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 would not be doing this.

Incredibly poor of management not to include themselves, what a poor example. I wouldn't be doing it at all.

I don’t think it’s sexist as the 4 other men are on it. However I do think if there is someone of an equivalent grade to you, you should both be on it or neither. It’s definitely something “ist” but not sure sexist is the right term.

also if the manager is expecting others to do it, he should be willing to do it himself!!! Hate workplaces with that kind of ranking/seniors are superior etc

Fuck no. And I would be telling him that it won’t be happening, and if he pushes it you will be taking legal advice as this is sex discrimination

Don’t ask anyone to do something you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself!

yes I’d empty a bin, wipe a unit, wash some
mugs. Cleaning a toilet that had been used by at least 13 other people and not my own family/guests. NO CHANCE!

I would insist on a pay increase if they were going to give me a new job. In fact I would simply refuse to do it

The woman who is first on the list will experience the worst as she will have to pick up again after 4 days of half arsed male cop out.

Agree with others. You need to send an email asking

• why the 2 male managers aren't taking part,
• -where is your training and PPE,
• how you are covered in insurance for skin and eye burns, coming into contact with infectious bodily fluids from excrement, urine and period blood.
• where is your uniform so that office clothes don't get destroyed.

None of this is appropriate

I wouldn't be cleaning the toilet. What does it say in your contract?

I would absolutely not be cleaning toilets at work.
What's your hourly rate I bet the cleaner would be cheaper?
Have you been trained in using the different products? Are they appropriately insured for you to be doing cleaning?

As for the sexism...fucking hell, that's the tip of the ice berg.

The reason most women will expect the men to be shit at it is because men leaving women to fill in the gaps in office environments is so common that many here will have experienced it. It isn't that men are incapable or that they are inherently more messy than women. It's that they have a tendency to leave all the little things that don't get kudos to others - especially if there are women around - and dodge equal turn taking more than women do. It's more pronounced with tasks that have traditionally been fulfilled by women (making the tea, taking minutes, organizing cars/work dos, and cleaning) but it's the case with almost all administrative or junior tasks.

I always clean up after myself at work but no way would I be doing anything an office cleaner does.

Entirely not appropriate for an office. When i worked in a restaurant, we knew from day one that cleaning was everyone's job and it was part of our hours.
You said that everyone would have to refuse but that is not the case. Firmly decline.

I know the system I have to clean my house, storing the sprays, which cloth is for the loo and which one i wipe the fridge with... Other adults who know how to clean don't know my system. Also not all adults know how to clean. That's why you pay for professionals. You'll all end up Ill. Genius money-saving move. Say no - your boss has!

While it's worth pointing out the fact that certain people aren't on the rota, don't let this be your sticking point @Kayleigh1234 .

The fact that management have gone for the common-sense '"you all know how to clean" shows that haven't thought this out at all.

Excellent points about training, insurance, OHS, etc have already been made.

In the end it's not your job.

Hang on. If grilled about this, say you find the whole idea "triggering". That seems to work for so many situations these days. No need to mention that it triggers you into wanting to punch their lights out.

Pretty sure they need to do all the coshh training method statements and the like.

That's fucked up. The fact that him and his deputy are not on it at all?
It should be evenly spread between each person. Not all the women doing more.

And quite frankly it's grim not to have a cleaner.
What about desks, food crumbs, tiny splashes of soup, greasy handsets and keyboards, dusty shelves etc?

I'd say it could be a vermin risk. To clean an office properly you need to dust everything and hoover and wash the kitchen floor, deep clean fridge every couple weeks...that's before we even think about toilets.
it's too much for an office with that many people.

Honestly I'd get everyone to refuse it and tell the manager the cleaner needs reinstating.

I don’t think it should matter what order people are in, but there should be a clear expectation that everyone at a specific grade is doing it or not doing it. In these circumstances, I would probably have expected them to add it to the job description of the most junior person, or possibly to everyone except the most senior person. But they can’t just pick and choose.

I wouldn’t do it. You could consider taking a sick day. I bet the men won’t do it or will it do it really badly.

I'd refuse to do this. Especially cleaning the bathroom. We had similar at one of my work places with the kitchen and coffee machine, everyone on a roster except management. Fuck that, wish I had been braver and stood up for myself (in saying that I think I managed to get out of it and only did it once)

Absolutely not. I would refuse on health and safety grounds. Have you had training, has it been assessed. I’m not one to go down the h&s route but cleaning the office loo, hell no.

Happy clean up and wash what I’ve used in the kitchen or put in the dishwasher and even unpack it. But other people’s mess, no way. And the loo is so far from something I would consider it’s a joke

The order shouldn't matter, so it begs the question - Why is it like that? Because the chances of it being random are very small.