What would you do?

[catherinesian]

Bit of background, I work in an office environment on a floor of about 40 people, a few different departments sharing a kitchen with microwave.

Yesterday, whilst making a cup of tea, a member of staff in a different department that I previously have not seen eye to eye with was heating up soup in the microwave. I heard a *poof* and instantly knew that his soup had exploded in the microwave. He took his soup out of the microwave, closed the door hastily and headed back to his desk. I opened the door of the microwave and it was like something out of a horror movie, brown lumpy soup was EVERYWHERE

I thought to myself, give him an hour or so to come back and clean it up. So later in the day I looked again and he obviously had come back and made a bad attempt at cleaning and had sort of wiped/smeared the back walls, but left it all on the ceiling splattered and under the tray.

WWYD?

My colleague thinks I should tell his manager but I feel that might sound a bit petty and frankly his manager has better things to deal with.

I have toyed with speaking with him directly but we don't have a great working relationship already and I am not sure how successful that would be (he is a difficult individual - it's not just me who has had problems with him in the past).

Or, shall I just go and clean it up and put a passive aggressive sign up?

Or clean it up and not put a passive aggressive sign up?

Hate people who make a mess and just assume someone else will deal with it

[novocastrian]

dont clean it & put a sign on it asking whoever massed it up cleans it or the facility will be withdrawn

add would you do this in your own home? to the sign

[Guest]

Hmm. Definitely I would not go to his manager. I would possibly just ask him to have another go at it.

If a note goes up, it does not have to be passive aggressive. It probably needs to come from facilities management and just needs to simply say please clean up after yourself or the microwave may be removed.

[amy56]

As you didn’t say something at the time, I don’t think I would say or do anything now.

I would just clean it and move on.

ETA - I like the two ideas above - a general sign that reminds everyone and could be from anyone too!

[lyn1]

I would clean it and leave it as that, but if he did the same thing again then I would say something.

[FlorayG]

I'd make a BIG sign saying "The mess in this microwave was made by XXX"
And stick it on the microwave door

[mickey house]

Life is too short to cause issues at work as he will have the hump with you and his close colleagues will so have an easy life and let it go.

I wouldn't clean his mess up I would just leave it. I have noticed how people are good at giving advice when they won't have to deal with the aftermath (like your colleagues telling you to grass him up to his manager). When I managed staff if someone complained to me about this issue, I would be less impressed with the complainant.

[PPM]

Originally Posted by FlorayG

I'd make a BIG sign saying "The mess in this microwave was made by XXX"
And stick it on the microwave door

See more...

Think about this carefully if you do go down that road.
Nice way to alienate yourself from everyone. You will just become a snitch in others eyes any soon no one will tell you anything.


What I’d do...
I’d either shoot him or get his passport revoked so he could never go on a Disney holiday
That will teach the Micro Mutilator a lesson

[FlorayG]

...then I'd go to his desk and ask in a loud voice "When are you going to clean up the mess you made in the microwave so that other people can use it?"

(Can you tell this is a perennial problem where I work? )

[SquishTheWhale]

Passive aggressive sign.

'This microwave was left a mess the other day- please can you clean up after yourselves!'

He will know that it means him.