Cleaning other people's mess

[GlossyGlossy]

At work for the past six months or so I have not entered or used any of the communal staff areas (toilets and staff room). I have actively chosen not to use these areas due to them being left in a continuously disgusting mess and other members of staff (some of whom have now moved on) never taking a turn to clean up. Fed up of cleaning mould, shit, piss etc up after other people, I take my break elsewhere instead of the staff room. I use the customer toilets which are obviously cleaned by all staff several times a day.

Management have now added a cleaning hour to the rota as part of the daily setup. Whichever staff member is on shift is now responsible for cleaning staff room and toilets a few times a week (as well as public areas). This came into place a few weeks ago and so far nobody has cleaned the staff areas.

I was informed by my manager today that the sink has exploded in the toilets all over the floor, that there is urine all over the toilet seats and that they are generally disgusting. She has told me I must clean all of it over the weekend as I am on for the cleaning shift. I agreed at the time as I don't want to appear difficult and unco-operative but I don't think it's fair to expect me to take responsibility for weeks/months of mess that I haven't even contributed to.

AIBU?

If it's not in your job description they haven't got a leg to stand on. They're just too tight to get a cleaner. See HR.

Do not clean that. Sounds rancid

I wouldn't have an issue cleaning it, but I wouldn't come in on the weekend to do it. I worked in a nursery and they made the cleaning our job to cut costs. I cleaned mess like that daily. It was the dirty dishes the staff left that annoyed me, I just threw it all in the bin rather than was it.

We open 7 days a week. I'm coming in for shifts st the weekend and this is what I'm being asked to do on my shift.

For clarity, my job is front of house - serving people, making simple food and drinks, some kitchen duties. I am not employed as a cleaner, but as we are a small establishment, all staff are responsible for general cleaning - ie. Customer toilets, floors, washing down tables, cleaning fridges and equipment etc.

I accept that this might include communal staff areas too, but I'm struggling to see why it's been left this long then dumped on me.

Are you allowed to clean a bathroom then serve food?

Agree Zommum.

I don’t think you should be cleaning a disgusting bathroom and then serving food in the same uniform! I used to work on a bar, we cleaned the bar (not the toilets!) and even that was at the end of the shift. We were never responsible for using cleaning products during a shift, only once we had finished serving food and drinks, and uniforms had to be washed in between shifts.

Yes, there must be a hygiene rule preventing this. I would be horrified to watch someone clean a loo then serve me a drink tbh.

Someone’s got to do it and you are on shift, so you’ll need to do it THIS TIME. However, I would complain if after this no one else keeps it tidy.

I think I'd say that given it's rancid, so rancid you haven't used the facilities in months that actually you are not cleaning up months worth of your colleagues dirt, customers yes, lazy colleagues no but as a compromise you think they should pay for a deep clean to be done, once that's done they can put up a daily log sheet that everybody signs on their shift to say it's been maintained daily and you will be happy to do that once everyone else maintains it too and it's up to management to monitor. I think it's a step too far to have to clean it when it's after manky dirty colleagues and months worth of dirt too

Hospitality?!!! I have no plans to visit.

Urgh just read further. Food and drink? Man alive. Report employers to council,that's disgusting.

I've worked hospitality for 30+yrs and have never been expected to clean toilets due to cross contamination,we've always had cleaners to do that. As for staff areas,that was down to the staff to clean as we used it but the cleaner would hoover etc.

I'm glad you all agree.

I did suggest that it should be done at the end of a shift and not in the morning before opening but I was told off for being negative.

I have sympathy, as I wouldn't want to clean this either. However, if the OP doesn't do it, then SOMEONE still has to do it . This will get passed onto a colleague or a cleaning firm, and that still means a human being is going to be faced with this awful filth. I don't know what the answer is.

If another colleague has to do it, at least it's likely to be someone who contributed to it getting in that state in the first place and not the person who hasn't put so much as a toe over the door up there since about March

The answer? Employ a cleaning company that has equipment and staff able for the job. If you are serving food and drink you should not be scrubbing loos as well.

I think it's reasonable to implement the cleaning time in the rota AFTER a deep clean has been fine by a proper cleaner, but the manager also needs to double check it is being done daily. I ended up cleaning the bathroom every week in my student house, 4 of us living there, supposed turn take turns, but the others wouldn't bother so every four weeks it was disgusting, so I said I'd clean it every week on the basis the others did all the other cleaning and tidying (we did our own bedrooms) but if they stopped I'd go on strike. If you stick to the new rota but no one else does, everytime you clean it'll be gross

These toilets and staff room need to be deep cleaned as even if staff wash their hands the door handles, taps etc are unhygienic and therefore cross contamination is possible. If you are working anywhere where you might serve food you should have a hygiene certificate and therefore your management should have ensured the staff areas were hygienic. Also all door handles, bannisters etc throughout the business will all need a thorough deep clean and as a pp said you'd need to have a change of clothes before preparing food.

I worked where there was a care home registration and the management went back to washing staff uniforms, aprons etc to ensure they were washed at the correct temperature and were clean for the shift. What shocks me is people don't know how to wash their hands properly, or basic hygiene re food prep etc. Yet my grandmother brought all her children up to understand basic hygiene and cleaning toilet after yourself was expected.

I'd have thrown a sickie today OP.

I'm surprised the customers aren't throwing sickies every day. Absolutely revolting.

Did you clean op?