Do you wash up at work? Was this a bit cheeky?

[Whatagoodplacetobe]

Have been working as a temp as an assistant to 3 more senior staff members.
There is a small staff kitchen, I usually just wash my own pots up as I go along.
For a few days in a row, the senior staff would have various cups of tea/coffee/, toast, biscuits etc. And just put their stuff straight in the sink.

Twice one of the women asked me at the end of the day to wash all their pots. I thought it was a bit lazy and like they saw it as beneath them.
I wouldn't mind if it were on some sort of rota basis but not washing theirs all the time.

I did it once but just left it on the next time so she ended up doing theirs (not mine)

Am I being petty?

To answer your question. I don't wash up at work because we have a dish washer. I do however put my cup in the dishwasher, if anyone hasn't put their in,I'll put theirs in too. If we had to wash our own I'd probably do any left too, mainly because if you run a bowl of water you might as well.

Yes it's cheeky for people to expect someone to clear up after them, but to be honest these's always enough drama going on at work without adding washing up in. Although you mention pots, I think if people are cooking, they should definitely clear up!

I'm in a Director level position with a team underneath me. I would NEVER expect them to wash my mug.

The job description says tidying up the area but surely it's in theirs too
To be fair, it's unlikely to be in their job description too! Have you clarified with anyone exactly how far 'tidying up" goes? It does seem like something you've been tasked to do?

If your job description says clean up the area then it’s your job.

There’s nothing demeaning about being asked to wash up, lots of jobs involve washing up. If you don’t want to do it, that’s fair enough - get another job.

Last place I worked I and other staff shared a kitchen with CEO and directors. Everyone up to the CEO took responsibility for washing their own dishes.

I would think normally yes, you should wash up the cups. I had a similar role years back where this did form part of assistant duties. Along with making coffee etc for visitors. I do get you though, as I actually left that job partly because once I was out of the office for a few days and they LEFT all the washing up til I came back and I was faced with a heap of crusty cups. When I suggested that it really wasn't a nice thing to come back to and maybe a hand could be given, all hell broke loose.

Presumably nobody had it written into their job description as one of their duties, like op has?
Completely different scenario.

There needs to be an agreed system for who does what. It's usually that everyone is supposed to do their own, but that's incredibly wasteful as it uses loads more water, detergent etc as people tend to use a running tap instead of filling a sink or using the dishwasher. Plus you end up with a queue of people waiting to do their washing up and many won't want to or be able to stand around until it's their turn.

How about suggesting a rota where everyone takes a turn to do all the washing up at the end of the day? If there's a few people each individual will only have to wash up once or twice a month.

How about suggesting a rota where everyone takes a turn to do all the washing up at the end of the day? If there's a few people each individual will only have to wash up once or twice a month
Because it's part of op's job description 😂

Back in the day when I was an office junior I was expected to do the washing up, hated it tbh.

If your job spec says keep it tidy, keep it tidy. I very much doubt theirs does.

Ok, so if it's part of her job, then I don't understand the problem. She just does the washing up at the end of the day. Maybe have a cut off time so everyone knows that the washing up is done 30 mins before the OP goes home and they shouldn't leave anything after that.

I thought this was about it being nobody's job and everyone was supposed to do their own, but people didn't and the kitchen was always a mess of dirty cups, wrappers and crumbs.

I think they are definitely being lazy but to be honest it does sound like part of your job if your job description includes tidying. I’ve had office jobs at different levels and they never included this.

At my workplace everyone clears up after themselves, no matter their seniority. Unless it's specifically part of your job description you shouldn't be expected to do it, unless you offer. I'd only do that if everyone takes their turn. Same goes for making tea and coffee.
Some people think they are too important to clean, when in fact they're just rude and lazy

It is bloody rude not to wash up your own stuff (and wipe the sides down if you make a mess) whether there's a junior or a cleaner or not.

Mine too. It takes two minutes to wash up your own stuff. They are lazy, I'd never leave my stuff for someone else to clear and I'm a director.

The best Headteacher I ever worked with would wash up in the staffroom at least twice a week. She was a legend, though, most of them are far too busy and important. Strangely, she was the most respected of any of them

YABU.

Twice one of the women asked me at the end of the day to wash all their pots. I thought it was a bit lazy and like they saw it as beneath them.

Surely, if one of your managers asks you to do something at work, then that becomes part of your job. It’s not your place to decide what tasks you will or won’t carry out.

I would outright refuse. I would usually start the dishwasher one my out because I amd often the last to leave, but anything not put in the deshwasher I leave. I also never clean out the dishwasher, because I start later than most in the office. By the time I usually get there most of my coworker will have been there for at least an hour. I often see the dishwasher still full and I leave it.

It's fair to do your fair share, but you've got to be careful people don't see you as the default cleaning up person. Sadly, it's still most often women who inadvertently end up in that role.

Another thing that drives me bonkers is my coworkers borrowing my stuff so often that I don't have it when I need it. I usually don't mind people occasionally borrowing stuff, but they often don't put it back in the same spot and it has now gotten to the point where a handful of coworkers simply have not got their equipment in order and rely on me to have all the stuff they need. I think I am going to start locking my drawers.

There's an employed cleaner that comes in at the end of every day

The cleaners job usually isn’t to wash the dishes.

It does sound like it’s your job but double check with your boss.

Our cleaner does all the washing up. When she is on holiday we do our own things. I always tend to wash my mug anyway. Yanbu.

Since when did that become a thing?

We have a dishwasher (an appliance, not a person) and a cleaner who sorts out the excess.

If there's a dishwasher, I'd expect each person to put their cup straight in there, rather than placing it in the sink.

If individuals are taking their mugs to the sink I'd expect them to wash them themselves, but it gets a bit tricky if one person is taking all of the mugs to the kitchen on behalf of the others. Then I'd probably expect the cleaner to do it, rather than you.

I think if part of your spec says tidying then that read only includes washing up.

do it in work hours - it’s their time they are wasting then - and wee it as part of the role, not something demeaning.