Asking too much?

onlyme86

Hi, my manager has recently asked the staff to chip in painting the changing rooms where i work. The problem is i dont see this as part of my "job". We employ a maintenance man and last time (2 yrs ago) they hired guys to paint them. Am i entitled to decline without any repercussions? Whats next, asking us to re-tile the hallway?
thanks for any replies.

Nody

Most job descriptions have as the last task something along the lines of "Any other task assigned to you" or similar.

onlyme86

"to carry out your duties to the satisfaction of the company and as necessitated by the needs of the business"

exact quote from my Terms of Employment form. Quite vague, which is why i have posted here. Never received a proper job description as such.

still begs the question though. thanks for your reply.

Gurgle

onlyme86 wrote: »

The problem is i dont see this as part of my "job".

IMO your job is whatever your boss asks you to do, assuming its safe and legal to do so.

I've always despised this 'not my job' attitude, and I've mostly seen it at the lowest levels of an organization.

There is something wrong with an employee who sits twiddling his thumbs watching the boss carrying box after box up the stairs because its 'not my job'.

Kenno90

I'd welcome the change of pace. You're still going to get paid, still going to have the same working hours (i assume). So whats the problem, you just dont want to do it ??

onlyme86

assuming its safe and legal to do so.

as a hypothetical so; if i was asked to re-wire the electrics would your reply be so flippant?
i see painting as a professional job, and whatever about doing it at home, im not qualified to do it at work.

i chip in when needed but not when the company already employs somebody to do these jobs specifically.

onlyme86

Kenno90 wrote: »

I'd welcome the change of pace. You're still going to get paid, still going to have the same working hours (i assume). So whats the problem, you just dont want to do it ??

nope, wouldnt mind at all! and i know the people i work with would make it fun tbh. but i simply dont want to set a precedent for other odd jobs or jobs the company want to save money on by asking unqualified staff to do jobs that qualified staff should do.

Gurgle

onlyme86 wrote: »

jobs that qualified staff should do.

We are talking about painting here, in the sense that you want to cover the walls in a uniform shade?

You're not being asked to reproduce the Mona Lisa over the water fountain?

Gurgle

onlyme86 wrote: »

as a hypothetical so; if i was asked to re-wire the electrics would your reply be so flippant?

Yes, if you're a qualified electrician.
Otherwise I think it would be both unsafe and illegal to have you do it.

Mrs OBumble

I wasn't aware of a professional qualification being required in order to do painting.

Yes, electrics is a different story. But unless you're being asked to use ladders (to a greater extent than you do anyway), I cannot see the dangers.

Mance Rayder

Yes too much in my opinion, if you wanted to be a painter you would of pursued it. Whats next cleaning the toilets?

onlyme86

We are talking about painting here, in the sense that you want to cover the walls in a uniform shade?

You're not being asked to reproduce the Mona Lisa over the water fountain?

perfectly true.

as a hypothetical so; if i was asked to re-wire the electrics would your reply be so flippant?

would like your view on this too.

christmas2012

it could be frowned upon and have later repercussions in other ways..

onlyme86

JustMary wrote: »

I wasn't aware of a professional qualification being required in order to do painting.

Yes, electrics is a different story. But unless you're being asked to use ladders (to a greater extent than you do anyway), I cannot see the dangers.

perhaps not, but i went to school with guys who did this as their trade so thought it was a "profession".

CiscoStudent wrote: »

Yes too much in my opinion, if you wanted to be a painter you would of pursued it. Whats next cleaning the toilets?

are you being sarcastic?:rolleyes:

Mance Rayder

onlyme86 wrote: »

perhaps not, but i went to school with guys who did this as their trade so thought it was a "profession".



are you being sarcastic?:rolleyes:

No not at all. I'm on your side. I think painting is a push too far if that is not what you do. If you for example, work in a call centre then you should not be expected to paint offices. There is going that extra mile for your employer and then there is your employer taking the p1ss.

Triangla

Paint it and do a **** job.

Boss gets painter in to do it properly.

Learns lesson.

tatli_lokma

Perhaps previously they had the money to pay professional painters, but now the don't. Retail is a struggling sector. If painting the fitting rooms means that the store will look better, people will be more likely to try things on and subsequently the chances of revenue increasing, then I can only see it as a benefit to the overall wellbeing of the team. Also the more of you helping out the quicker it can be done.

As to how professional the finish is, that is not really your concern. The boss obviously knows it won't be of the same standard as a professional painter, and is prepared to accept that. On the other hand, if there was any chance that you could be in trouble for doing a bad job that would be unfair.

If it were me, I'd just suck it up and get on with it. Many people in their working life have had to do ****ty jobs which they didn't expect or 'sign up for' when they took teh job. The whole 'ad hoc' duties thing. But most people accept that provided you are not being expected to do anything dangerous, and provided the crappy jobs are not being unfairly dished out then there is no real reason not to get on with it.

By the standards of some things people workig in retail are asked to do, painting is quite acceptable to be honest. ( as an aside, when I was a teenager I worked in a clothes shop and on one occasion a lovely customer once left a...lets just say "present" of the brown and stinky sort in one of the fitting rooms. One of us had to clean it, cos there was no maintenance man or cleaner employed. We had to draw straws (with everyone except the manager and his pet included). Thankfully I didn't draw the short straw. Compared to that painting is a doddle!)

bijou

Many years back when I was a Dental Nurse in the UK we got 1 weeks holiday over the xmas/new year period but the surgeries were closed for 2 weeks. In the week where there were no patients we (including the dentists!!) had to re-decorate the the surgeries/waiting rooms.

To be honest it made a nice change to come into work in your "scruffs" and it was a good laugh as well.

Just my 2 cents

Topper7

Personally I would go ahead & do it. Its something different & best way to show your appreciation for a workplace is to get your hands dirty. When I used to work in a small factory the MD & SM would come in on a sat & sun to paint all the factory inside & out. Staff where invited to come in (unpaid) & in return there would be BBQ & Drinks for whoever turned up. A good few would turn up & job done in no time! All staff also took turns in cleaning the toilets regardless of your position!

In contrast in another place, a porter was bein given a lot of painting to do. He complained saying that other porters wearnt bein given as much painting to do (Others wer bad delibrately) & that if he was gonna do so much paintin he expected to be paid at a painters rate. The same chap was told theres no more work 4 him a few days later...

Smithey88

Alot of "grease the wheels" posts so far in this one. But Op, would you be getting paid for doing it?

Thats the million doller question. Because if the manager expects the staff to do it for free.... you're all being used. And you aint going to 'grease' nothing. Come next week the staffs efforts would be forgotten about. Manager just thinking about saving a few bob.

Gurgle

Smithey88 wrote: »

Come next week the staffs efforts would be forgotten about.

That very much depends on the manager / owner of the shop.

Mr. Loverman

By declining your manager will probably start to dislike you.

It's your choice if you want to work in that sort of work environment...

tatli_lokma

Smithey88 wrote: »

Alot of "grease the wheels" posts so far in this one. But Op, would you be getting paid for doing it?

Thats the million doller question. Because if the manager expects the staff to do it for free.... you're all being used.

I (Perhaps wrongly) assumed from the OP that the staff would be paid, as their only issue with the job in question is that it is not "part of my job". If they had an objection because they weren't getting paid that would be different. But since OP didn't express any such objection, and their only issue is that its 'not their job' then it seems to me that they are being paid, just for a job that is not normally part of their working day.

I stand to be corrected though

onlyme86

just to clarify that we will be paid our hourly rate. we will be in at normal opening time but will not actually open until midday.

and yes, the only issue is it is not normally part of our duties. i have a professional qualification from university and work in that industry.

some very interesting replies but from what i have read the consensus is that due to my vague job description i can be asked to do pretty much anything as long as my own personal safety is not in jeopadry.

tatli_lokma

onlyme86 wrote: »

. i have a professional qualification from university and work in that industry.

and your point is?

A huge amount of people in Ireland have qualifications and no job, the rest of the county are either doing jobs they are over qualified for, or have taken a pay cut. The qualifications you hold are irrelevant. Or is it that you feel that such work is beneath you?

The boss has asked you as part of the team to help out. I assume there is a financial reason for this, as most companies wouldn't bother asking staff to do such a thing if they had the money to pay outside contracters.

You either agree and be part of the team, or you decline. Even with your contract being vague you could argue your own case for not participating. Its entirely up to you. But bear in mind that the repricussions may not be noticed for some time after and may not be as obvious as your boss reprimanding you. Next time you need a favour from the boss, you might regret not chipping in. And if the rest of the team are willing to chip in you will be the only one opting out and you could end up segregating yourself from the team.

Smithey88

onlyme86 wrote: »

.....i have a professional qualification from university and work in that industry....

You know that comes off as "painting is beneath me" by saying that.

But as it stands the manager is willing to pay you. Thats a nice gesture. (as i said above, if you were expected to not get paid different story)

So whats really the issue here? ... being asked to do something beyond your duties? or the fact that it is being asked to 'paint' something?

onlyme86

far from it. id paint at home all day long at home but this is a work issue. i clean the restrooms and iv had brown friends and yellow lakes to clean up from time to time too.

as a previous poster said if i wanted to paint i would have been a painter.

chances are ill do it to keep the peace but i don't enjoy painting (i do it at home to save money! - ironic i know) nor was i ever told it would be part of my regular duties.

p.s. i started this thread to get opinions on my situation, not on my attitude towards it

Smithey88

OnlyMe86,
You dont have to answer if you like, but what is your job?

Am just curious since you state your job requires a university qualification, you have a staff changing room, you have cleaned toilets before etc.

A random quess, but are you a fitness instructor?

onlyme86

Smithey88 wrote: »

OnlyMe86,
You dont have to answer if you like, but what is your job?

Am just curious since you state your job requires a university qualification, you have a staff changing room, you have cleaned toilets before etc.

A random quess, but are you a fitness instructor?

are you a detective? haha don't want to give out the details but you're not far off

and its not the staff changing rooms, its the public ones we're being asked to a paint, as in the ones everybody will use! so i feel a professional finish would benefit the image of the place.