Mouse droppings and wee on desks...

[acatcalledjohn]

...and staff themselves having to clean it up.

I am shocked to hear this from my DP. Surely this is the employer's responsibility from a health and safety point of view, seeing as mice are classed as vermin and could carry diseases?

We had this some years back, and it was definitely down to the cleaners to clean it up short term, and facilities to sort out the vermin problem longer term. Whether they have any legal responsibility, I don't know, but we do have food prep areas on site, and we've had an IT outage from vermin chewing cables, so it makes sense for them to sort it as soon as they can (It didn't happen overnight, obviously, and I doubt it's a permanent fix, they'll have to remain vigilant, but there certainly haven't been signs of mice or other vermin for years, unless you count the rabbits on the grassy banks outside.)

I saw a rat at a previous place of work, and reported it. The person who took the call said, "How will they know it's the same rat?" I'm still trying to work out why it would matter if it were the same rat - there were no doubt more about, and I'd like them all not to be there, or at least, controlled to the point they weren't running around in daylight.

The employers are obliged under the health and safety at work act to take steps to ensure facilities and infrastructure are a safe working environment. It sounds like they need to get a pest control service in to get rid of the mice!!
And no, employees should not be expected to clean up after mice, that's gross.

Gawk, that's grim. I suggest he reports his employer to the council's environmental health department.

Apparently they already have traps out. The mouse, however, is wise and instead's been munching on someone's grapes

I'll not mention that this is a council office

"The mouse"! Hah! You don't get one mouse... There'll be dozens of the dirty little brutes.

If it's a council office, hopefully your DP is in a union, and hopefully they have a H&S rep on site, or they should at least have access to a union H&S officer who can advise on how to proceed.

There'll be loads, indeed. However, the anecdotes do sound better if you just refer to "the mouse"

It's been reported to management. Told him to take it further if they don't do something quickly.