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?

Whilst I think it's lazy to be leaving cup washing for a colleague (junior or otherwise) I do think you are adding to the problem and really should use this as an opportunity to either speak to the exec & explain how it's causing unnecessary resentment and is so easily resolved by everyone just taking responsibility for their own items. Or if you think they'll ignore that, put out a 'polite reminder' to all staff & volunteers to washing up after themselves- dress it up as a positive culture change or whatever best fits but make it clear it's no one's job but their own.

Nah, not in any decent workplace.

Its either do your own, pay the cleaner extra time to do it, use disposable cups.

But to address @Tiedyesquad , with whom I agree, in our office the cleaner puts it all in the dishwasher.

I'm in a senior leadership role in my company and expecting 'junior' staff to wash mugs is massively inappropriate.

We have cleaners and we have caterers in our buildings. But it's also not their job to wash up my personal coffee mug(s) ar the end of the day (obviously if we're having a catered meeting and coffee/food is supplied then that's different).

Everywhere I've worked for the past two decades had the same culture - we either sort out our brews and washing up OR there's a rota of sorts where everyone at every grade chips in with brewing/washing up. It depends on the workplace. I know some large corporate offices have dishwashing machines in colleague kitchens which only cleaning staff are 'allowed' to load/unload/run but even then, other staff are expecting to stack their empty mugs neatly next to it; the cleaning staff aren't their skivvies.

Never in a million years would I expect a more junior colleague of mine to wash my mug. And if my senior leadership colleagues did, I'd be pulling them up on it.

These sorts of attitudes wind me up no end - not least as my own smart, driven, mother worked as a commercial cleaner when I was growing up and people in the sort of role I'm in now looked down their noses as it. Ugh. The entitlement!

Just leave them in the sink and see if they get the hint. Unless there is a cleaner to fulfil this task it's everyone's personal responsibility to clean after themselves. Isn't there a note saying everyone should wash up their own dishes???

Could you not install a dishwasher and make everyone put cups inside, then either office manager or cleaner puts in on last thing?
Or if there isn't really an office manager/pa type person then it should be last person to leave puts on dw as well as locking up etc.
I'm presuming you have an office cleaner?
Unless it's literally in someone's contract to wash the CEOs cup by hand and nothing has been discussed then just leave them there.
If they need to use it in the morning and you have no cleaner then they can wash it themselves?

It’s not unreasonable - but it should have been in her job description so she knew from the start.

If it wasn’t and she didn’t, and the managers CBA to do it, then include it in the cleaners’ tasks if they are in daily, or get a dishwasher.

No one needs to die on this hill.

In our office we have a cleaner. We were told to wash all our mugs and crockery so as not to create extra work for her. I think after she complained. From what I've seen, though, people aren't doing that any more.

Middle manager here, I used to end up cleaning our kitchen because I couldn’t leave it with the mentality someone else would do it.
everyone should clean up after themselves.

My god. Get over yourselves and wash up.

Ah now that is crackers - she should report this to whatever body runs the apprenticeship when she leaves.

If you back her stance, you should back her stance.

Omg, that is ridiculous, do they pat you on the arse and expect you to remind them of their wedding anniversary date too?

Politely tell them to piss off!

We got a new very Senior Manager in our office who used to leave all his dishes for ‘somebody’ to wash. He is only in the office one week a month and just left a trail of mess behind him on his desk. The first time we cleared it up but after that we just left it. He came back to find mould growing in his coffee cup and muttered something about him being expected to do everything around here, but he has never done it again.

If it’s not in her job role that she is to do this then your making it worse by doing them although you think your helping. If it’s in her role and expected then she should be doing them but if it’s not and they just expect her to because she is junior then you need to leave the pots because whilst they are being done their not going to learn they need to do their own.

Organise a rota with everyone on it and ask for approval at next meeting.

LOL I own my own small business and I would never expect anyone to wash my mug apart from me

But then I treat my staff with respect as I consider myself lucky to have such skilled and loyal people who are a pleasure to work with

Is it normal for charities to be led by lazy entitled slobs?

It was normal back in the day but most places have moved on. How old are the executives?

Do they think the cleaners are doing this?

Taking out that it is pretty crap for someone to wash another colleagues cup, it is very normal IME if the 'junior' role is e.g. general office support or front of house/reception type role.

That is wrong, the least they could do is wash their own cups.

This is a horrible attitude. Nobody is that important that they can’t take 5 minutes to make a coffee and wash a cup. If you want a glorified servant, employ a PA and put picking up your lunch in the job description.

No, this is not normal. The partners at the firm I work at wouldn't dream of asking someone else to wash their cups.

I was the only woman in an all male team. I never washed their dishes. You had to bring your own coffee so I had a to go mug from home. There was some pointed comments about why am I washing the dishes when there is a bird sitting there to others not to me. I’m sarcastic, and funny luckily, so would speak up and people would laugh so it was all “just banter”. Utterly exhausting though I don’t miss it.

That's awful. Everyone should wash their own cups.