Honest opinion re work

[MrsCharlesDarwin]

I’ve handed in my notice at work where I am an admin assistant, and am working out 3 months notice period. We recently lost another staff member part of whose job it was to clean the workshop.
I’ve now been asked if I can pick up her duties until a replacement is found. I’m bad at saying no (my manager knows this) and stupidly said yes. So tomorrow I’m expected to go in and scrub an enormous sink that has never been cleaned properly, and I really don’t fucking want to.
Aibu to go in and say I made a mistake on agreeing to do that and don’t feel comfortable doing it. I will get filthy for a start and just feel pissed off at the idea.
Or shall I go in and do a crap job just hosing it down like everyone else has and just count the days until I am out of there?

I personally would clean it to the best I could and take in a change of clothes ...
Never burn bridges (but that's me)

Good idea bout the change of clothes.

I will have to swallow my pride. I don’t even clean my own house ffs.

You want the best reference possible I assume...

Not really, I’m not planning to work again any time soon.
Most places just provide generic - yes, person x worked here from date to date anyway. It’s a big a employer.

I would do it too. Just keep thinking you will be out of there soon enough.

I wouldn't. The explanation you suggested sounds fine. They should really hire a temp to fill the gap until a replacement is found. Very cheeky of them to ask you.

Your manager is taking the piss especially if you haven’t been offered additional pay. There’s nothing wrong with going back to her and just saying here’s what I would be comfortable with: ££ for however long I’m performing additional duties. It’s only fair that your pay reflects those additional duties.

Could you do a really brilliant job of it that took you all day, instead of doing any of your own work? It might be more fun then!

It’s tricky as the person doing it before me was a volunteer - this is the charity sector.
We’re all supposed to muck in and have a can do attitude, but this feels too much.

Score you start any of the extra stuff, ask about a pay raise, even if you are leaving soon. You shouldn’t be doing more for the same pay.

Its not about the money at all. I could easily fit in the time. I just don’t want to (and it’s not my job, would never have applied for the job if it was)

I would faff about cleaning for so long there was not time to do my own work. And let them know that's why there was no time.

The difficult thing is you've already agreed. I agree with the above poster who said they would do it, but take their sweet time in getting it sorted.

Do it once, then next week innocently say "oh, it's not my turn, I did it last week" ;-)

Thing isn’t it’s never been done properly for 1.5 years. I bought some super cleaning products for the previous person to use, they left now I have to use it all. Grrrr

Do it once. Do it badly. Then be swamped with your actual work until they find a replacement.

coat it in cillit bang and bleach. it's a sink.

I'd do it like shit.

It's just a sink not a big stinking loo. Just do it. Enjoy.

Three months notice seems a lot, have you been there for ages? Buy some of that sink foam stuff, spray it on and leave for 20 mins. Should come off fairly easily. Or google bicarb soda cleaning, make a paste and leave it on for a while then clean it.

I am going to do it badly like everyone else has.

It’s stuck all over with industrial resins, glues, paints etc. It looks dreadful, nobody has ever been able to remove it all.

''I personally would clean it to the best I could and take in a change of clothes ...
Never burn bridges (but that's me)''

This. Too many ppl leave work with burnt bridges and under bad circumstances and I have seen people pay a hefty price for it...do it I say as you never know down the line when you might need a favour from that manager.

Personally I would do a good job but I wouldn't go crazy scrubbing it. I would just give it a decent clean.

Also 3 months? That sounds a lot for an admin job.

I’d do it, spend ages AND get it looking perfect. You’ll always be remembered as the excellent employee who did!

If your boss asks you to do it again, remind him that it took XX hours and put you behind in your other work, and ask if he wants you to prioritise the sink/cleaning over other tasks.

Presumably cleaning the sink involves chemicals, and you need to be given proper health and safety training along with being advised and provided with protective clothing. I would have thought you can get out it by siting it as a hazard you’re not trained to deal with. I speak from experience after being sent on a half day training course to put a coffee machine on to self clean when the guy whose job it was went on holiday.

But if it hasn’t been cleaned properly in 1.5 years then a) you’re never going to shift it anyway and b) management clearly don’t care that much. So just rinse it out and say you’ve done it for an easy life? If anyone comments on your crappy cleaning then say it’s encrusted, you were hired for your admin not cleaning skills and suggest they they give it a try.