I volunteer at a charity (medium-size, well
known in its sector) in one of their offices which is in a converted warehouse. They have 5 staff.
I’m wondering if the following is usual in charities because I find it disconcerting and off-putting to consider working there:
-Staff take turns to clean the toilets, vacuum, mop, and dust office, empty the bins outside daily
-No sanitary bins so staff also take turns to empty mini bins that they bought themselves
-Staff work long hours, never take a lunch break, go in on weekends unpaid
-They take ‘work’ home with them ie physical donations of stock to clean up, polish, see if they can fix etc
-Take turns to take the tea towels home to wash
-Two have said they are working Good Friday and the Saturday as they are so busy
-They had to beg HO repeatedly for heaters for winter (temp was registering 2 deg in the office in January)
Surely this is OTT penny-pinching and the toilet stuff is just not on? Years ago I temped for the NSPCC and had to
provide my own hot drinks which was fine but surely this is not on??