topic Re: Workplace Question in Community Chat

Workplace Question

sparklestar — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:05:16 GMT

We were recently informed by our company that there would no longer be cleaning staff coming around to empty our garbage cans. We are now told that every employee has to bring their garbage can to a specific location (in the middle of a large office) where there are larger receptables and we will have to empty our own garbage. I've been in the workforce for 42 years and have never, ever been required to do this.

Anyone have this particular experience?

Re: Workplace Question

PurpleBunny — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:06:08 GMT

No, but I don't see it as a big deal.

Re: Workplace Question

Lipstickdiva — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:07:24 GMT

This has happened at some of our county offices. It's not a big deal.

Re: Workplace Question

raven-blackbird — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:07:46 GMT

they didn't ask you to clean windows, or vacuum the joint or scrub to the toilet.......dumpin a trash can is no biggie...............................raven

Re: Workplace Question

MickD — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:08:11 GMT

I've had to do that in the past due to janitorial strikes/short staffed....no biggie. But we emptied trash on our way out the door. No spectacle or anything...gentlemen would take the ladies' bags too.....

Re: Workplace Question

Dell1 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:08:13 GMT

This happened at my office a few years back. There are containers around the office to dump your individual garbage can into and plastic liners to insert. It's no big deal. They laid off some of the janitorial staff.

Re: Workplace Question

PIT-HAG Melissa — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:08:28 GMT

At least it's YOUR OWN garbage..

Re: Workplace Question

ShowMe — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:10:04 GMT

We never placed garbage in the trash can at our desk......that was what the kitchen had a can for. But, yes there was a time when I had a job at a place where we had to do that. It wasn't a big deal.

Re: Workplace Question

deepwaterdotter — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:10:59 GMT

We always did that.

Re: Workplace Question

Irshgrl31201 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:11:30 GMT

A lot of businesses are having to cut back in areas where they can. Having custodial services can range from $200 and up depending on how large the place is. I don't see this as a big deal at all. I pay someone $400 a week just to do our garbage and vacuuming. That doesn't include what I pay to have the bathrooms, breakroom and kitchen cleaned. If I was hurting that would definitely be the area I cut first.

Re: Workplace Question

straykatz — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:12:27 GMT

My trash can at my desk often gets full between office cleanings so I empty it myself....not a big deal.....especially when I eat something like fish or garlic that I don't want to sitting in my trash can stinking up my office......my recycles go to a lady who works in our office who collects them for us because our company doesn't pay to recycle....I don't know how large your company is but ours is quite small so we have lots of little thing we end up doing that are not a part of our job descriptions.

Re: Workplace Question

DoneTryin — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:16:02 GMT

By "garbage" do you mean all waste to be thrown out, or just food waste?

I haven't personally experienced that, though my company went from daily to every other day for emptying office wastebaskets and paper recycle bins as a cost-saving measure. That seems to be working out just fine. I did hear last year on the news that one of our state universities was telling staff & faculty to empty their wastebaskets into central bins; also a cost-saving measure.

Re: Workplace Question

ShowMe — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:16:10 GMT

There was a period of time.....14 years at the same job......when I worked on the 21st and 22nd floors in a building where they cleaned all the offices at night. That's a lot of trash cans to empty out, and very time consuming when it is a big office. They included the cleaning of the offices in our rent......

Re: Workplace Question

raven-blackbird — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:18:05 GMT

On 2/12/2014 straykatz said:
My trash can at my desk often gets full between office cleanings so I empty it myself....not a big deal.....especially when I eat something like fish or garlic that I don't want to sitting in my trash can stinking up my office......my recycles go to a lady who works in our office who collects them for us because our company doesn't pay to recycle....I don't know how large your company is but ours is quite small so we have lots of little thing we end up doing that are not a part of our job descriptions.

I think that is true of many small companies......way back when I worked for doctors we had to vacuum every night, dust, dump the trash and get our ops ready for the next mornings patients before we left..............................raven

Re: Workplace Question

kdgn — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:20:25 GMT

When budget cuts forced classrooms to be cleaned every other day instead of daily, we were told that we could empty our own garbage cans if they got full. We had to take them outside, across campus and dump them in the big dumpsters.

Re: Workplace Question

PurpleBunny — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:22:29 GMT

I'd rather dump my own trash than lose my job, that's for sure.

Re: Workplace Question

lulu2 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:26:07 GMT

On 2/12/2014 kdgn said:
When budget cuts forced classrooms to be cleaned every other day instead of daily, we were told that we could empty our own garbage cans if they got full. We had to take them outside, across campus and dump them in the big dumpsters.

I could have just heard and seen the uproar if we'd been told we needed to empty our classroom garbage.

Re: Workplace Question

straykatz — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:27:19 GMT

On 2/12/2014 blackbirdraven said:
On 2/12/2014 straykatz said:
My trash can at my desk often gets full between office cleanings so I empty it myself....not a big deal.....especially when I eat something like fish or garlic that I don't want to sitting in my trash can stinking up my office......my recycles go to a lady who works in our office who collects them for us because our company doesn't pay to recycle....I don't know how large your company is but ours is quite small so we have lots of little thing we end up doing that are not a part of our job descriptions.

I think that is true of many small companies......way back when I worked for doctors we had to vacuum every night, dust, dump the trash and get our ops ready for the next mornings patients before we left..............................raven

Yep.....you do what needs to be done....I love my job and am grateful to have a job, especially one I like......we have a cleaning crew that comes in 2x's per week so it's up to us to tidy up, put out breakroom supplies, hang toilet paper, etc.....plus...the cleaners only dump trash and dust, vacuum, clean the restrooms...they do not clean up my work if left scattered all over my office but they do clean around it.....we have a few people who soon relaized that our cleaning crew is not their personal maid service.

Re: Workplace Question

Peaches McPhee — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:38:40 GMT

We had to do this at one time. The main big garbage can was down the hall. I don't know who took that out. Maybe the Facilities guy?

Now we have a worker do it. Someone collecting public assistance in a work-readiness program. They work, while collecting, so they gain work experience.

Re: Workplace Question

LucyGoose — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 00:25:26 GMT

I've always emptied my own garbage can anyway. That's a pet peeve of mine, an overflowing trash can.