Yesterday I(19M) was at work with a colleague chris(48m), chris has been at this job for quite abit longer than i have. I am a relatively new starter (I’ve been there about a month and a half). Part of closing at my job is cleaning up the store and washing any mugs and the coffee machine. While Chris was with a customer I went around the store making sure it looked nice sorting stands and making sure in all it was ready for tommorow. As to be expected, half an hour before we leave customers come in and it’s my turn to take them.
I speak to them and help them out. During this time Chris has no jobs and is just standing vaguely near me. Eventually I sort the customers out, and by the time I’m done it’s 15 minutes past close. As I stand up I assume that chris has finished all the bits and we can just leave. Just for chris to say “oh can you wash the coffee machine quickly when you get up there, careful. Waters hot”
Slightly annoyed that chris rather than clean just stood around, I take the coffee machine bits upstairs and wash them quickly, not really noticing the mugs as I was tired and eager to get home (now 20 minutes later than I should have)
Cut to this morning, my deputy manager and chris are in. And my DM is annoyed that the mugs are not washed. I immediately apologise and privately message them to say sorry and say ill get them a donut or something to make up for it. I’ll put the messages here:
Me: “Sorry D, I’ll be sure to get you a donut or something to apologise, wasn’t thinking when I left store last night 🙏”
D: “You don’t have to get me anything, just please stick to what is expected when we close or open the store 👌🏼 that’s not just to you but everyone 👍🏻”
Other people before this commented in the group chat saying “it’s not fair not to wash up on a night unless you’re gonna do it on the morning”
My thoughts are…. chris couldve/should’ve done it last night while I was with a customer instead of doing nothing. And since he was in on the morning, rather than make a thing of it, could’ve washed the mugs and sent me a message asking why I forgot to last night?
A couple notes here: It’s well known among the team that chris likes to act like management when he isn’t. Chris has previously yelled at me at work and shown dislike.
I’m currently feel very anxious about my job, as i was already worried the team didn’t like me. So am I the asshole?
Edit: after reading comments, I’m gonna have a conversation with my manager when I’m next in on Saturday. Thank you everyone <3
Comments
^^^^AUTOMOD Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read this before contacting the mod team
Yesterday I(19M) was at work with a colleague chris(48m), chris has been at this job for quite abit longer than i have. I am a relatively new starter (I’ve been there about a month and a half). Part of closing at my job is cleaning up the store and washing any mugs and the coffee machine. While Chris was with a customer I went around the store making sure it looked nice sorting stands and making sure in all it was ready for tommorow. As to be expected, half an hour before we leave customers come in and it’s my turn to take them.
I speak to them and help them out. During this time Chris has no jobs and is just standing vaguely near me. Eventually I sort the customers out, and by the time I’m done it’s 15 minutes past close. As I stand up I assume that chris has finished all the bits and we can just leave. Just for chris to say “oh can you wash the coffee machine quickly when you get up there, careful. Waters hot”
Slightly annoyed that chris rather than clean just stood around, I take the coffee machine bits upstairs and wash them quickly, not really noticing the mugs as I was tired and eager to get home (now 20 minutes later than I should have)
Cut to this morning, my deputy manager and chris are in. And my DM is annoyed that the mugs are not washed. I immediately apologise and privately message them to say sorry and say ill get them a donut or something to make up for it. I’ll put the messages here:
Me: “Sorry D, I’ll be sure to get you a donut or something to apologise, wasn’t thinking when I left store last night 🙏”
Other people before this commented in the group chat saying “it’s not fair not to wash up on a night unless you’re gonna do it on the morning”
My thoughts are…. chris couldve/should’ve done it last night while I was with a customer instead of doing nothing. And since he was in on the morning, rather than make a thing of it, could’ve washed the mugs and sent me a message asking why I forgot to last night?
A couple notes here: It’s well known among the team that chris likes to act like management when he isn’t. Chris has previously yelled at me at work and shown dislike.
I’m currently feel very anxious about my job, as i was already worried the team didn’t like me. So am I the asshole?
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our voting guide here, and remember to use only one judgement in your comment.
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I didn’t clean mugs before I left work, and my manager is annoyed
Help keep the sub engaging!
Don’t downvote assholes!
Do upvote interesting posts!
Click Here For Our Rules and Click Here For Our FAQ
Subreddit Announcements
Follow the link above to learn more
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
INFO: Do I understand correctly that cleaning the mugs wasn’t just yours responsibility but shared between you and Chris?
NTA
You are relatively new to the position and prone to making small mistakes like this. You learn, people move on, and there’s a good chance you will likely not forget moving forward.
Chris, on the other hand, has been there for years, pretends he’s management, and seems to be taking advantage of you. It seems right now he doesn’t think the cleaning duties should be shared. I worked in a similar breakfast/cafe kind of place with someone like Chris; she thought she had “earned” her right to tell other people what to do, especially taking out trash/washing dishes/sweeping based on seniority without any actual higher management standing. She always seemed to “find” something else to do or wait around for others to do it before she thought it was also her job to do it.
Don’t say anything now to ruffle feathers, but the next time you two close make sure it is *very* clear that all jobs are divided equally and that you are not to be a doormat for Chris’ fake sense of management entitlement. Hopefully though this was a one-off and Chris just made the same oversight as you.
I wouldn’t worry too much about your mistake; it was very small and you are still new.
No You def aint asshole, you seem like someone who takes his job seriously, you just forgot and that is totally normal. Actually Chris is the asshole. Ofc he should wash those damn mugs when he had time and you were busy (who the f even does such a drama over few dirty mugs?!🙄) . Guess he thinks he can bully you cause you are young and new comer. Do not let him, no matter the age you are as important employee as him. If I was you I would politely tell him you do not like how he treats you and try to set some borders, you def aint his “punching bag”. If he is ultra asshole and doesnt get it, talk to your manager abt. him. Unfortunately, there is at least one asshole in every workplace. We just cannot let them get under our skin. Good luck 😉
NTA. You’re not going to lose your job for one small mistake, either – you’re new, and it’s to be expected.
If anything like this happens again, I’d honestly share your concerns with your manager. Something along the lines of :
‘Could I please be given some clarity on how the roles are meant to be split at closing? I closed with Chris last night and was with a customer until after closing, so had assumed, given that he was free, that he would have taken on cleaning the mugs. If this is just a role expected solely of me, that’s fine, I’ll have Chris handle late customers in future so I can do the cleaning whilst he does so’.
*edited for formatting
NTA. You weren’t sitting there and doing nothing. You had a slight mistake. Plus, they aren’t going to fire you over something so small. You’re trying your best, in the end. You’re even going above and beyond by doing Chris’ bit.
If cleaning mugs was a shared responsibility I would just respond with; hey look. I’m sorry again but I was serving a customer last night while Chris was observing. If it’s not just me but everyone, why am I being singled out?
I love working here, that’s why I stayed past the clock. I promise to do better and I’ll be happy to follow your instructions to remind Chris that it’s a team responsibility.
Or simply. Thanks for understanding, I promise to do better and I’ll be happy to follow your instructions to remind Chris that it’s a team responsibility when I’m with customers.
I’m past giving a shit so take things with your level of comfort in mind. But when you don’t push back, you get pushed around from my experience
Chris seems happy to stand aside and see you cop it, so time to throw him under the bus. Have a chat with the manager about how closing is to be handled.
Mention Chris was standing around while you were serving the last customers, and you as the junior took the lead from him and cleaned the machines. Not he was still milling around and you left when he did. Unfortunately he didn’t look at the cups twice so you figured they could wait for the morning…now you’re realising that’s not the case, so should you still follow Chris’ lead?
NTA and it’s not even Chris’ fault you were put into this position. Every restaurant or cafe I’ve worked at, or had friends work at, locks the door around 30-60m before everyone’s shift is scheduled to end. Just so this exact situation is not a problem. Management at o.o shop is so cheap they expect employees to just eat the extra time if a customer comes in right before close?
When I was 19 I had no idea but I value my time now. If someone wants me to stay late, they either have the authority to authorize overtime or they don’t have the authority to ask me to stay.
I would have told Chris I was leaving after the customer and gone home. Let him sort out who’s job is what if he’s getting overtime.
NTA.
Suggest a rota and make it so whoever’s day it is doesn’t have to deal with customers for the last 15 minutes.
Defend yourself to the group / managers by correcting “wasn’t thinking when I left store last night” with “I worked late to attend to a customer”