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Unless my job was as the trash man, I would not be taking out the trash for anyone. Why can't your office hire a maintenance/facilities person to do this role? Do they make one of their employees clean the bathroom as well? I'm assuming this is a professional role.
I did have to take on responsibilities like this once -- taking out trash, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms. I was 21 and worked at a bar. Call me whatever you'd like, but I didn't bust my ass and take on debt in school for 7 years to be the office trash man.
It is common for the new employee to do menial tasks no one else wants to do. I hate to say it, but complaining isn't the best way to go about it. You just caused your boss more drama than he probably needs over something so stupid.
My advice is simply to a poor job at it. When people complain that are not in a position to advance your career, you smile, say "OK boss", and still do it poorly. Make sure the senior people's trash is taken care of, but I'd put the cans back where they don't like it and forget to empty of few, especially to people I hated.
If someone calls you out on it, you state all the real work that you are working on and you'll get to it after that is completed to put them in their place (with a smile!). Eventually, they'll get fed up with it, take out their own trash or get someone new to do it. This is passive aggressiveness 101. I do the same thing when my wife asks me to do the laundry. Sure, I'll do it. But poorly and the way I want to do it. People who are particular on how they want menial things done will do it themselves.
It is common to do menial tasks related to your job... As the newest employee in my group, I got stuck doing some very repetitive and mind-numbing tasks, but they're all related to the job.
If someone walked over and handed me a toilet plunger, I would not take them seriously.
I meant to mention this in a previous post, but the fact that the other new guys are on the Accounting team means nothing. The Accounting manager may be tired of his team having to do it, so he asked the Auditing manager if someone there could do it.
Or the Accounting Manager asked someone on his team and they replied with, "Can't we get Auditing to do it? Why is it always Accounting?"
I'm guessing the garbage pick up isn't done throughout the entire company but in those two departments. And I have never seen a trash can filled up after a day, so I would put new bags in all the trash cans and take out several at a time twice a week.
I've started working at a new company since summer. We're an office of around 20 people and aside from my main job duties, I've been taking on the "side" responsibilities of someone who's retiring by the end of this year. His "side" responsibilities are writing checks for every bill we receive (parking, rent, utilities, etc.), picking up the phone as well as ordering new supplies. Although it does distract me from my real job duties, I've never had any problems.
A co-worker who's on the Accounting Team (I'm on the Auditing Team) recently got laid off. One of her "side" responsibilities was to take out everyone's trash. Yesterday, the manager of the Accounting Team came over to my manager and asked if someone on his team could be assigned trash duty. Why 11 people on the accounting team can't take on the trash responsibility is beyond me...my manager hesitantly said okay and he slowly walked to my desk and asked if I could be the new trash person. I said sure...
Today, a guy that I don't really get along with was instructing me with when and where I need to take out the trash, in the most condescending tone imaginable. I felt like asking him why he can't take out the trash himself, he has two hands after all. Out of frustration I went over to my manager and told him I felt like I was being distracted from my real job duties, and that being the trash boy is just too much for me to handle. He told me that he empathized with me and that he'll figure something out.
20 people in the office, and they are making me the trash guy. I already have other side duties, can't they have someone else do it instead? My friends say that what I did was good, and that I stood up for myself. However, I'd like to know what everyone here thinks.
Thank you.
If you take out the trash at home for free,
be thankful your now are getting paid to do trash duty.
We have a service that comes in, but in a previous job everyone took turns, including the VP's. But even here, when someone on the cleaning crew knocked his bucket over in the restroom, I went to the maintenance closet, grabbed a mob, and helped him clean up the mess.
Nobody should ever feel they're above a task.
I have a receptionist that does it every day, but I am a tax & planning guy not someone who really enjoys the bookkeeping end of my work, I take breaks and could be an ******* and walk past everybody working while I take my walk outside for a few minutes, or I handle something else that needs done when I am having trouble entering more receipts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MPowering1
This is Boosane's second job since graduating last summer and it took quite a while for him to find the first one. He complained about having to do labor at the first job when a pregnant coworker asked him to empty boxes and break them down.
Many of us trying to counsel him are business owners and VP's who have no problem rolling up our sleeves and doing whatever needs to be done. We didn't get to our level by losing the respect of others simply because we didn't see the need to whine about things along the way.
My attitude is and always has been if I am physically capable of doing it and it needs done I do it. I am a farm boy at heart, I was feeding horses and cattle before I was strong enough to lift a hay bail, I have went out at 4 in the morning to break up the ice on the water tanks, I have fixed fencing in the middle of the night when our neighbors cows busted through the fence.
I have taken out the trash because it could not wait until the end of the day, I have helped the building maintenance guy shovel the sidewalk when his 4 wheeler plow broke down, I have sat down for hours on end working with employees to correct errors that they needed help with, I have changed tires on company cars when the mechanic was too busy to get to it and the car was needed, and that was all while I was an employee, and what led to me being a manager at a young age and moving up through the ranks over the years. "That is not my job" is something I have said 1 time in my career and that was when I was asked to do something immoral to get a deal done.
I grew up with the idea that respect is earned, and you earn that respect by doing what needs done, whether it is the trash or what your job entails you just get it done.
If you are the [new guy], then its just part of the job. I don't think complaining was a bad thing. Sounds like your boss is aware of the impact. if you play that right, its a positive for you. Excel at your real responsibilities, AND do the trash without complaining and you could look real good. All that said, why cant everyone just empty their own trash as needed? Im a senior leader of the management team at a $30 million company, and i empty my own trash. Yeah we have a service, but its no big deal and I think its good for the staff to see that managers can get busy with the dirty work too.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 12-17-2014 at 09:01 AM..
Reason: Inappropriate language.
My degree is in Computer Science but I put myself through college working as a secretary/typist. I'm willing to do a lot of the jobs that other people won't do, including picking up trash. Still I think the OP is getting the shaft. It's one thing to take turns doing trash duty, but OP has been given this in addition to his regular work. I don't think people will respect him. They'll just see him as the "loser" who got trash duty and will do whatever his boss tells him to do. Sure, maybe that's the definition of work, but it doesn't mean you can make your employees do anything, no matter how unpleasant. What if the OP is told to wash his boss' car once a week? Is that OK?
I have a receptionist that does it every day, but I am a tax & planning guy not someone who really enjoys the bookkeeping end of my work, I take breaks and could be an ******* and walk past everybody working while I take my walk outside for a few minutes, or I handle something else that needs done when I am having trouble entering more receipts.
My attitude is and always has been if I am physically capable of doing it and it needs done I do it. I am a farm boy at heart, I was feeding horses and cattle before I was strong enough to lift a hay bail, I have went out at 4 in the morning to break up the ice on the water tanks, I have fixed fencing in the middle of the night when our neighbors cows busted through the fence.
I have taken out the trash because it could not wait until the end of the day, I have helped the building maintenance guy shovel the sidewalk when his 4 wheeler plow broke down, I have sat down for hours on end working with employees to correct errors that they needed help with, I have changed tires on company cars when the mechanic was too busy to get to it and the car was needed, and that was all while I was an employee, and what led to me being a manager at a young age and moving up through the ranks over the years. "That is not my job" is something I have said 1 time in my career and that was when I was asked to do something immoral to get a deal done.
I grew up with the idea that respect is earned, and you earn that respect by doing what needs done, whether it is the trash or what your job entails you just get it done.
jwiley, they don't make them like you anymore. Sadly, parents often teach their children to be demanding. to be defensive, to feel special and entitled, so what would you expect from them in the workplace?
I'm afraid the spirit of generosity in the workplace will soon be a thing of the past. We're sinking to a new low when the new guy feels put out for being asked to do what others have done because he feels he's being abused, disrespected or mistreated.
It is common for the new employee to do menial tasks no one else wants to do. I hate to say it, but complaining isn't the best way to go about it. You just caused your boss more drama than he probably needs over something so stupid.
My advice is simply to a poor job at it. When people complain that are not in a position to advance your career, you smile, say "OK boss", and still do it poorly. Make sure the senior people's trash is taken care of, but I'd put the cans back where they don't like it and forget to empty of few, especially to people I hated.
If someone calls you out on it, you state all the real work that you are working on and you'll get to it after that is completed to put them in their place (with a smile!). Eventually, they'll get fed up with it, take out their own trash or get someone new to do it. This is passive aggressiveness 101. I do the same thing when my wife asks me to do the laundry. Sure, I'll do it. But poorly and the way I want to do it. People who are particular on how they want menial things done will do it themselves.
This, do this. Once they realize the bins are not where they want them or their bag wasn't secured, they will get the message that you aren't the garbage man.
I do wonder, if Boosane isn't the only "[new guy]" at the place, what silly menial task does the other workers do, and if they don't why is that.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 12-17-2014 at 09:03 AM..
Reason: Inappropriate term.
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