New cleaning rota at work feels sexist

[Kayleigh1234]

The company I work for has a fairly small office space within a bigger complex. We were told last week that as there’s lower office attendance due to WFH/hybrid, our company is no longer paying for the site cleaning service and we will be responsible for cleaning our small kitchen space and bathroom ourselves.

Fwiw, I believe the real reason is because of cost cutting and the price of that service increased in April which I’d heard the bosses moan about previously.

Anyway, our (male) manager emailed round the cleaning rota today and the first 7 slots are ALL females (every female on the team is named consecutively). 4 male colleagues are then named, before it reverts.

The manager and his usual step up/deputy, are not named despite them being in the office as much as the rest of us. His deputy is the same job level as me and a couple of others, and when he was asked why he isn’t on the rota, he said ‘he hasn’t got time for that sort of thing’.

Am I wrong to feel like this is all a bit off?

I accidently voted YABU when I meant YANBU

And I’d also refuse to do a second turn until all of management had taken a turn…

What would actually happen if you refuse to do it OP?

You can change your vote 😁.

Are they going to follow COSHH regulations, or is it just a free for all? 'You want to do it with bleach and washing up liquid, go for it'.

Are they going to provide you with correct PPE?

Sounds like they need to rethink this.

If they’re asking everyone in the same job level to do it then it doesn’t sound sexist.

Rubbish idea, but not sexist.

This is ridiculous OP. Refuse. If they fire you take them to the cleaners!

I can't see why it's sexist to put the women on the list first, the order is irrelevant as long as you all have the same number of 'turns'
Not okay to have one person on the same level as others who isn't on the rota, but not sexist

That might fly except for this part of the OP: “His deputy is the same job level as me and a couple of others, and when he was asked why he isn’t on the rota, he said ‘he hasn’t got time for that sort of thing’.”

And that’s quite apart from whether the staff have proper training in cleaning products and PPE (yes I know we all clean at home but work is different - our employers need to take care of our H&S), whether the staff have time to do this as part of their existing hours, and how standards will be maintained so the toilet and kitchen themselves don’t become a H&S hazard.

Absolutely. I suppose it is better than them alternating the men in with the women so that when the men don't bother the woman the day after has double the job to do.

Nevermind the sexism. There's no way I would be cleaning toilets or kitchens at work. If they want my cleaning services, they'll have to pay me a premium for it. One they wouldn't be able to afford, because, well...I don't want to clean after anyone at work.

Also, if cash flow is such as issue I would be worried about my pay landing in my account! Can you start looking for another job?

I'd be saying "Not in my job description ".

This. Was the cleaner daily before? I mean they haven't even considered cutting down three days a week or something.

also agree with a whole bunch of stuff other people have said.

Ask for the cleaning schedules that show exactly how to clean each area, with the information about cloths, PPE, COSHH and time taken to do each job.
Ask about training to do the above, complete with what to do if splashed with the cleaning substance, what if it is accidentally spilled and are the relevant neutralising substances also available.
ask who is responsible for ensuring safe storage of all chemicals and if locked cupboards are needed and who will be key holders
who will order PPE
are staff now insured to also be cleaners, can you see the insurance documents

these are all done by housekeeping staff where I work and only properly trained staff are allowed to clean.

bet you will have proper cleaners by the end of the day

I remember my mam being told she had to change the bins on campus and she said no. Her boss said please and everyone was really awkward. She said no, that’s not my bloody job.

be more like my mam 😂

In some ways putting all the men consecutively will mean they have to do it properly though. If they alternate with women easier to get away with a half arsed job.

So as long as they are on the rota, I probably wouldn't raise the order.

But I do think it's something everyone should have to do and that has been the case when I've had this set up. So I'd focus on that.

They’ve given no instructions - ‘you are all adults who know how to clean’ is the sort of approach.

We are going from daily cleaning (M-F) to three times a week too.

Who cleans your gross bathrooms then?

Are you kidding me? Are you actually going to clean the loo after your colleagues? Would I fuck be cleaning the bathrooms unless it’s explicitly in my job description. OP, cop yourself on and refuse this completely.

If there's no bath then why call it a 'bathroom'? It's a loo, toilet, WC but certainly not a bathroom!

Absolutely no chance I would be cleaning a toilet at work. I went and got a degree so I wouldn’t have to clean toilets anymore.

Don’t worry about anybody else. Just refuse to do it. If they want to do it they can but I bet they refuse as soon as you do.

Fuck. That. Shit.

No way would I be cleaning in my workplace.

I remember when I was 18 and in my first job, the company decided they didn’t want to pay for a cleaner and said I had to do it (I was the only woman). I just didn’t do it. They got a cleaner.

Absolutely no way would i clean a unisex toilet at work.
Your manager sounds like david brent.

Ask them if their insurance covers this, and what training they'll be giving you.

i would not be cleaning a toilet.
I would also be declining to do any cleaning unless EVERYONE was included in the rota, whatever their pay grade.

The deal is, as a manager, you don't ask your staff to do anything you don't do.

ETA: one way to handle it is just not to do it (i would say, though, clean up after yourself in the kitchen, and don't leave the toilet in a mess) and see what happens. Are you going to be fired for not cleaning the toilet?