Am I being petty?

Ok so I work with a bunch of guys, (7) and we have 4 units so we have 4 bathrooms the first few years I cleaned all the bathrooms and did all the vacuuming. After a few years I realized that if I continued to clean all the bathrooms they would continue not to help. So I started cleaning just 1, the guys (3) in the back always use theirs, the bosses (2) use their own, so the 2 bathrooms started to get cleaned on their own. Well the 3rd bathroom (the only marked with a MEN ONLY sign) toilet seat broke years ago so they started to use the one I clean. Not once have they ever cleaned it.

Well a year ago the boss bought a toilet seat but the toilet was never fixed..... the boss made them clean & fix it last week & they were told not to use mine, they are not too happy with me. Well, we are now finally cleaning our filthy offices (which is why the Men's only bathroom got done). I have helped above and beyond the call of duty cause I want it done, finding time in my work schedule to incorporate a couple of hours every day. The hissy fit that ensued after they were told to tidy up a couple of areas, is too ridiculous to go into. But here is my question, do I go ahead and take the high road and continue to clean (we have common areas) because it NEEDS it. Even though I have my normal work to do, while they are very slow right now and they are, surfing, texting, wandering around the shop yacking. My major boss (owns 80%) is very easy going and his attitude is "as long as their work is done", no prob's. ..... I just feel used knowing that they have free time, but can not help, my new salesman is painting 1 of our offices, so he can bring clients over without feeling embarrassed. I have been helping clean & declutter the common area, a new reception area and the being painted area so we can have presentable offices.

These 2 are the only ones that do not clean unless asked and then just the bare minimum, they have been with my boss for the longest amount of time out of all of us. Yes, my boss is one of those, that treats his employees & clients as freinds (lets not go into how hard that makes for collections). I got a really bad attitude yesterday, my boss was not pleased. PLEASE do NOT ask me what his area is like……..I have a better attitude today, but I still do NOT feel like vacuuming our common area.

HELP! Please validate my bad attitude or help coax me into……..

i've never heard of offices where the office help has to do the cleaning, bathrooms or any rooms. suggest that your boss hire a professional cleaning person to come in once a week. no way would i clean a bathroom that anyone used outside of my family and close circle of friends. yuck.

Men care very competitive and this may be about winning, too. They don't have a strong sense of "fair" like women especially when it comes to housecleaning, especially toilets. They like to claim they are grossed out by it, as if women aren't.
When my son made a statement in front of me and his wife that he was not EVER going to clean a toilet, I suggested he dig a hole outside and erect an outhouse over it. I talked to my DIL the other day, and she said he had cleaned the bathroom.
Let 'em suffer (or rather let them grow up).

Oh my gosh, if I didn't know any better, I would swear you work where
I once did. There was no cleaning staff. None. This should have been a
sign, but I didn't see it. No one even ran the vac, ever! The girl downstairs
swept sometimes. Employees took the trash out on occasion when it
fell on the floor from overload. Sad.

I'm all for cleanliness in public and work restrooms, but it seemed no
one else was. The coffee pot had apparently NEVER been cleaned, so
while I beamed with pride for cleaning it, the old office farts had a fit.
I soon learned why they told me not to bother wearing decent office attire.

I would not continue cleaning. If those slobs want to wallow in their own
urine, let them. Just clean the potty you use and hold your ground. Don't
let them come to use your restroom because they are too lazy to exhibit
basic human cleanliness.

I'm behind you on this one all the way.

Unless it's in the job description and there is suitable recompense for it I wouldn't clean, it's up to the company to employ a professional, while you are doing it for them you are giving them every excuse not to employ someone else.It's a much needed job for someone, why should they get away with not paying anyone to do it.

Tell that boss to either pay you more for the cleaning, or to hire professionals to come in once a week to do it. I would continue to clean the one you use, but I would be tempted to install a lock on it so those "pigs" couldn't get in.

Tell them they need to clean up after themselves. Why would any man, who is a real man, REQUIRE, that a co-worker, male or female, clean up after them? Sounds offensively chauvinistic.

Thanks guys, but in the spirit of the season, I am afraid I surcumbed and vacuumed the common area, I did this for my boss, my clients & for me, not them. I will be moving into the freshly painted area with the salesman that has better habits, I have decided that I will clean “our” bathroom and vacuum “our” area but their unit is going to be totally up to them or pro’s,from now on. My salesman is bringing in some of his artwork (was a photographer) and I will be bringing in some plants from home so our unit will look good. See if we can not shame them into………highly improbable. But a girl has to have dreams. Good idea about the pro's I am going to suggest to my salesman to walk over to a neighbor in our complex and suggest we to some printing in trade of ………..yes, you guessed it Merry Maids.

Thanks for your support, I was at the end of my rope and needed to vent. I do not feel good wandering around the shop bad mouthing my co-workers (these 2 are pro’s @ that, no way I could ever compete), and I do not like to take my prob’s home with me. You guys were there when I needed you. THANKS~!

Aw, shucks. That is what we are here for. If you ever need
to spout about the weather, co-workers with nasty habits or
anything at all, we're here.

:-)

I used to work for a maid service. I don't know why you would be expected to clean when there are these services. It was my job to clean. Your cleaning and working your regular job, seems awfully like having one paid job and another unpaid job.
Maybe they can start contributing by collecting money for a maid service.

My last job sounds like your present job. I cleaned constantly when I didn't have clients or other job related work simply for the reason as I can't stand to be idle. After I left the job,they hired a professionl cleaning service. Guess the boss missed my cleaning and nobody else would pick up where I left off. Slobs just get my goat.

P

I have a friend who has a good saying, "You deserve what you accept." If you don't deserve it, don't accept it.

See thats what was bothering me about the whole situation - you nailed the real prob mulchmania. The only time I truly get upset is with myself, because I have somehow created/allowed this problem. I own all my problems. I really only have prob's with one of them. He is a true malcontent, reminds of Rodney Dangerfield, he is constantly going around complaining how he gets no respect, I want to tell him, you will not get from others what you do NOT give. But his temper is such that everyone in the shop tip toes around him...I call these types emotional tyrants. In personal situations I will give a straight forward ultimatum clearing explaining what I will not tolerate and the consequences, with him I just make sure there are witnesses. Long term solution would be to find another job, but except for him I like the people I work with........and oh yeah did I mention that I am over paid.......I wish.

Tell your boss to get pros to clean the place up that it is an embarrassment. Then only clean your own area if he doesn't. Let the slobs (I would say pigs but pigs are actually very clean animals) live in their own mess.

"You deserve what you accept." If you don't deserve it, don't accept it."
This is certainly something to remember, mulchmania.

It's good you have someone there with similar ideas about cleanliness and appearances; I hope that salesman is also cleaning "our" space, not just you.

I won't clean toilets after boys. It's how it is for me.

OK so the main guy I have a prob with is using my bathroom again, I do not want to whine to the boss, but is there not some kind of law - I mean come on out of 4 bathrooms should there not be one just for women? This is making me pissy.........

How about issuing keys?

MQN

re separate lavatorial facilities, I think here in the UK you have to have separate facilities for both genders although you could also discriminate on that very basis if you had less than a certain number of employees (6 I think), whether that has changed now I don't know.

I did think of something else though. If cleaning is not in your job description would the companys insurance cover you should there be an accident? It might be something worth finding out.

It would be a cold day in Hades before I would have ever cleaned up after a bunch of men that I worked with. Key words WORKED WITH. If those slobs want a clean restroom I would tell them to get their wives or girlfriends (or boy friends) to come in and clean up behind them. You didn't say what type of business you are in, but if I were a client and saw the general nastiness and disarray of the workplace that you describe, I would take my business elsewhere. The next time that man went into the restroom I used and didn't leave it clean I would in a very loud voice tell him - "See you peed all over the floor again. You must be getting too old and senile to hit the toilet". Or else, when at a certain time of the month it would be a really, really, really big mess for them to look at. Know what I mean?

Get some backbone and tell your boss that he needs to have someone come in and clean the place once a wk. That is what cleaning services are for.

Why don't you check with your local labor office to find out if there's a law about separate bathrooms, or with OSHA to find out if someone should be cleaning those areas without proper training?

If there are no laws about this, here are a few other thoughts:

- If there is a bathroom for "Men Only" why don't you put a sign on the one you clean for "Women Only."

- Since you're taking the initiative, why not put together a presentation and call a meeting about the subject. Talk about why keeping the office and bathrooms clean is important, what the consequences could be if it's not done, etc. You could outline a cleaning schedule, present alternatives, such as everyone contributing, hiring a cleaning service, etc. Be sure to offer only acceptable choices though. For example, you wouldn't ask children (close comparison here) if they want a vegetable with dinner, instead you would give them a choice and ask which vegetable they want. And get a decision before the meeting ends.

Okay, I don't have to time to read all the posts, but here I had two thoughts:

1) If everyone were to chip in $10 a week (I know it's not your responsibility, but neither is cleaning the restrooms), then you would have $70 a week to pay a cleaning person.

2) If the restrooms were locked and only the ones that used particular ones would have the key to that one, then.......hmmmm........whose responsibility would it be to clean it.

I clean my church for a part-time living and if you think those bathrooms don't get nasty.......well, I'm here to tell you....I've asked God to help some of them find cleanliness. Makes me wonder about their homes sometimes.

ha, ha.

Hope your dilemma is rectified in the coming New Year.

:) Kathy

That's the perfect solution! Someone else suggested it too. No need for confrontations or meetings or phone calls. A simple lock!