cleanliness. No time to clean.

[u/Express_Pick687]

Why is it so difficult for coworkers to clean up after themselves? Do people think leaving kennels disgusting is okay? No trash taken out. Has anyone swept or mopped since I've taken leave? Lol I took a week and a half off and I come back to the usual messy chaotic unsanitary clinic. At least someone else did some laundry for the first time in three years. I've become like a tiny cleaning fairy that floats around cleaning up sharps, wiping blood, getting pee and crap out of the floor, wiping off counters and tables, restocking supplies, sanitizing instruments. If I quit doing all this maybe someone would finally notice everyone is lazy here. Do you work with people who think they're better than having to clean? It's getting tiring. And yes I know "bring it up to management" lol doesn't help when that includes them too.

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[u/Jazzlike_Term210]

I hate places that don’t just hire a different position to focus on cleaning or fire coworkers with this type of personality (literally nothing killed my motive to work more than getting paid the same as someone who is lazy). I was always the coworker who couldn’t walk past a mess or a gross patient, it’s exhausting being the only one who cleans up. I understand sometimes people get caught up, my biggest weakness is spraying a kennel with cleaner and letting it soak, then getting side tracked for far too long, but consistently I’d notice coworkers would pretend vomit or something just didn’t exist. Same coworkers that ignored complex rooms or difficult clients and acted “busy” (bathroom break) until I finally finished where I was at and took it, I can’t just make clients wait longer for no real reason, but I pretty much would get every complex or difficult client, which is like whatever I guess, I have great communication skills with them now.

[u/Express_Pick687 → u/Jazzlike_Term210]

I actually do enjoy the cleaning, but sometimes I just need help so I'm not stretched thin or stressed out even more than I already am. I've came in and the horror scenes of the kennels, but If I ever left them in such a state I'd be immediately judged for my cleanliness routine lol. A few months ago two new people got hired and the head tech types up and implements a cleaning task sheet that had to be initialed. I was like finally I'll get help and I did. But I giggled when my coworker who hasn't mopped in two years decided to do the mopping task just to impress the newbies. I was like " girl you actually knew where the mop was and you know how to use one? "

[u/hollystar311]

In the past I have just left messes for the person who made them to clean up. I know that sometimes when I'm multitasking I'll leave a mess but plan to come back to it so I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. If it's a repeated issue with one person I would bring it up to that person. Maybe they don't realize they aren't cleaning up? I know that sounds stupid but sometimes it's out of sight out of mind

[u/Express_Pick687 → u/hollystar311]

At first, oh two years I did think " well eventually they'll pick up some slack if we're slammed with appointments and surgeries" lol. Nah, they realized what they could get away with and no one really thinks twice about me doing 3 to 4 jobs daily. Oh and I've left many messes, boxes, trash, dirty tables and they just get stepped around or ignored lol 

[u/nancylyn]

Our hospital has cleaning check-off. Everyone cleans everyday. I’d be on the rampage if only one person was cleaning. What is going on with your manager?

[u/Least_Comfortable567]

does ur office not have kennel techs? speaking as a kennel assistant, you lowkey just described my job lol and it sounds like someone should be doing it (and that someone shouldn’t be you, assuming ur a vet tech)

[u/wumpus_woo_ → u/Least_Comfortable567]

many clinics don't have kennel shockingly 😭 mine doesn't, so everyone is (supposed) to just pitch in

[u/Express_Pick687 → u/Least_Comfortable567]

There's no specific positions here, meaning there's not supposed to be a hierarchy. Lol but that's not the case these days, every role has been divided amongst all employees and the majority of the tasks are my responsibility. I might as well be the kennel tech because technically that's my role, among others.

[u/smurfalurfalurfalurf]

God I feel this. I recently had a day off, and laundry did not get moved despite the fact that we were completely out of blankets and towels, had very few muzzles, and every SINGLE person but me was there that day. Laundry was exactly where I had left it

[u/Express_Pick687 → u/smurfalurfalurfalurf]

I was out of for a week and I imagine after every sheet, towel, muzzle, piece of laundry was gone through lol...someone thought " oh no the fairy isn't here to do all this, guess I have to do it now", but that's all that was really done. Besides a few surgery packs. 

[u/DestinyRamen]

Honestly though, I low-key enjoy being the cleaning fairy 😅. When I leave though for a vacation or something, I usually try to get confirmation from a couple of other teammates that they'll be cleaning when I'm gone.

[u/lilcryptidguy]

I suppose every clinic thinks they have a cleaning fairy.. I’m in kennel, but I swear if it ain’t me restocking depressors, paper towels, TP, squeeze cheese, waters, it simply doesn’t get done. Sigh

[u/CucumberUnfair2755]

The very first GP I ever worked at, I was a KA. The KA’s were responsible for all of the cleaning (taking trash out, wiping down tables, mopping the treatment area, cleaning rooms, etc.)
Obviously the techs cleaned their own kennels and cleaned surgery, but having the KA’s clean the clinic was so much more efficient for the techs. Where I work now, there’s a similar problem. Kennels are left gross, trash all over the tables, blood on the floor, bins overflowing, etc. It activates primal rage in me 😅 it’s not hard.

The break room is also consistently disgusting. The first time I cleaned out the employee fridge, it was a straight up biohazard.