A washing up rota at work. I don’t use anything.

[Justryingtofigureitout]

Someone had set up a washing up rota at work and I don’t use a single item. Am I being unreasonable by saying no?

It's not really about being unreasonable or not. Consider, what is your goal?

Being a good team player, helping out, pitching in - these are all good ways to work well with others. What's the huge downside of washing up once in a while? After all, you are being paid to do it.

Not in the slightest. Just respond to them and say you don't use the facilities, so there's no need for you to be on the rota.

I’m not paid to wash up. I’m paid to do my actual job.

OP no way would I do this. I’m not a skivvy. Even if I used items I would wash my own things only.

Or everybody who uses something could just wash up that thing. That would be being a team player, too, making sure nobody is stuck picking up after you.

I'd just explain that I didn't use anything and therefore won't be part of the rota.

If my name stayed on it I would just grey rock every time it was mentioned.

I may even blank my name out depending on my mood at any given moment.

Pick your battles and this ain't one. Roll up your sleeves and be a team player

I wouldn't do it if I didn't use any of the facilities. I go to work to get away from household drudgery. I have my own mug at work, wash it after use and keep it in my office.
Other people use several mugs a day and leave them in the sink, not my responsibility.

Rotas don't work. One person says no, the next one the list know they haven't done it and either feels resentful or refuses themselves. Then next thing you know there's no clean shit there and the big bitching.

Nope.

No way I would do this.

@Weirdaf1
''I have my own mug at work, wash it after use and keep it in my office.
Other people use several mugs a day and leave them in the sink, not my responsibility.''

Exactly. That's what I did as well when I was office-based. Everyone is an adult and can/should clean up after themselves...

I am not at work to be anyone's maid.

This. Those who make the dishes, need to wash up.

Just ignore it when it's your turn, after all the person who wrote it ignored the fact that you don't ever use anything.

Bloodybhell can't people just wash their own things up like grown ups
I'd decline too

Yes, exactly. Whose crazy idea was it to get a rota? Just wash your own stuff up and concentrate on doing the job you're paid for.

Ugh. At my old company we had a washing rota and it was vile having to clean up others dirty lunch dishes! Or the guy who drinks 20 cups of tea a day and leaves the tea bags in every one…

They then announced they were extending the rota to include cleaning the communal toilets. That was the final straw for most of us.

Explain you are opting out as you do not use anything that requires washing up

Hardly a battle, just "count me out the rota please, I don't use the facilities".

Exactly.

If everyone was on the rota, including the director - fine, but we work a hybrid pattern too and the whole thing would get confusing. It's a nightmare and the kitchen is awful.

I take a flask, a mug from home, a salad and cutlery. Take it all home with me. I don't go near the office kitchen.

I would also decline to be on the rota as not using the facilities. Keep it short but be firm.

This is the second thread like this I've seen recently. Are lots of offices abandoning cleaning staff and expecting their actual staff to do the cleaning instead?

I'm ALL for being a team player and I'll happily make a round of teas or take my turn at doing the admin for a meeting, but I don't understand this mindset of it being a shared responsibiliy to clean an office or shared spaces. And it's always cleaning isn't it? ie something that's traditionally done by women. It's never washing windows or moving desks or laying carpets.

I think it’s weird to expect anything other than everyone just washes their own stuff at work.

I never use any of the stuff either but even for the people who do, it’s weird that to be allowed to use a single mug each day they have to agree to scrub stinky stuck on food off other peoples plates.

Not to mention there’s just so much to consider. Does the celiac have to wash up the gluten sandwich plates? Does the Muslim/Jewish colleague have to touch plates that have had someone’s BLT on? Does someone with a milk allergy need to touch everyone’s milky tea? Does the vegetarian need to clean up meat juice? What if I’m pregnant and just hate the smell of fish right now?

And if not, who do we need to plead our cases to regarding our private religious beliefs/allergies/personal preferences? Who decides if it’s good enough? If someone doesn’t do it, does the next person have to do double?

Its just bizarre and feels weirdly intrusive to insist on a rota. Isn’t it polite just to use what you need, wash it up and put it back? I was always taught to leave things as I found them, as if I was never there.

The idea of a staffroom of people leaving all of their lunch plates with bits of food on the side so someone can clean up after them feels weird to me. Overly familiar somehow. It’s not a family home.

Wash things up as you use them, empty your stuff out of the fridge and wipe the microwave down when you’re done. It should be simple.

"We don't need a rota. People should clean up after themselves. Those people that are failing to clean up after themselves, will also avoid meeting their rota commitments - so it's not fair on everybody else.

I won't be participating in this experiment."

I would decline. We have a washing rota, milk rota and birthday rota. It’s too much. All for being a team player, but I don’t really use communal stuff

I used my own mug and cutlery and wash it after. I don’t drink milk. Don’t mind a card for the birthday rota, but the person in charge of the birthday rota insists a present bought of £20. I got bought nipple tassels and a fancy iced milk coffee set. I don’t drink milk as it makes me ill. My team must think I am more exciting than I am.

YANBU, OP. Every place I have ever worked expected people to clean up after themselves.

I agree with those saying to second. Just let the person know and cross your name of the list is it remains. Adults at work can be resounding for cleaning up their use of a staff kitchen.

And yes to the advice comment about organisations paying less for cleaners. Ours decided to stop having most things cleaned. It's the nhs. It looks dirty and very unprofessional.