I'm shocked at the entitlement, others think it's normal..?

[Bigstyle]

I work for a small charity. There are three very important, very well paid executives and a small team of "workers".

The executives like their coffee and mostly make it themselves, using the office pod machine. But at the end of the day they bring their cups into the main office for the most junior staff member to wash.

Now, I get that our job is basically to support them, but I can't imagine doing this to my staff. The "junior" doesn't have hot drinks so it's not even like she's going to wash her own cup.

I think it's outrageous, the general attitude it demonstrates rather than the task, but they clearly think it's perfectly normal.

Is it?

Absolutely not. This is unacceptable. If the execs are so busy they can give up some of their high salary to get an office dishwasher. It's different if it's in the junior person's job description but it sounds like it's not. People show you who they are by how they treat people they consider lower status than them. I'm sure they spout lots about how much they value inclusivity, but everyone can see their real values from what they actually do.

I still think that pulling rank and being entitled are not justified, whether the Junior is an unpaid position [intern-style], to learn the ropes and get work experience, or a volunteer, or a staff member. Why should a manager consider it infra dig to wash his own mug?

I worked in a hospice where all the other nurses left their mugs in the sink, I taped a note to the wall that said ' Your mother doesn't work here, please wash your own cup'
Problem solved

Ah, the condescending note, everyone loves those!

Ah but it worked and no one thought it was condescending !

Completely inappropriate - what makes them think it’s anything else?

That was a really good way of dealing with it and as you said it worked.

There used to be a great website called passive aggressive notes.

Perhaps in the 1950s, but assuming that junior staff will do menial non-work tasks is archaic and unacceptable.

Every workplace I've ever worked in

I used to work in a solicitors office. It was written into the job descriptions that the secretaries had to make tea for the more senior members of staff and wash up any cups.
At the time I was very particular about how I liked my tea so I would prefer to make it myself.
My boss told me off a number of times for making my own tea.
In the end I just stopped drinking tea at work.

I agree that it's the assuming that is at fault here. If it were an agreed part of the job and done during working hours it's completely normal for a small office environment, like collecting/opening the post or booking the taxis. I don't agree that it's a non-work task though; if the directors want someone to wash cups then they can require that to be part of someone's role, but they can't just assume.

Organise a washing up rota and include the execs’ names on it.

It is a bit condescending to imply that my mother, or anyone else's, washes cups. Why not just put a note saying "please wash your cup", why are you dragging stereotypical parent rolls into it?

You are reading too much into this poster’s note.

Probably, but I'm not the only one who gets triggered by notes that infantilise or 'tell you off', rather than just saying "please do x". It's not necessary and it just gets people's backs up, it doesn't make for good office culture imo.

God forbid - then the people who don’t like instructional notes would be triggered.

If everyone just washed their dishes and behaved like proper grown up people in the workplace instead of inconsiderate a-holes then there wouldn’t be a need for notes of any variety and no-one would be triggered. That’s what would make good office culture.

That was kind of my point?

Your point was that some notes are not acceptable because you feel triggered by them, but other notes are fine.

My point is that no-one needs to feel triggered/upset/condescended/insert other overreaction here by simply washing their dishes and/or the other basic activities that shows consideration for colleagues.

Yes, I agree. Which is why I feel that notes should be respectful and factual in the workplace.

But leaving your dirty cups, in the sink, with the expectation that someone else will do it, even though it’s not part of their job description, is not respectful in any way, in the workplace either. I say good for them for writing that note, in that way.

No one is so busy and important that they can't take a minute to wash up their own cups. If they've got the tone to make and drink coffee, they have the time to wash up the mug.

Notes shouldn't be needed - the entitled people who think it's appropriate to leave their dishes in the sink for others to wash will take umbrage regardless. It's a bit like people who park over 2 lines or in disabled spaces - they don't suddenly have an epiphany when you point out their dickish behaviour, regardless of how you factually or respectfully you word it. They are the type who do what they want and no-one is going to tell them otherwise.

Who gives a shit if they take umbrage?

At least the expectation is laid out for them so they know it's been noticed and is pissing other people off.

No-one should give a shit - just like no-one should have to tailor the wording on their 'tidy your crap up' posters to avoid triggering/upsetting/whatevs their colleagues.