Cold lunches for work

PasturesNew

Sarastro wrote: »

Not cleaning the kitchen is a way for employees who don't feel they 'belong' or are 'permanent' or 'safe' to punish the organisation in a way that's unlikely to get them fired and is passive aggressive behaviour.

Or those who go through completely "unaware" that they have any responsibilities and/or those who have never lived alone, independently, and have never thought about how muck gets cleaned up, or that muck doesn't clear itself up. Even some independent living people are simply mucky pups who, at home, might leave muck and splashes all over the place and clean them up "when they really have to"....

Some people are simply .... dirty, mucky, bar stewards who will never accept that they made the mess, that they should clean it up. "it's just a splash", "I'm not the worst", "it was mucky when I started, what I've added is small compared to how it was"

Maybe a kitchen cam and office photo shaming wall would be the only way to out people...

Owain_Moneysaver

glider3560 wrote: »

Annoying though, since work pay for the milk. They literally just give you 2 or 3x 2 litre cartons of milk if you ask for it in the canteen, which I have to every day since I am the first to arrive each morning.

Take a travel mug in each day with some milkshake or protein shake powder in and fill it up with free milk to keep you going through the morning.

If you have free hot water from the boiler you can make yourself a mug of porridge for breakfast or elevenses, or savoury rice or noodles will cook if left to soak up hot water - they don't need actually heating if the water's already hot.

Silvertabby

What about a chunky soup in a wide-necked thermos?

sillyvixen

Greek salad, chop your fave salad veg and feta add olives (food of the devil imho) if you must! Put every thing in an air tight container keep in the fridge at work with a bottle of salad dressing. At the last minute add dressing and give the container s good shake before eating. another thing is wraps don't roll and take to work take the filling seperatly and assemble before eat Inc so it does not go soggy. Pasta, rice, cous cous salsds are also a favorite of mine and.can be cooked as extra for the evening meal leaving left overs to add bits to to make lunch.

I also keep a mug, plate, dish and cutlery in my locker .. onces used it is washed and locked away otherwise some lazy git would use it and leave it feasterling in the sink.

As for the microwave and kettle don't get me started - they are both biohazzards, I
have cleaned them in the past but a week on they are back to square one. I am sure the kettle has been used for cooking pasta!! I don't use them and if the slobs can put up with it so be it.

Lynplatinum

Hiya

A friend of mine worked as a cleaner while finishing his OU degree and worked in the Headquarters of a very prestigious company. The people who worked there were absolute slobs and slatterns. He said he was glad the company provided rubber gloves - and that was just for the kitchens.

I too have worked in offices and schools where some folk declare themselves 'too busy' to take 30 seconds to clear up after themselves!

I used to take a thermos into work and in my drawer I had: teaspoon + fork + knife + plastic plate + squeezy mayo + napkin and wipe clean disposable clothes. I also had Assam tea bags (dont need milk but not as perfumed as Earl Grey) + museli bars.

Food wise I took in Wraps filled with meat and salad/ Hugh Fernly Whitingstall's noodles in a jar/ big necked thermos with chunky HM soup in. Eventually took in and had tested my own small kettle which I kept firmly in my drawer.

the 'issue' of the state of the kitchen went through several itterations - no kitchen provided (we provide a canteen which will give you hot water) - kitchen available with rota - kitchen available (and we expect you to use it like adults) - no hot food in the office that wasnt prepared in the kitchen (fine - I ate outside - I got half hour for lunch and used it!). They never resolved it. In the end, because I took photographs of the kitchen to explain why I refused to use it - they left me alone. However, the poor cleaners ended up having to deal with the immature folk's mess!

You can DIY and I suggest you do - its one way of ducking the office politics! :rotfl:

Owain_Moneysaver

I just put up a notice:

Any crockery left unwashed after 5pm each day will be smashed.

Sarastro

Yes, as I said, "some people are genuinely messy". The underpinning problem is the blame game...what you are suggesting will only increase people blaming each other. It won't solve it.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

I just put up a notice:

Any crockery left unwashed after 5pm each day will be smashed.

In one office, I scooped all the clean plates, bowls, cups, knives, forks and spoons into a crate and locked it in a cupboard whilst leaving the mountain of dirty things emerging from the sink untouched.

When the people concerned asked where the clean things were, I said I didn't know as I didn't use the stuff and I'm not employed to do Potwash.


Somebody started washing up.


Mind you, it's good you aren't being expected to pay for the drinks and milk. I'm currently digging my heels in and refusing to make a new compulsory 'donation' to work for other people's tea, coffee, milk and sugar because I don't use them. I don't care that 'it was agreed' that everybody would go with the decision of the majority who use them (and leave spillages and dirty things all over the place I don't use). I didn't agree to it.

If they get more bolshy about it, I will make the contribution and state that I therefore expect a supply of dairy free alternatives to be made available for my personal use each week and kept separately as I would not be able to use the standard products and it's a regular occurrence for anything specialist that is provided for staff to cater for allergies and ethical food choices during special occasions to be stolen by somebody else. Which will cost more than the amount of the 'donation'. :mad:

glider3560

sillyvixen wrote: »

I also keep a mug, plate, dish and cutlery in my locker .. onces used it is washed and locked away otherwise some lazy git would use it and leave it feasterling in the sink.

Indeed. I learnt this the hard way in a previous job. My mug and spoon stays on my desk. It gets "washed" in the sink after use and then brought straight back to my desk. On a Friday, I'll normally bring it home and run them through the dishwasher.

Sarastro wrote: »

Eventually, it will become so much of an issue that it will return to senior management agendas and another initiative will be discussed and off we will go again. You could be brave and suggest some other ways of dealing with it that would allow employees to give 'feedback' in a safe way e.g. anonymous suggestion boxes, etc. This will allow them to 'speak' and hopefully make them feel more valued...they in turn will start to respect the facilities. Unfortunately, some people are just genuinely messy.

Since creating this thread, I've realised the idea of a rota didn't come from senior management. Health & Safety did a routine inspection (yes, they really do this) and decided it wasn't clean enough. A lab technician then decided she would create a rota and impose these rules. They were supported by some managers, but not mine, who refused to sign up. All the other kitchens (including on the other floor in my building, and the building opposite) are actually quite clean and don't have a cleaning rota. I may now become a rebel and occassionally use the facilities in one of the other buildings (there's another two to choose from!)

jemb

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Your employer is legally required to provide certain welfare facilities at work, and to keep them clean.

This includes a supply of drinking water and a means of heating food or water for hot drinks.

The fridge and microwave (if there is also a kettle) may be negotiable, but they can't stop you using the sink for water (unless there is a separate drinking water supply).

They have provided one, she's choosing not to use as doesnt want to sign up to the cleaning rota.
Be careful with other options such as people have said pressure coker own kettle etc, you'll need a PAT test for your appliance which your company may not offer to do if it's your own.