Signs of times
There are lot of assumptions made on this post. The primary of them all being that, people who work in IT companies, the so called software engineers, are well educated. If not want to stress on the “well” part, at least should give some concession on the “educated” portion of it. Then again, the very definition of educated will raise some controversial topic, that will digress the intent of the post. Back to the topic.
Whichever office I have been to, without any exception, every single one of their cafeteria, food courts and pantries will have certain signs, carrying the biggest font available, plastered on every vantage point leading to and on the corridors leading to the hand wash. The message is albeit a simple one – “PLEASE DONOT WASH YOUR LUNCH BOXES HERE”. In some places, I’ve even seen such messages plastered on the gap between the mirrors in hand wash. But in most of the wash basins you would find the water to be clogging with leftover food. Mostly the ladies are the culprits to this offence. I’ve even objected to some, when they are actually caught on the act, for which they will casually and at times forcefully, say that, keeping an unwashed lunchbox will cause stink and by the time they reach home to wash, it would be difficult to clean. I’ve no issues with people cleaning their boxes, as long as they have the sense to use the dustbin to put their leftovers. Why should they waste food in first place is a different topic altogether. Some people, literally dump the contents of their boxes on the wash basin, without the decency or thought of how others will be able to use it. Spare a thought for the cleaning crew, who have to do the dirty job. On one hand, the company might be providing cutting edge tech solutions for business across the world, yet employing manual scavenging to clean their own cafeteria, dirtied by their own resources.
The heights of this issue today was, when I saw a sign board near the water cooler, mentioning..no..pleading rather, to not wash their tea cups using drinking water!!! Do such people even qualify as literate? Will anyone do such nonsense at their home of washing the utensils on Bisleri water, when it costs Rs 80 per can?
In all probability the answer for all these transgressions, might lie solely on what we teach or get taught as “education” in our institutions. Without basic discipline and sense of maintaining cleanliness in our place of work, forget about people caring about environment and other things!! Quite shameful to even think that it has come to this stage and is perpetrated by a crowd that is supposedly the cream of the literate layer. Probably managements should include this also in the KRA’s of the employees and track how they help in maintaining a cleaner work place.
Whichever office I have been to, without any exception, every single one of their cafeteria, food courts and pantries will have certain signs, carrying the biggest font available, plastered on every vantage point leading to and on the corridors leading to the hand wash. The message is albeit a simple one – “PLEASE DONOT WASH YOUR LUNCH BOXES HERE”. In some places, I’ve even seen such messages plastered on the gap between the mirrors in hand wash. But in most of the wash basins you would find the water to be clogging with leftover food. Mostly the ladies are the culprits to this offence. I’ve even objected to some, when they are actually caught on the act, for which they will casually and at times forcefully, say that, keeping an unwashed lunchbox will cause stink and by the time they reach home to wash, it would be difficult to clean. I’ve no issues with people cleaning their boxes, as long as they have the sense to use the dustbin to put their leftovers. Why should they waste food in first place is a different topic altogether. Some people, literally dump the contents of their boxes on the wash basin, without the decency or thought of how others will be able to use it. Spare a thought for the cleaning crew, who have to do the dirty job. On one hand, the company might be providing cutting edge tech solutions for business across the world, yet employing manual scavenging to clean their own cafeteria, dirtied by their own resources.
The heights of this issue today was, when I saw a sign board near the water cooler, mentioning..no..pleading rather, to not wash their tea cups using drinking water!!! Do such people even qualify as literate? Will anyone do such nonsense at their home of washing the utensils on Bisleri water, when it costs Rs 80 per can?
In all probability the answer for all these transgressions, might lie solely on what we teach or get taught as “education” in our institutions. Without basic discipline and sense of maintaining cleanliness in our place of work, forget about people caring about environment and other things!! Quite shameful to even think that it has come to this stage and is perpetrated by a crowd that is supposedly the cream of the literate layer. Probably managements should include this also in the KRA’s of the employees and track how they help in maintaining a cleaner work place.
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