Menial tasks in a shared office

[InOffice]

I've just started a new job. I have a senior position but would never dream of leaving my cup for someone else to wash or handing my shredding to a junior member of staff.

However, this seems to be the norm here. Senior staff routinely leave their cups to be washed by magic and the junior staff member is given everyone's shredding to do. It's not that much for individuals a few pages here and there, but builds up when she's doing everyone's.

I just don't think that's the way to treat staff, even junior staff and makes a mockery of we're all in it together/we're all a team here. I always make a point, as a manager, of not expecting others to do things I won't do myself.

Or am I inefficient "spending" my salary on these types of tasks.

I think possibly it jars even more for me here because most of the team is white middle class and she's not.

It seems very off to me, but maybe it's normal for others?

Or am I inefficient "spending" my salary on these types of tasks.

To be honest, it makes me smile when my salary goes on doing the shredding! One day my laptop took an entire day to reboot and I spent it reordering the stock cupboard.

Shredding is fine.

If it's the staff morning teatime cup they can wash their own. Meeting crockery is different, that's for whoever is designated responsible.

Agree. Shredding is legit admin.

Shredding is normal to be left to juniors

Cup washing is taking the Pee

We have a dishwasher and people routinely just leave their cups by the dishwasher rather than actually loading it. Meaning that our office admin girl who is being paid pennies has to do it. Really pisses me off. I feel for their partners tbh, if they're that lazy at home too...

Senior management here. I always empty the dishwasher if it’s full, wash my own cup if I’m too late to add mine to the dishwasher (it goes on at around 5.30, I’m often later than that). Mostly paperless but I’d never expect juniors to do my admin, they have there own job to do. Just keep on top of it.

We have admin women. We also have admin men. If everyone is infantisising the admin staff, that might explain why they are not valued as staff.

Fair comment. She’s 17 and has previously pointed out that I’m old enough to be her mother! But you’re right - I should have called her our office administrator, because that is what she is.

I doubt if the person not being white middle class has much if anything to do with it, more the job they are in.

What you describe is normal in my experience in many jobs, it not happening where I work now is the exception.

I wash my own cups and shred my own stuff just to get a break from the screens. I can still do 'work thinking' whilst doing other jobs.

What are the junior colleague's responsibilities in her job description?