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Ania
I have learned my mistake vixens!

We are the Consultant of an ongoing project here. Our office boys are provided by the contractor who happens to be on strike since 3 days.

Our kitchen remains dirty, no one picks up their mugs and glasses after having tear or coffee, dustbin stinking and kitchen table has stains all over.

None has taken initiative until me and my colleague went and cleaned the kitchen. This really frustrated me so I went up to the inspectors and told them to clean their mugs and glasses since we are cleaning the kitchen.

Everyone is pretty mad at me for asking them to clean. They say my tone was annoying. One of them told my colleague that I told them to clean the kitchen, which I did not. I cleared the fact with them. They say they are not laborers to do the cleaning and now none of them are talking to me.

I am angry because no one is working, they are all online and they refuse to wash their own mugs.

I feel insulted, hurt and on the top the guy who started this complaining thing is a good friend of mine. I used to take car lift from him to the metro station. I think I need to stop this, just be professional.

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    Xan
    Oooh, you have stirred up a hornet's nest there Ania!

    I would put the whole thing in writing to the most senior person in your organisation, asking them to bring about a resolution of the situation.

    As for the grimy kitchen, please don't clean it again! No matter how offended you are by the awful state of it.
    Do not empty the bin, do not wash up other peoples' mugs and glasses, and find a way of keeping out of the place as much as possible. If necessary you could bring an electric kettle in and plug it in at your desk.

    The thing is, many workplaces throughout the world have this exact problem, and although it seems simple enough, it's a really hard one to resolve...
    If you cave in, and undertake the cleaning, I can almost guarantee that you will be left to get on with it.

    Make your boss earn their money, by sorting it out. Meanwhile, don't worry about the moodiness; it will be short-lived.

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    BirdofHermes
    Its possible to set a good example. Clean up YOUR things. Take out the trash when you feel its your turn. Sweep the floor if it gets beyond your standards. These things really don't take that much time and EVERYONE uses them. The floor, counters, trash, microwave, and fridge are public territory and everyone gets them dirty and thinks it's someone else's fault.

    Now, there's no way in fucking HELL that I would clean anyone else's mess unless it was on one of those aforementioned surfaces. Someone else's dishes? No. I honestly don't understand why they don't have a janitorial service to come in and take care of these things - maybe they need to pay their janitors better, or ask them to clean this area too if it's really that big a deal. The trash is DEFINITELY their jurisdiction. I should know. I'm a janitor, and I clean microwaves, counters, floors, and tend to trash on the daily.

    This is the price you pay for opening your mouth. Its the story of my life, really, and you will ALWAYS be hated for piping up for the right when it inconveniences others, but it's the right thing to do and someone needs to say it. But seriously, it's the price you pay and it never gets easier to be the one saying what everyone else is too chicken shit to say. I'd just shrug when people make comments and hand their dirty ass mugs back to them. You could also leave them out and let them mold.

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