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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that this is absolutely not in my job description?

145 replies

CatThiefkeith · 20/05/2016 15:26

I work in an office. As a receptionist / Administrator. Due to a cock up (not mine) there is one man working outside today rather than the usual three, and two women in the office instead of the usual three. And both bosses are on holiday.

Someone seems to have put a load of poison down in the yard, and now customers who store things here (difficult to explain without outing myself) have begun reporting smells. This morning it has transpired that there are several dead foxes out in the yard, and it seems they have been there a while. They are crawling with maggots. Boak.

Anyhoo - Picking them up is a two person job - one with a shovel, one with an open black sack. Office manager has tried to send me out with yard man and I have point blank refused. Surely that is not unreasonable? It does say in my contract I can be asked to perform extra duties, but surely I can't be expected to pick up dead smelly animals? Office manager has gone off with black bags muttering darkly about me not being a team player and waiting til the boss gets back. Confused

OP posts:
foursillybeans · 20/05/2016 16:47

YABU when the office manager was there so could do it herself. I am a manager and would never ask another member of staff to do that if I was available to do it. There was also the option of pest control too. How have they disposed of them? You can't just sling them in a bin all covered in maggots.Confused

foursillybeans · 20/05/2016 16:47

I mean YANBU.

bakeoffcake · 20/05/2016 16:47

Susan Refusing to move a dead, maggoty fox will "come back and bite you on the backside"Hmm

Not in a professional, well run company it wouldn't.

Original poster
CatThiefkeith · 20/05/2016 16:49

foursillybeans they are in bin liners awaiting burial.

OP posts:
DuckAndPancakes · 20/05/2016 16:49

Hello OP
Just spoken to my DP who is a bit shocked at what's happened. Is it a storage unit place that you work at?

He's said that if it's poison you potentially should have contacted environental health to do with the poison. Depending on what poison has been put down, it could apparently come with a 5 year prison sentence for doing so.

He said if there's any remnants of poison, if you take a picture or have a description he can try and work out what it is.

Ps. He said you're DEFINITELY not being unreasonable as far as refusing to deal with it.

froubylou · 20/05/2016 16:50

The op should have only had to do it if it is in her ts and cs that she might have to move rotting, putrid animals. I presume it isn't so if she didn't want or.feel able to then she didn't have to.

Years ago I worked for a bank. The bank had a lobby with cash machines that was accessed by swiping a cash card down. One morning we found a tramp had slept in it over night and had done a huge, liquid shit. No one even mentioned the staff donning rubber gloves and wellies and cleaning it up. A specialist cleaning team was called in who dealt with hazmat stuff. They charge a fortune because a. The jobs they do are pretty rank and b. Because of the training and equipment they need to keep themselves and the public safe.

I don't think they pay Keith enough to do it, she hasn't been on a course and doesn't have the gear.

susanketty · 20/05/2016 16:50

bakeoffcake, even in the most professional, well run companies, you can be painted as 'not a team player' and this can have serious consequences. Usually, when these unexpected circumstances come up, it is best to be grateful for the opportunity to show your team spirit and not moan. I know it is not nice, but just help out rather than leave the manager to do it all themselves.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 20/05/2016 16:51

I too would be very concerned at someone randomly flinging poison around in an unsafe untargeted way. Poisoning foxes is illegal, and as it happened on your land I suspect you are liable. I'd be tempted to get pest control in to check for and remove any other poison.

Original poster
CatThiefkeith · 20/05/2016 16:52

I used to be a manager, and ran my own business. I would absolutely not have expected a member of staff to deal with this, I would have done it myself, and have done so in a variety of unpleasant situations.

But then my management style was very much about lighting fires within people, not lighting fires under them.

OP posts:
froubylou · 20/05/2016 16:53

The manager should have called a specialist company to deal with it. If the manager wants to go scooping shit like that up then it's down to her.

OP is a receptionist/administrator. Not in her expected duties.

Original poster
CatThiefkeith · 20/05/2016 16:58

DuckandPancakes I have sent you a pm.

OP posts:
PovertyPain · 20/05/2016 17:00

Are you the manager Susan? You seem to have got very het up about this.

Why the hell should a staff member to be considered 'not a team player', when the manager can do it herself? Or is it only the lowly staff that have to be a team player? As far as I'm concerned the manager should be leading by example. I might have felt differently if the manager had asked the OP to help her with picking up the foxes, however she was going to back and sit in her office and expected OP to do the dirty work. A bad manager would think that's acceptable.

PovertyPain · 20/05/2016 17:01

Plus, if poison has been used then it is dangerous to handle the corpses without the appropriate gear.

AmysTiara · 20/05/2016 17:03

Lol at Susan. Op I wouldn't have done it either

myownprivateidaho · 20/05/2016 17:04

Yanbu. They can hire a contractor.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 20/05/2016 17:05

Plus, if poison has been used then it is dangerous to handle the corpses without the appropriate gear.

Right. There is no telling what shit was used kill those poor animals. Going near it could have any number of consequences. Cat has the right to say no to something that could endanger herself. If others choose to do it, then its not her problem.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 20/05/2016 17:09

Dear God, YANBU. AT ALL. That is the stuff of nightmares.

Original poster
CatThiefkeith · 20/05/2016 17:11

I hadn't actually considered the safety side, I just didn't want to be splashed with putrid ooze, especially as I've got nice clothes on. It is a very good point though, should I get my wrist slapped.

(I am meeting my sister straight from work to celebrate the end of her 2nd year at Uni)

In other news, all foxes have been cleared and office manager has gone home - I told her I would lock up so she could go home and shower the smell away. Smile

OP posts:
VinoTime · 20/05/2016 17:13

No, sorry. I'm all for being a 'team player' and helping out wherever I possibly can, but there are limits to what you can expect from staff. I would not be going anywhere near a maggot infested dead fox that was potentially covered in some kind of poison. You either call animal control or the council to deal with that kind of shit. Foxes are riddled with all sorts of nasty things. I wouldn't go near a living one, much less a rotting dead one. So dangerous.

Your office manager is being totally unreasonable. He should be calling the appropriate people to come and take it away - people who can also dispose of it safely. You were right to say no.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 20/05/2016 17:15

Also, the smell of decomposing flesh clings to live flesh so you could have stunk like that for days.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 20/05/2016 17:19

only on mn would you get such ridiculous answers that you are not being a team player

Of course yanbu

Is this a wind up to highlight how many numpties there are on here Grin they certainly coming out in droves

Veterinari · 20/05/2016 17:23

This really needs to be reported to Environmental health, it's a public and animal safety issue as well as being illegal. Unsecured poison is a danger to the public, wildlife and also pets.

Your manager needs to be a bit more sensible - all it takes is for a local cat to die and poison to be traced back to the company and Smelling of fox will be the least of anyone's worries - it doesn't matter if it's a customer - it's illegal activity on company property

Just think if a child or pet has access to the source of the poison or to an animal that has ingested it and become sick

harshbuttrue1980 · 20/05/2016 17:23

I agree with Poverty. Everyone needs to pitch in. EVERYONE needs to pitch in - including the office manager. If the manager was there trying to shovel the decaying fox into a bin bag, then I would help her. If she was sat in her comfortable office asking me to do it, I would say no. Teamwork and flexibility go both ways, and in an urgent situation ALL members of the team need to roll up their sleeves and do the dirty jobs - not just the junior staff!

AnnPerkins · 20/05/2016 17:26

I'm waiting for the competitive team-player claims now.

OnTique · 20/05/2016 17:32

Blimey as a receptionist I can think of all kinds of extra jobs that might fall into the category of 'performing extra duties'...but hefting about maggotty fox carcasses?? Hell no way! YADNBU.

Also Vet makes very valid points about the poison in the first place. God it all sounds ghastly (and weirdly reminds me of that Frasier episode with the dead seal, which was actually v funny where as this isn't... of course).