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?

It did for certain, but I was a tiny cog in the machine. Working for a cleaning company, not for myself. I just did what I could in the time I had and left for the next job.
It was common though in lots of places, I'm very very glad I no longer have to clean. Shit work for shit money and always someone on at you for something you did/didnt do but should have known (by osmosis or something) to do/not do.

Even in places where it was stated they bring the mugs to the canteen or whatever, it always slid to the default over time of leaving on the desks.

One in particular was an absolute cow, she left 20+ coke cans on her desk, I was supposed to intuit which of these cans were to be binned and which ones she wanted to keep. I just left them all there every day. Saw her more than once muttering vile things about the cleaner who wouldnt clean her desk.

I think it's really telling when you have someone very senior do something that some may consider 'beneath' them, I've really respected mgmt when they've done something like that. Plus it's just the decent thing to do.

Where is the sink? If the only sink is 3 flights down stairs then make it part of the junior's job description. If there is a sink next to the coffee machine they wash up themselves.

I agree with the comment that young people should not be saying that's not my job, their manager should be saying it for them.

I’m absolutely pissing myself laughing at anyone who thinks a company will “lose money” because a senior manager spends 30 seconds rinsing out their own cup.

I 100% agree with you. No one should expect someone else to wash their mug, unless it’s part of a cleaning contract. And even though the cleaners at my office are paid to load the dishwasher, I always wash my own mug. It saves them some work as most of them work 2-3 jobs.

People in better paid positions should be even more aware of expecting this of people in lower paid positions. People are paid for their role, not their ‘importance’. All jobs are important.

Men should be even more aware of expecting this of women, as it appears sexist.

And White people should be even more aware of expecting this of people who are racially or religiously minoritised, especially if they claim to be anti-racist or to value diversity, which I assume (being a charity) they do.

@Icanthinkformyselfthanks It was completely normal in 1983 when I started my job as an office junior. I had to make coffee for everyone, too - in addition to my very busy, time critical workload. I would have thought things had changed in 2024!

It’s really simple. Just stop washing their pots, leave them where they put them. You don’t have to say anything. They won’t kick back on it, they know it’s unreasonable.

I had a similar conversation with someone recently.

I'd never really thought anything of it, but someone asked me "what do you call the people that work for you?" and I said "my colleagues, why?". She pointed out her boss called her "my employees" in front of a customer and said it felt very pointed and degrading, as if she thought she was better than them.

I read an article once that someone very high up in a tech company would interview people and always scored people highly if, at the end of the interview, they asked what they should do with their cups/rubbish. Those that just left it on the table scored lower as they obviously thought there was someone else there to clean up after them. It's a concept I've taken into consideration when I've interviewed people since.

That and asking the receptionist's opinion. How they treat them is a really good indicator if I want them on my team!

I was doing a lot of it even though I am in a professional role. My immediate colleagues sharing the kitchen are more senior than me and mostly male. In the end, I asked for a dishwasher to be installed, which they did.

Why aren't you speaking to the Execs about it instead of complaining here and doing it yourself?

I suspect this behaviour has been going on for years and the execs have not thought to question their behaviour and how it makes them look.

Normally I pitch in, if there’s an unwashed, I think it was probably a guest cup, or person for whatever reason didn’t wash mug. Not sure I’d get in a twist about mugs.
If There’s team ethos, doesn’t always mean everyone does their own thing.

seething quietly not effective, A polite reminder, or sign saying “please wash mugs after use”
Perhaps there are things those non-cup washers are doing that you don’t see - but should appreciate. And they are quietly seething that no one appreciates the coffee machine & pods …

I think context is everything here. I can see a situation where the boss/owner, who ultimately has to take responsibility and ownership, could use the word "employees" and it would be completely fine. In corporate speak, we tend to use employees fairly rarely, but in HR type situations it might be used in the contxt of the "firm's employees are all entitled to x, y z".

Most of us would refer to other staff as "colleagues", but there are other times where other words work best. I've seen lots of senior people refer to "my team" or even just small close knit groups who work closely toegther saying "our team". Similarly, "staff" is used more often in reference to the company than an individual, "The company's staff will be available to answer questions..." but again, in, for example, hospitality I've often seen the person in charge refer to "my staff" but it's positioned in a way that makes it clear that "while I, boss person, will not PERSONALLY be handling your luggage/meal prep/drinks order, I am ultimately responsible for it and confident that my "staff" will handle it just as competently as I would."

This was very much the norm in the big corporate office I started working in back in 2005. The juniors made the tea/coffee for everyone and then cleared the cups. The actual washing up was done by cleaners twice a day. However I haven’t seen similar dynamics for the last 10 years - everyone does their own in the big corporate office where I work; although now you mention it I’ve never actually seen the CEO at the sink…

It's one mug! Jesus.

Shows complete lack of self-awareness on the part of the senior executives. They should be reminded of this in their 360 feedback (hopefully you have that). Otherwise just tell them.

Definitely not acceptable these days, everyone in our organisation including the CEO is expected to clean up after themselves. And if they don't want to do that, then they should employ some actual catering/cleaning staff for that purpose, not just expect the youngest staff members to do it for them.

At an office I used to work in occasionally, all the guys left their dirty cups for the only female to wash up, she eventually put up a sign to say that it is everybody's responsibility to wash up their own cups. It took a few days until all the cups were dirty (except the one she kept in her drawer) then they were washing up as they went

Mugs are fragile things and I'm quite clumsy. 😂

One mug. One plate. One counter to wipe. One phone to answer. One toilet ot clean. One desk to vacuum.....

But actually, mostly I think we shouldn't be washing mugs as we go. They get done badly that way which is not hygeniec or it's a lot of wasted water and soap.

There is no adult that can't pick up after themselves in the office. Wash the bloody cup, it's not rocket science.

I'd bet money that these execs are all men

Damn, there are WOMEN who behave like this?! Unbelievable.

Yanbu. The senior staff are taking the piss and need to cut it out.

Stop doing it!!

It's not appropriate unless everyone does it, big boss included.

No I am sure the senior staff never take personal calls, have chats about their holidays, pop to the shop over the road or even sneeze....every single second of their day must surely be spent completely working with not even a minute spare to do anything else!