16:25

I'm a PhD student and work in a doctoral school office with several other researchers, all doing our own thing. It's a wonderful quiet space and we're very lucky.

Well quiet that is until the bins are emptied every afternoon. I'm not sure if the person who comes in is a cleaner because I've never seen her do any cleaning in this office but she might do in other parts of the building.

She's just so loud. She's talking on the phone using Bluetooth earpieces so it looks like she's talking to herself. It's so distracting and it's not a work conversation because it's a foreign language.

I've contacted the estates people to ask them to tell her to stop as it's annoying everyone but nobody dare say anything. It's not my job to tackle her.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Doggielovecharlotte · 28/11/2025 17:57

pinkyredrose · 28/11/2025 17:56

The cleaner has an appropriate place to work. That doesn't mean she gets to disturb other people trying to work.

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Says you

the poster said she was distracting them as she looked like she was talking to no one

pinkyredrose · 28/11/2025 17:56

Doggielovecharlotte · 28/11/2025 17:38

Except the cleaner who empties the bins

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The cleaner has an appropriate place to work. That doesn't mean she gets to disturb other people trying to work.

NovemberMorn · 28/11/2025 17:55

EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:54

Come and work here!

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No thanks, too much looking down on people.

Doggielovecharlotte · 28/11/2025 17:55

zingally · 28/11/2025 17:51

Oh, please please don't report bottom of the rung employees to their bosses! Especially if it's something incredibly simple you can deal with by yourself, like walking over and quietly asking her if she'd mind not taking phone calls while she's in your particular room.
Better still, do as others have said, use that 10 minutes to go and stretch your legs, use the loo, get a drink, and generally touch grass.

As important as you think your work is, it's actually NOT that serious. But that woman potentially losing her job because a whiny PhD student can't use her people skills, is actually a lot more serious than 10 minutes of your PhD study.

This!

CindyCuthbert · 28/11/2025 17:55

RandomUsernameHere · 28/11/2025 17:50

In most open plan offices there will often be multiple people on calls and you just have to ignore the noise. I don’t think it makes a difference what job she is doing or what language she’s speaking.

Not in an academic office where people are doing research. The thing is, most people just don’t understand. It’s not a typical office. People are sitting doing research.

Original poster
EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:55

Poppyseeds79 · 28/11/2025 17:53

Oh, so just deciding to take it upon yourself to use that as a 'valid excuse' for you to bitch about a cleaner to her manager? 🤔

What makes you so qualified to advocate it's disruptive to your colleagues who may, or may not even been neurodiverse then?

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Bitch? Really?

OP posts:
Doggielovecharlotte · 28/11/2025 17:54

HollaHolla · 28/11/2025 17:51

I work in a University, and we had a real problem with folks wandering into our (Professional Services) office, on their phone, having loud conversations with others, etc. We put up some signs, which said 'This is a quiet office workspace; please don't make or receive calls in this office, and we appreciate your consideration in having respectful working conversations. Thank you' (or something like that.)
It really managed expectations of everyone working there - around 40 of us - and meant that we felt more empowered to say to folks, 'sorry, can we ask you to take your conversation into a meeting room, or take the call in the atrium?' It made a real difference. Obviously, work conversations continued, but having so many people in one office, often doing work which required a lot of concentration for accuracy, it meant it took the overall noise level down a good few decibels.
I genuinely think that their role, and the language being spoken, are red herrings....

Edited

Yes red herrings is a good word - it’s nothing but just making up you mind that this person is less worthy and that you can lord it over them

CorneliaCupp · 28/11/2025 17:54

EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:53

For the love of Mike she's not going to lose her job. Nobody wants her to. Just make personal calls in private. It's really not difficult. It's happening every single day.

Edited
Show quote history

Just ask her to keep the noise down, it's really not that difficult!

Original poster
EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:54

NovemberMorn · 28/11/2025 17:51

Methinks you are here for a laugh or a row...carry on, I have tea to make and bins to empty.

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Come and work here!

OP posts:
Poppyseeds79 · 28/11/2025 17:53

EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:38

I'm going to one tonight.

I never said I was neurodiverse. I'm not.

Edited
Show quote history

Oh, so just deciding to take it upon yourself to use that as a 'valid excuse' for you to bitch about a cleaner to her manager? 🤔

What makes you so qualified to advocate it's disruptive to your colleagues who may, or may not even been neurodiverse then?

Original poster
EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:53

zingally · 28/11/2025 17:51

Oh, please please don't report bottom of the rung employees to their bosses! Especially if it's something incredibly simple you can deal with by yourself, like walking over and quietly asking her if she'd mind not taking phone calls while she's in your particular room.
Better still, do as others have said, use that 10 minutes to go and stretch your legs, use the loo, get a drink, and generally touch grass.

As important as you think your work is, it's actually NOT that serious. But that woman potentially losing her job because a whiny PhD student can't use her people skills, is actually a lot more serious than 10 minutes of your PhD study.

For the love of Mike she's not going to lose her job. Nobody wants her to. Just make personal calls in private. It's really not difficult. It's happening every single day.

OP posts:
Wetcoatsandmudagain · 28/11/2025 17:53

Simple answer is to leave a note on your door saying quiet study area and that you will empty your own bins at the end of the day.

Dollymylove · 28/11/2025 17:52

Ive worked as an office cleaner and we never cleaned while the staff were working. We went in after they had left

usedtobeaylis · 28/11/2025 17:52

This is a very long thread that is ultimately about being too scared to ask a cleaner to keep the noise down.

Original poster
EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:52

RandomUsernameHere · 28/11/2025 17:50

In most open plan offices there will often be multiple people on calls and you just have to ignore the noise. I don’t think it makes a difference what job she is doing or what language she’s speaking.

We don't make or take calls. If we need to, we leave the office. It's not an office like that, it's a workspace. We don't zoom or anything. There's a couple of offices to book for those meetings.

OP posts:
NovemberMorn · 28/11/2025 17:51

EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:49

There's a space at the Edinburgh Fringe if she's quick!

Show quote history

Methinks you are here for a laugh or a row...carry on, I have tea to make and bins to empty.

OneBookTooMany · 28/11/2025 17:51

EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:49

What do you think I wannabe?

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Something more important than you are!

HollaHolla · 28/11/2025 17:51

I work in a University, and we had a real problem with folks wandering into our (Professional Services) office, on their phone, having loud conversations with others, etc. We put up some signs, which said 'This is a quiet office workspace; please don't make or receive calls in this office, and we appreciate your consideration in having respectful working conversations. Thank you' (or something like that.)
It really managed expectations of everyone working there - around 40 of us - and meant that we felt more empowered to say to folks, 'sorry, can we ask you to take your conversation into a meeting room, or take the call in the atrium?' It made a real difference. Obviously, work conversations continued, but having so many people in one office, often doing work which required a lot of concentration for accuracy, it meant it took the overall noise level down a good few decibels.
I genuinely think that their role, and the language being spoken, are red herrings....

zingally · 28/11/2025 17:51

Oh, please please don't report bottom of the rung employees to their bosses! Especially if it's something incredibly simple you can deal with by yourself, like walking over and quietly asking her if she'd mind not taking phone calls while she's in your particular room.
Better still, do as others have said, use that 10 minutes to go and stretch your legs, use the loo, get a drink, and generally touch grass.

As important as you think your work is, it's actually NOT that serious. But that woman potentially losing her job because a whiny PhD student can't use her people skills, is actually a lot more serious than 10 minutes of your PhD study.

Guildford321 · 28/11/2025 17:50

chaosmaker · 28/11/2025 17:43

I'd tell her to shush. She doesn't need to be on the phone and if she does she can come in when the call is ended. I'm a carer and some staff have had to be told that they can't be on video calls when they are in a call........

If someone told me to shush, I'd tell them to shush right back and talk even louder. If, however, someone politely and respectfully asked if I wouldn't mind being a bit quieter, as they're trying to concentrate, I'd happily oblige.

RandomUsernameHere · 28/11/2025 17:50

In most open plan offices there will often be multiple people on calls and you just have to ignore the noise. I don’t think it makes a difference what job she is doing or what language she’s speaking.

Nevernonono · 28/11/2025 17:49

EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:49

There's a space at the Edinburgh Fringe if she's quick!

Show quote history

As long as she tells the jokes quietly!

Original poster
EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:49

OneBookTooMany · 28/11/2025 17:48

Yes you are hilarious as stuffed up waannbes often are.

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What do you think I wannabe?

OP posts:
Original poster
EmotionalLimbo · 28/11/2025 17:49

NovemberMorn · 28/11/2025 17:48

Love your post. x

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There's a space at the Edinburgh Fringe if she's quick!

OP posts:
CorneliaCupp · 28/11/2025 17:49

You should have just asked her to keep the noise down op. Very cowardly of you not to do that.