That may be true, or not as most contracts when I was in full time employment added the requirement to undertake "other duties as requested by the employer".
I shall always remember the day (many, many years ago) when, arriving at the bank's office where I worked a dog had left a rather large, fresh deposit on the doorstep. The manager told me to clean it up as I was the unfortunate who happened to arrive first. I very reluctantly obeyed his request, retching and heaving all the time, but I never once thought to question his order, much as I would like to have refused.
What is reasonable these days though? Should employees refuse to do things they just don't fancy doing?
I'll be interested to hear others comments. Personally, I would be happy to do anything that would keep me and others healthy and safe. I guess it would depend on circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI think there may be differences of opinion between various age groups too.
DeleteThink you could right a lot of work related posts JayCee. I wouldn't mind doing a task if the person giving the orders helped me to carry it out. I don't like people twenty years younger than me giving out orders.
ReplyDeleteI generally didn't mind being told to do something if it was from a person I respected and who knew what they were talking about. Sadly, that was not always the case, especially once I got nearer to retirement age!
DeleteI guess that little has changed for you. Now it's not the bank manager ordering you around, it's Lord Peregrine. "Put this hill race medal in my display cabinet!", "Get me a plate of turkey twizzlers!", "Where's my hamster?" etcetera. When I worked at the Oxfam shop I happily brought in my electric drill and other tools to put up extra shelves in the store room. Do toilets need cleaning? I never knew that.
ReplyDeleteMy life is just one long round of drudgery here in JC Towers.
DeleteJC Towers? Is that the tumbledown potting shed round the back of Peregrine Palace?
DeleteGross gross and more gross. Why aren't they under paying some poor migrant to do the cleaning.
ReplyDeleteYes it's ok to clean my desk and surrounds but a HUGE NO to dog poop. I know, back then you couldn't say no but now you'd sue them for feministic something or other. Sure doesn't pay to be first at work!!!
Really, like Chris says, it depends on the circumstances.
The dog poo episode was pretty gross. It has been ingrained in my memory for the past 40 years!!!
DeleteI guess it all depends on how much of a sense of community you have for/with your co-workers. By extension do we pick up the occasional bit of litter in our street, or shovel some snow on the public sidewalk in front of the house? Depends on your community really.
ReplyDeleteI think most of us used to muck in together to get things done. It seems different these days.
DeleteYes, I remember during my job as an administrative assistant for the Dean of a college, I would clean out the microwave and mini-fridge in the faculty lounge. No one asked but no one else did it so I would. It would get so very disgusting as food was left to spoil in the fridge or food would splatter and harden in the microwave. But someone had to clean it!
ReplyDeleteExactly. Some people think it all happens by magic and the fairies wave their magic wands to clean up their mess.
DeleteI think cleaning your desk and surround is reasonable. When I worked in an office we cleaned our own desktop as the cleaners were not allowed to touch documents etc left on desks however I'd draw the line at cleaning communal toilets. I don't mind wiping doorhandles etc though. Not to mention is this not someone elses job being taken away? That 'other duties as deemed necessary' was in my contract too! I did have to do quite a lot of cleaning in my first job as a nursery nurse though. We had to wipe down all the surfaces in the nursery with disinfectant every day and there were cleaners too who did the floors and bathrooms etc. I think things have changed quite a bit since then. x
ReplyDeleteI don't really like cleaning my own bathroom (usually persuade P to do it), let alone a communal one.
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