MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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We have a kitchen which four different teams use. No service users use this kitchen, it's staff only.
Most days of the week, it's minging. People use the microwave, food explodes within it, person removes what's left of the meal that stayed on the plate and leaves the inside of the microwave resplendant with its chicken korma curry decoration, next person comes in with pasta bake...blam, interiour of microwave gets redesigned again and so on.
Some people have higher standards of hygene but rather than clean somebody else's mess up and use the microwave, they walk away hungry or eat their food cold and moan about it.
The sink, cooker and fridge are often in a similar state. Some people don't mind and wade through the mess, others moan and refuse to use the kitchen.
Now then. My boss has written up a roster for everybody across all teams to take turns to clean the kitchen. Everybody is named. That's fine with me.
Some people won't go near the kitchen. It's not a biological hazard as some would have it believed but then again, remains of food from mid Feb that was spotted today is a bit iffy to say the least.
The non kitchen users say they will refuse to clean the kitchen. I say they'll have to as it's a reasonable request from the boss and that little caveat "anything reasonable asked of you by your manager has to be done" is written into just about every contract of employment these days.
What do you lot think? OK to refuse or is their going to be a few empty desks and people looking for a new job soon?
reasonable: the facility is there to use - if they choose not to use it is not relevant.
we have a similar microwave here. also some prick keeps drinking my milk.
I had that issue Thomthumb until I dropped into conversation that I'm manic depressive and I drop my medication into my milk each morning so that I get a slow and steady release of drugs during the day with each coffee I have. Funnily enough, nobody steals my milk or asks me to make a coffee anymore :-}
Absolutely reasonable to refuse to clean a kitchen you do not use. Its not a normal part of your duties nor is it anything you could reasonably be expected to do - especially as it is a staff room and nothing to do with the job you do
Sad that adults need to be dealt with this way. It's not an unreasonable request at all, but it's more reasonable to say that if you make a mess you clean it up. But a bit harder to police.
Hardly going to be a sack-able offence.
Can't they get cleaners in?
This scenario is played out in offices throughout the world 🙁
I now just clean things before I use them then leave them afterwards - kind of an inverted cleaning up after myself.
the inside of the microwave resplendant with its chicken korma curry decoration, next person comes in with pasta bake...blam, interiour of microwave gets redesigned again and so on.
Does this mean that the usable volume of the microwave gets smaller and smaller with time? Soon there'll only be enough room for a single cuppa soup... eww 🙂
Does this mean that the usable volume of the microwave gets smaller and smaller with time?
But if you were ever really hungry you could scrape a slice off, soak it in water then reheat it...
I now just clean things before I use them then leave them afterwards - kind of an inverted cleaning up after myself.
This is effectively how our kitchen at work works. Some weeks that's how my kitchen at home works too, depending on time available!
I walked off a temp job for this exact reason - I CBF'd cleaning a kitchen that I didn't use. Actually, that place was awful: there was a normal kitchen and a temps' kitchen. Temps were not allowed to use the permanents' kitchen and there would be emails along the lines of "Will ALL temps PLEASE NOTE that BISCUITS are provided as a snack only and ARE NOT TO BE EATEN IN LARGE QUANTITIES to replace a meal". **** that!
I make my own sandwiches and clean the plate myself afterwards. I am not cleaning up other peoples mess nor equipment I don not use.
Sounds reasonable to me. I've been in a similar situation (Still am in a way) and the only way is either to a) Lock the kitchen up so nobody can use it or b) Force everyone to clean it.
People will soon buck their ideas up. But yes, it is very sad when stuff gets treated like that.
Pffft. That's nothing. We've just had signs put up around the toilets about using a toilet brush to clean up after yourself. Apparently the female toilets are revolting, so I'm lead to believe.
This in a solicitors' office!
Apparently the female toilets are revolting, so I'm lead to believe.
My brother used to be a cleaner in our local Debenhams and he said the womens' toilets were invariably much, MUCH worse than the mens' - faeces wiped on walls, used sanitary towels wiped on walls/left on the floor etc.
:-O
i worked in a place where i started on monday , looked at the kitchen
ate sandwiches in the park after that ....
there were numerous memos to the staff to clean it up or loose it ....
last job when i was there was to put the kitchen in a skip !
Don't see the problem with it. After the initial clean, as long as people stick to the rota, it shouldn't take too long for subsequent going-overs and will be in a significantly more pleasant condition to use and keep clean.
Shame that your management have had to resort to such measures because of a few scummers.
we just have signs in our kitchen, the microwave one reads
"if you use me, please clean me"
the scary thing is imagine what peoples houses are like :O
Its not a reasonable instruction to people who don't use the kitchen. completely non enforceable and the manager will look pretty stupid if he tried to enforce it.
You cannot use the catch-all phrase in a contract to make people do something like cleaning.
Bollox to that why should I clean up someone else's mess and why should they clean up mine?
Also, what salaries are people on at your work? It might actually be more cost effective to get a cleaner in to sort that stuff out.... if you're in a professional office then it certainly is.
Why not?
The management at the last place I worked at, got rid of all the cleaners to save money. We even had to empty our own bins (Gasp!). After a while, people got hacked off with the mess and towed the line.
I really don't see the big deal. It would have been nice to have cleaners, but once we'd got on top of the job; keeping on top of it was easy. MTFU and buy a jiffy cloth 😆
Actually, barca, have you contacted your union about it? 😉
I wouldn't clean up a kitchen if I never used it.
Getting rid of cleaners is a false economy if you work in an office where people are paid much over the national average.
The cleaner won't do it. She's employed by an agency (Mitie I think) and it's not on her list apparently. She has refused to do the ladies loo on a number of occasions. I'm not sue how they resolved that, I don't use the ladies loo 🙂
I think (hope) the moaners are the ones who clean up their own mess (as do I but I'm not moaning) like any reasonable adult would. The real moaners are the one who refuse to set foot in the kitchen but are stil on the cleaning rotor. I can see their point. Thanks for the replies.
Top salary at my grade (top grade unless you get to line manager level - no thanks) is £22,000 per annum gross. Not too bad.
I don't do unions. It involves joining in and I'm not a joiner inner :-}
You're lucky it's just the kitchen. We now have a rota where we are supposed to clean and wash the floors in the kitchen and locker room, floors and walls in sluice room + gents/ladies toilets then sign a sheet on the wall when you've done it. This in addition to cleaners supposedly doing the same thing 3 X weekly!
All this has to be done during any 'downtime' on station, with aprons and protective gloves to be worn, at the same time being expected to 'drop mops' immediately there is an emergency call.
Not happy 👿
it's a reasonable request in my opinion, just because it isn't in the normal remit of your duties isn't an issue. a rota has been made up and as long as everyone has to do it then there is very little that you can do about it. as has been said the facilitys are there for all to use just becuase you don't use them doesn't exclude you from a rostered duty.
Contracts aside, reasonable requests aside what about common decency to fellow workers and your own self respect, teamwork we called it in the Army, mind you in the 5 years i have been out and mingling with the Civvy Brigade i can now see why the Country is a tip on all aspects,i can only blame so much on the millionaire socialists who have run ( 🙄 ) the country for such a long time, self centered Unionised workforce with no pride left in what they do other than to themselves, Rant over, if the hat fits wear it, if you dont mind bending your back and cleaning up your own mess then apologies. FFS would you leave your own microwave in a state ?
Its not a reasonable instruction to people who don't use the kitchen
I'd put money on it that they do use the kitchen though
OP - do you work at McDonalds perchance?
"Rant over, if the hat fits wear it, if you dont mind bending your back and cleaning up your own mess then apologies. FFS would you leave your own microwave in a state ?"
Is that directed at me? If so, have another read. I've already said that a)I'm not moaning b)I'm going to take my turn on the rotor and c)I clean up after myself.
Come to think of it, I only use the kitchen to keep my milk in the fridge, the kettle for hot water for coffee and the sink to wash my mug up.
If it wasn't directed at me, ignore me.
Snowslave - How Very Dare You 🙂
I have two part time jobs actually, The one being discussed is local council. Council Tax recovery on this team.
barca2 -- No not at you, you obviously care but i dont get this idea that other folk expect to have their mess cleaned up by others, in your position i would get a person from each team and set up a rota, if they dont clean they dont use, lazy O2 thieves,
Unreasonable IMO, if they don't use it they shouldn't be expected to clean it. The boss should ask for rota volunteers, if not enough step forward to maintain it then get rid of the kitchen facilities that cause the mess (I'm not a fan of microwaves in offices anyhow, just leads to stinky food being eaten at desks).
Call me lazy but I don't even help unload the dishwasher after they got rid of the receptionist that used to do it. I already work over my contracted hours unpaid to get my job done so screw spending even 5 mins on stuff that I'm not tracked on.
Anokdale... who are you having a pop at then?
Can Management actually withdraw the facility?
I'm one of 4 people known to have cleaned our kitchen at work this year, I've used the kettle about a dozen times and the microwave about the same, but when I do use the facilites I expect them to be semi clean.
The company removed the crockery, kettle, microwave and oven to spur people into keeping it clean and after the inital moaning when the equipment was returned people have started to keep it a bit cleaner
I have found that walking into an open plan office and shouting out that people have left dirty plates or a mess seems to work.
Why do you have a kitchen as opposed to a kettle and some mugs,perhaps if more time was spent doing whatever your paid to do than, maoaning about who left the microwave dirty, its not my job, i dont use it etc,etc, etc.
Are you all slovenly students that dont know how to live your life no youre away from Mummies home.
Get real and do some work, bring butties or pop out to the local shop and support the shop keeper, who actually works,at provideing a service.
Rant over.
Oh and recycle the microwave for scrap at the local Comet store.
Can I say Project, just for the record, you really are a special kind of dickhead aren't you 🙂
I think you should suggest getting rid of the microwave to your boss Barca.
Its the only way. If people can't use it responsibly then it needs to be taken away IMO.
I can see why everyone has to muck in (as how do you Police someone saying 'oh I only used it once') but then again why is it fair on them if they dont muck the place up?
Thats the only compromise plus microwaves are minging things. You should promote healthier eating!
Are you all on so little money that its cheaper for you to do it in works' time than employ a cleaner?
As stated above, my salary is £21,000 per annum (pro rata) and as it is a council (also stated above), we wouldn't be allowed to employ anybody off our own backs. Also, (as stated above) we have a cleaner but it's not in her listed area to clean for her to do it. Finally (AS STATED ABOVE), she is employed by a 3rd party contractor so we can't just ask her nicely to do it.
If I was getting paid my usual rate to spend time cleaning a kitchen I'd be bloody delighted!
Of course that only works well if you're out the door at closing time every night. If it's the sort of place where your working hours are 'until the job is done' then you can do without such interruptions.
Thankfully my office have a full-time cleaner.
Not a chance in hell I'd do it if I didn't use it. Simple alternative is to say "If you're not on the rota, you don't use the kitchen". THAT'S reasonable. Expecting other people to clean up your mess is not, and that's all this is.
Can I say Project, just for the record, you really are a special kind of dickhead aren't you
+1
Shop choice is pretty limited at midnight or 4 in the morning on a 12 hour shift during which I get two 1/2 hour breaks. Even if there is a shop open it is not exactly healthy to live on take-aways or sandwiches + at least 15 minutes to go and get it makes this a non-starter. Not everyone works 9-5 in a city office you muppet 🙄
With about 15 in our office our kitchen is pretty messy by 11AM but that is proabaly because people leave it for the cleaner who attends nightly. A cleaning rota for four teams sounds unenforceable so i would close the kitchen, maybe for a month and then give it another go. Use CCTV perhaps but probably not worth it. If people are too idle to clean up their own mess then they really can't expect a kitchen.
BTW, are the cleaning materials provided and kept in stock?
Why can't everybody who uses it just clean up when they have had their meal or finished cooking?
Amazes me how adults can be so disgusting and wallow in their own filth
Just chip in, get it all cleaned up and anyone who makes a mess gets banned if they can't be part of a decent society
Amazes me how adults can be so disgusting and wallow in their own filth
I had this view in our work years ago. I actually binned any plates etc that were left on the side or in the sink.
Drastic but I was sick of the mould etc.
Barca, we as council tax payers pay you 21k and then you moan you cant clean up after yourselves, god help the poor council tax payers of your area.What hope for the so called service you provide.
Makes you almost want to vote conservative.
If I was one of the people who didn't use the kitchen I'd be politely telling you to go away if you tried to make me clean up other people's mess. As someone else said, you'll look very silly indeed if you actually try to enforce it. Have a word with your boss, and convince him that it's a stupid idea (and is he really so light on actual work that he has time to draw up a rota like that?).
If it's a genuine health hazard and you're too tied up in bureaucracy to make the cleaner do their job, then just get rid of the facility completely. tbh, even where people are cleaning after themselves it'll still need some proper cleaning done once in a while to keep it hygenic.
ps.
FFS would you leave your own microwave in a state
Yes, my cleaner comes once a week and does it 😀
I agree totally with TJ (I'm always agreeing with him lately!) I clean my own stuff up at work & point blank refuse to wash other peoples cups & plates that get left in the sink. I'll either wash one cup to use myself then wash it afterwards or use my own cheapo placky cup. I keep well away from our m/wave, I'ts a ****ing health hazard.
We have 'core cleaners' (prisoners who clean staff accessed areas) & I even tell them not to wash cups & plates left by staff as it's not their job. If one of our governers gave me a 'rota' to clean the kitchen area I'd have no problem telling him/her which finger to spin on.
Have another read Special Project, it says [b]UP THERE[/b] that [b]I'm[/b] not moaning, other people are.
Can.You.Not.Do.Simple.Comprehension?
I agree totally with TJ
Now I'm worried. Does that mean next? Picket line!
Barca, yes i agree youre not moaning about useing tax payers money which you recover to pay for you to clean the kitchen used by others.
Perhaps the council should withdraw the microwave,and not allow you to use the electric,but to put in a pay for food and tea vending machine that the hospital that i worked at had,we where not allowed a kettle ,toaster or microwave etc.
Barca2 - Off topic mate, but cheers!
esselgruntfuttock - MemberI agree totally with TJ
😳 sorry 😳
Its not my fault I am right you know