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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cleaning Rota in the office

71 replies

HopeS01 · 21/10/2013 13:47

I'm outraged a bit miffed (to say the least!), and I need some unbiased opinions as to whether or not IABU...

I work in a fashion retail head office. We have a communal kitchen. The Cleaner comes at the end of the day, every day. The receptionist has been sending constant reminders about the state of the kitchen; dirty dishes left in the sink, tea bags on the worktop, cereal in the plughole, out of date food in the fridge etc. etc. Disgusting. I feel sorry for the poor girl, but it is falling on deaf ears. No improvement.
Today, a Cleaning Rota was circulated. Every department (excluding senior management) is expected to take part and clean the kitchen at 2pm daily, when it is their turn.
I have refused, and have been notified that there will be consequences.

Is it reasonable to expect people (who are not employed as cleaners) to clean up after the scruffy b*stards who leave the kitchen in this state every day? Am I being unreasonable to refuse on the grounds that A) it is certainly not in my job role to be cleaning the communal areas (I tidy my own desk area and wash my own dishes!) B) I am too busy; I already work early every morning and late every night without a full lunch break to get my work done

NB: I don't know how to say this without sounding snotty, and I know this isn't exactly relevant because no one other than the cleaner should be responsible for this task, but I am not a junior member of the team. I feel a little over qualified to be unblocking the plug hole of someone else's breakfast Blush (I do enough of that at home!)

OP posts:
Original poster
HopeS01 · 21/10/2013 14:22

Chilli WTAF!?!?!?! To be honest, the majority of us are women given the nature of the business but your situation sounds even worse!!!!!

OP posts:
QuintessentialShadows · 21/10/2013 14:23

Yanbu.

You could try to reply that as you are actually clearing up after yourself you point blank refuse to clean up after your colleagues. Your colleagues are adults, not children, but more importantly they are not your little children.

Bekindtoyourknees · 21/10/2013 14:24

OP, YANBU, but at least you have a kitchen. If I want to wash my things up I have to use the tiny basin in the loo, or take them home dirty. And if I want a drink of water, I have to use the tap from same basin.

Fleta · 21/10/2013 14:26

Really? Precious to not want to clear up someone else's crap?

I wouldn't be prepared to do it in my office. It certainly wouldn't be in my contract. I go well above and beyond what I do in my working day. Cleaning up someone else's crockery isn't what I'd be prepared to do.

TheCraicDealer · 21/10/2013 14:27

It would be much more effective to install a nanny-cam behind an infrequently used bottle of fairy liquid, then hold a Poirot-style reveal in the boardroom a week later and see the lazy buggers squirm. Muhahaha!

wink1970 · 21/10/2013 14:27

It's not acceptable for the company to ask you to do this, but it may be that the food waste/washing up/drain clearing isn't part of the cleaner's job either - especially if she's from a commercial contract cleaning company. They often refuse to include it in contracts as it's too emotive (when the cleaner throws out X's milk that X thinks could still be used, for example).

The only way to address is it to talk to HR.

QuintessentialShadows · 21/10/2013 14:28

Also, you can say that by setting up a rota where people do it every day will not get the untidy people to take head, they will feel justified in leaving it there, as they will know somebody will do it.

Why not suggest the cleaner is paid ONCE for an extra hour to do it, and they then install cctv in the kitchen so that the people who leave a mess will be asked to go and clear it up?

DavesDadsDogDiedDiabolically · 21/10/2013 14:33

Bowls & cups with numbers on them - everyone has to sign one out at the start of the day & hand it back in at the end!!

We've got a dishwasher in our office kitchen & the lazy bastards still leave stuff on top of it, firmly in the belief that the "cleaning fairies" take it all away & make it sparkling....

OneDayWhenIGrowUp · 21/10/2013 14:34

YANBU. I would never clean up after other people at work.

People need to wash up their own stuff. Tea bags left on the side? Disgusting. I bet the bin is right there too.

A manager friend of mine had a similar problem. After many warnings and people collectively not pulling their weight - she locked the staffroom for a week. Their is no obligation for a staff room to be provided.

Original poster
HopeS01 · 21/10/2013 14:40

I'm definitely going to suggest the numbered plates thing, and if they don't want to do that, then I'll suggest it's all taken away.

Thanks for your support everyone, honestly, I don't want to come across as being precious.

OP posts:
ScaryHalloweenName · 21/10/2013 15:29

We had this problem. The rota didn't work as too many people refused to do it so they ended up locking the kitchen. Anyone wanting to use it had to come and ask for the key and it was locked again after they finished. Amazing how good people are at cleaning up after themselves when someone is watching them :o It didn't take long before they started leaving it unlocked and things did improve. If things started to slide again then the locked door policy kicked in again for a few days.

whois · 21/10/2013 15:30

Having a cleaning rota is bullshit and won't solve the problem that some people are dirty toe rags.

Removing all communal plates, cutlery and mugs, with the instruction to the cleaner to bin anything dirty works. That way people will keep their (hopefully clea!) mugs etc ok their desk.

WestieMamma · 21/10/2013 15:32

Where my husband works there is a cleaning rota for the kitchen and it includes the senior management. Swedish equality in action. :o

EldritchCleavage · 21/10/2013 15:32

CCTV in the kitchen would probably solve the problem in no time.

Where DH used to work it got so bad the got rats in the kitchen. The bosses soon decided to get tough once they had to spend money on pest control. But it was vile.

Original poster
HopeS01 · 21/10/2013 16:07

WE ALREADY HAVE A "MOUSE" INFESTATION HERE! Personally I think that is unacceptable but everyone else seems pretty blasé Hmm

OP posts:
TwoLeftSocks · 21/10/2013 16:08

Maybe, if they insist on the rota, when it comes round to your turn you could just seal off the kitchen with biohazard tape.

theoriginalandbestrookie · 21/10/2013 16:22

YANBU, beats me why people cannot clean their own dishes.

I heat my coffee up in the office microwave - no spills ever, just reheating. It got to the point where it was so bogging that I cleaned it, some of the dirt was ingrained to the point that I don't think it had ever been cleaned before. Disgusting that people would let their stuff splatter and not think to wipe it off. I'd be beyond disgusted if I was expected to clean up after idiots who are too lazy to do it themselves - would they expect the cleaning fairy to come and visit them at home if they did the same thing?

Mind you having seen the state that some people think it is acceptable to leave toilets in at work, I would shudder to think what their houses must be like.

EldritchCleavage · 21/10/2013 16:24

One kitchen in my workplace got rid of the crockery in favour of disposable ones, and a huge bin. Seems to have worked, though it is hardly eco.

Justforlaughs · 21/10/2013 16:27

I'd clean it up once - by putting everything in the bin - problem solved! Wink

Lamu · 21/10/2013 16:30

YANBU

I once worked in a company where I was the only female in the office. Urghhhh! The guys were such dirty gits. Manky banana skins left on the desk, fast food wrappers and tea cups with mould floaters. And being the only female fairly junior exec PA I had to clean up after them. I was glad when I left.

Ragwort · 21/10/2013 16:32

It certainly wouldn't be in my contract - I can't bear this attitude of not doing anything because it 'isn't in my contract/job description'. Hmm

It was never in my job description to clean up vomit from customers/deal with unemptied potties on the shop floor (yes really)/resolve customer complaints about trans-gender people using the single sex changing rooms but surely in a working environment it is the norm to just do what is necessary to make it a pleasant environment for everyone rather than sticking rigidly to your 'job description'?

Or am I hopelessly old fashioned as when I started work we didn't even have such things as job descriptions Grin.

Fleta · 21/10/2013 16:37

Whereas Ragwort - I'm sure my company would have far rather I spent the time doing the legal work I was paid/trained to do than clearning up after people that couldn't be bothered. In terms of going above and beyond I did that far more in terms of case load

I brought in sandwiches and ate at my desk whilst working - I don't think I used the kitchen!

BrokenSunglasses · 21/10/2013 16:37

YANBU, but your juniors shouldn't have to do it either.

People should do their own or the cleaner should do it.

Miserably · 21/10/2013 16:42

They should look at hiring someone to clean the area more frequently if it's getting too much for the person currently doing it.

I may be totally in the wrong here but I wouldn't feel sorry for a cleaner cleaning a dirty kitchen, surely it's just the nature of the job. What's the point in employing a cleaner to clean an already clean kitchen?

TSSDNCOP · 21/10/2013 16:56

What a timely post.

I also work in Retail. Just switched to full time so I do now use the kitchen.

We do not have a cleaner.

I have cleaned it myself every Tuesday for the past 3 weeks. I have also cleaned the toilet, which is like the one in the Young Ones despite all the staff being women. I have brought home the towels and tea towels this weekend and washed them.

And now I will be going to work tomorrow and insisting that there's a rota, because whilst I don't mind doing it I can see that I'm one of only about 3 that do. One woman used a plate, glass, bowl and cutlery on Thursday. Left them on the draining board and they are still there today.

I want more Swedish equality. And some fucking manners.