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?

You always split a restaurant bill don’t you?

Would being a team player extend to chipping in to a tea bag fund when you only drink the coffee or making a round of hot drinks when you only drink bottled water from home?

Of course youre not on the washing up rota if you never use anything that needs to be washed up

What kind of team player co worker would expect that?

Yes, unless I think someone probably can't afford it or doesn't want to. Why not.

I'm not interested in these sorts of battles really. So many people are so kind to me in my life. I feel very lucky. I really feel I've got plenty of paying it forward to do, and I'm happy to take the opportunity. But it's ok if others disagree. I'm not here for fight club.

I took my own cutlery and crockery to work, used it, washed it up and locked it in my desk for the next day. Rest of the team squabbled about people not loading, unloading the dishwasher. I kept out of it. Not my circus, not my monkeys.

my response would totally depend on the work politics atmosphere and how securely employed I felt ,

id be tempted to Send a group message back

” I don’t need to be on this rota as I have never used the facilities “

but I’d make sure I was never seen in that area and extra careful not to ever fling a teaspoon in the sink

You don't get to choose her 'battles' - she does!

@Justryingtofigureitout YANBU

I would just say to please remove my name as I don't use anything if they said 'that's what everyone says' or something I would just say. 'I have my own mug & I am not cleaning up after others people's food. Please remove me from the rota, I don't want to have to take this to HR'.

It has nothing to do with being a team player.

If I'm employed as an accountant I'm not paid to do the dishes, I'm not paid by the hour to be on the premises, I'm paid to do my job.

I'm a team player when it comes to getting the work completed & will do 'junior' tasks if/when necessary, but I'm not cleaning up a kitchen & dishes I don't use. Especially as a vegetarian, I'm not handling everyone's dirty meat dishes.

@AmelieSummer25 you crack on then. It's a bit weird that you think I'm trying to make you wash up dirty meat dishes. I promise you I'm not.

The OP asked a question and I said she should consider what her goal is in arguing this point. She might consider and conclude her goal is to not wash up, which is fine. If that's the most important thing to her, as it is to you. But she might have other goals, and it's always worth thinking about these things, rather than getting hung up on a petty point of principle.

I see lots of people on this thread marching off to HR in their minds. Maybe that's warranted, maybe it isn't. Only the OP really has the context here. I think it's ok to counsel her to look a little before she leaps.

We wash our own. If I'm waiting for the kettle to boil and someone dumped dishes in the sink I might wash them up- but they're usually a pretty close colleague who will have made me tea several times that week and clearly got busy.

Mind you, we couldn't manage paying equitably for communal milk in the fridge so we now have about 12 milk cartons.

Just tell them what you’ve told us!
every office I’ve ever worked in has a you use it you wash policy.

Everyone should wash their own dishes.

Nope!
Clean your own dishes. It’s not difficult.

A Ha - you're a "paying it forward" person. I'm not after a fight either, but I had the conversation with DH about "paying it forward" and offered my opinion that it was more quid pro quo than Hannibal Lector. Calculating, passive-aggressive, fake, the opposite of altruistic. Can't remember the other words I used to describe it...

If its like my workplace it doesn't matter what you do it won't work. It will start with some people taking their correct turn whilst some ignore the rota and continue to dump dirty cups in the sink. Those who are washing up will gradually get fed up and resort to just washing up what they use. The others will continue adding to the ever growing pile in the sink and only wash anything when it reaches the point where there is nothing left that's clean. They will then only wash the items they intend to use then add them to the pile.
I keep my own mug and a teaspoon for yogurts in my locker.

this is so odd to me. In our office everyone cleans up after themselves 🤷‍♀️ no way would I wash up after anyone else.

I take all my lunch things home and wash them there. Some people in my work are clarty plus the cloths/sponges/brushes are highly suspect! Why should I scrape someone’s concreted Weetabix off a bowl while they enjoy a full break?

I am not paid to wash up other functioning adults dishes. In a previous job it was a very small office (5staff)and the accountant kept leaving his plate and knife smeared with butter on the worktop (not even the sink). I actually washed it once as it was in my way and the financial controller did the same, then I started leaving it. The lazy bastard kept leaving it. One morning the Director came out of the kitchen and said ‘whose dishes are those in the kitchen.’ We said ‘accountant’s’ he want in yet and the Director said ‘well I’ll drop him a note, that’s bloody disgusting it’s not a student flat!’ The accountant logged into his computer then went into the kitchen to wash up ashe obviously saw the e-mail. He washed his stuff every day after that but he did say he thought I should be doing it as the office administrator. No mate, you have two hands use them. He was so lazy in general though.

About a month ago our wellbeing team lead implemented a cleaning rota after more than a dozen people asked for it in an anonymous suggestion box.

Hardly anyone is doing it - I suspect the people who asked for it thought "someone else" not a particular someone, just not them, would do it. I have been doing my rota'd day but am increasingly resentful!

I'd opt out with a simple factual explanation as PP have said.

When I left my first position, one of the males in an equivalent position told me to behave as per my position, not as per my sex. It stood me in good stead, I stopped acting as the office doormat.

Unleash your inner Grange Hill and Just Say No

Sorry, rotas don't work and how stupid to pay staff their hourly rate to stand over a sink rather than deal with the real issue - you use it, then you wash it up!!

Not only do i take my own mug in to work, I take my own flask of tea. And I bring them both home again at the end the day. No washing up rota, and more to the point, no sodding tea rota either.

Just cross your name off if it ever appears on any rota OP. And add that you have terrible eczema so can’t go near washing up liquid for heath and safety reasons.

What a load of nonsense 🤨🙄 Or maybe the fully grown ass adults (presumably) can learn to tidy up their own mess after themselves like everyone else does in the real world. It does not take long to wash up a mug / spoon / plate / whatever. It is not someone else’s job to pick up after you just because you cannot be bothered and is not fair on those who show common courtesy towards others by not leaving their crap around to have to then spend their time tidying up after others who don’t give them the same respect back.

Our work has done the same; I've refused to participate as I don't use the kitchen/dishes/etc

Simple solution is for workplace to remove any cutlery/crockery that they provide.

Then each person brings in their own and cleans it up.

If it hangs around for a few days then the cleaners should bin it as a health hazard.

I would not be washing up disgusting congealed food - I hate the smell of old food/unwashed dishes. I don't eat at work.

Also, when would I be doing this - in my break? Hell no. Otherwise strangely enough I am rather busy doing my actual job.