Are you being told to clean toilets at work?

[noblegiraffe]

If cleaning toilets wasn’t previously anywhere near your job description?

It’s being claimed on another thread that this is just part of the new normal, everyone is pitching in. I’m not convinced.

YABU - I’m being asked to clean toilets

YANBU - I’m not being asked to clean toilets

If you are, are you ok with it?

Honestly I cannot remember which weird one she's in, I know people from all of them. Cannot imagine any of them, well apart from the odd few, who don't mind cleaning up their own mess.

But then I would like to think they would be baffled at being asked why to begin with. And those posters, all they do to the rest of us is look at colleagues in suspicion (although this could just be me) wondering who the dirty sod is 🤣

Two jobs here.

Cleaning toilets in school is on the list, everyone does it from the cleaner to the Head.

I don't have to clean the staff toilets at the shop where I work, but one of the ladies in the cash office gives them a quick wipe over before leaving midday and a couple of the younger girls have actually taken it upon themselves to clean (if we're quiet on the shop floor).

If cleaning toilets wasn’t previously anywhere near your job description?
This kind of 'attitude' never ceases to amaze me.

I work as a cleaner and i happily clean out staff fridges even though it's not actually part of my job duties.......cos everywhere i've ever worked nobody wants to do what isn't in their 'job description'!
They'd rather put their food in manky, stinking fridges and eat it - do they all do that at home too?

With the current climate, i hope this 'attitude' dies a natural death

I work as a cleaner and i happily clean out staff fridges even though it's not actually part of my job duties

I'm a teacher and I also will clear out the fridges of out-of-date food, wipe clean the microwave ovens of exploded soup, load/unload the dishwasher and wipe the kitchen surfaces. Lots of us do this; it's part of working in a community.

But, I repeat, I will not clean out toilets used by hundreds of students.

Working from home but even if we were in the office no, they couldn't do that. They'd get a very strange reception and then the union on their arse. I'm not a cleaner

@monkeymonkey2010

If cleaning toilets wasn’t previously anywhere near your job description? This kind of 'attitude' never ceases to amaze me.

I work as a cleaner and i happily clean out staff fridges even though it's not actually part of my job duties.......cos everywhere i've ever worked nobody wants to do what isn't in their 'job description'!
They'd rather put their food in manky, stinking fridges and eat it - do they all do that at home too?

With the current climate, i hope this 'attitude' dies a natural death

Are you not worried people being expected to do cleaning that isn't in their job description might lead to you losing yours?

@ZombieLizzieBennet

It's not about anyone losing their jobs. Cleaners will continue to be employed and will continue to do their jobs as normal.

The issue is in regards to additional cleaning that is required at the moment because of the ongoing pandemic- existing cleaners do not have tile to do this, so it will need to be done by other staff.

Given that the vast majority of staff in schools are teachers, they will be responsible for carrying out additional cleaning, particularly in regards to student and staff toilet areas.

Given that the vast majority of staff in schools are teachers, they will be responsible for carrying out additional cleaning, particularly in regards to student and staff toilet areas.

No, they "will" not. If it is considered imperative that additional cleaning is required, funds will need to be made available. Otherwise (as is, in fact already the case) cleaning standards will remain as they have always been, and if you don't like that, as a parent, you can make the choice as to whether you wish your child to attend, FishyDuck.

The issue is in regards to additional cleaning that is required at the moment because of the ongoing pandemic- existing cleaners do not have tile to do this, so it will need to be done by other staff.

If the cleaners don’t have time have you found a way for staff to get time? This also has to incorporate teaching, supervising playtimes, having a break themselves and all the rest before they head home

Don't care even if I do have time. Won't be doing it.

But really, canigooutyet, we shouldn't bite at FishyDuck's goady fuckery. She's doing it on purpose to be a bitch.

[quote FishyDuck]@ZombieLizzieBennet

It's not about anyone losing their jobs. Cleaners will continue to be employed and will continue to do their jobs as normal.

The issue is in regards to additional cleaning that is required at the moment because of the ongoing pandemic- existing cleaners do not have tile to do this, so it will need to be done by other staff.

Given that the vast majority of staff in schools are teachers, they will be responsible for carrying out additional cleaning, particularly in regards to student and staff toilet areas.[/quote]
Go and clean under your bridge.

If the cleaners don't have time, the obvious answer is to increase their hours or their number and the government/LA should be putting up the money for this.

Existing cleaners often work very limited hours. They absolutely do have time in many schools (although at mine they are teenagers...) What there isn't is the money to pay them. I know plenty of cleaners who would feel diddled out of extra potential earners when they discover teachers and TAs and sixth formers are wandering about with dirty cloths.

Let's not continue to pretend this isn't about the government not wanting to support or fund schools.

I am trying to imagine a thread which begins 'I am a cleaner in desperate need of extra money after months out of work but my employer has decided to get the unqualified and untrained staff to do it instead' and see how that went.

With the current climate, i hope this 'attitude' dies a natural death

Is that preferable to a person dying an actual death?

Deliberate hyperbole. I hope.

We have cleaners in the morning and the afternoon. Between times we are expected to clean frequently touched areas and whenever I use the bathroom I wipe down all the sinks and loos. I’m not too precious to refuse!

HogglePoggle, Have you even read the thread? And what is your job?

Yep! Cleaned the toilet after 15 kids had used it 3 times today. It was horrible because 10 of them are boys in year 6. Then I clean down the toilet that we use as staff after i've used it. I don't mind doing that but I hate doing the kids loo.

phlebasconsidered Why are you doing this? You don't have to.
As the age-old MN phrase goes, "No is a complete sentence."

Not a teacher, I work in Pharma, on a big site. As you can imagine we are very busy right now and recruiting lots of extra staff in all areas. The cleaning staff have been doing extra work since mid February, mix of extra shifts and more cleaners. I suspect neither our HSE or the management would be happy about highly skilled staff doing the cleaner's job.

It is very short sighted for the public sector to be using skilled staff to do cleaning jobs. Would make much more sense to pay cleaners. Frees up teachers, nurses and doctor's time to do their vital jobs, and also gives money to someone else to do a vital job. Much better sense for the government than keeping people on furlough in another sector.

Hear hear.

@CountFosco

Schools have a fixed budget. Cleaning costs come out of said budget, so more spending on cleaners means cuts elsewhere.

As a parent, I want to see the maximum possible spent on learning. I do not want to see money being spent on cleaners that could be spent on teachers. Particularly when you have a resource ready and available in school to clean toilets in the form of teachers.

Are you literally going to keep repeating the same post until someone agrees with you!?!

As a parent, you want alert, rested , prepared, and happy (or at least happyish) teachers. That's how you get the best teaching.

The budget is not fixed for anything when the government so chooses.

@Piggywaspushed

Numerous posters have already agreed with me. There have been countless examples on this thread of how people have been going above and beyond to carry out extra cleaning and keep their workplaces open.

This is "cancel the cheque" all over again.

FishyDuck, I don't know why I am risking my freshly-painted nails typing another response to your ridiculous claims, but I will point out that IF you really do want decent learning opportunities for your primary-aged children, then drop the fucking teacher-bashing, before you find that there are no decent teachers left in your child's school at all.
Teachers are NOT going to be cleaning your child's piss off the toilets at their school, so get over it.