Question for all

[lexin]

I've also asked around the managers of my office about this, but this came up in my union work recently and I thought I'd find out what everyone thinks.

Poll #7675 Reasonable ad-hoc tasks

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 57

You employ a person whose normal job is to do post opening, stamping, preparation of papers, scanning - adminstrative tasks, in other words. Would you regard it as reasonable for them to be asked to do "sweeping out the filthy basement" as an ad-hoc task?

Yes
3 (5.3%)

No
9 (15.8%)

In the context of an office move or "tidy friday" when everyone's mucking in, but not otherwise
44 (77.2%)

Something else I will tell you about in comments
1 (1.8%)

Comments

[resonant]

Dunno if this is true of the admin in question, but when I took my current admin position, the job description actually included a description of the level of physical exertion that could reasonably be expected to be part of the job description. (Basically, in order to do my job competently, you have to be able to lift a ream of 11x17 paper. You certainly don't have to be able to muck out a basement.)

I suspect this is part of the Americans With Disabilities act, to prevent employers from saying, "Oh, well, naturally we'd be more than willing to hire someone who uses a wheelchair, but what if we needed her to carry file boxes up to the attic?"

[amberfox]

They've got a job posting up where I work that specifies the ability to crouch or stand for extended periods and the ability to lift (I think) 40 pounds unassisted. I don't know who their target audience is, but the job is usually held by middle-aged-or-older women; it's for decorating cakes. That doesn't really seem to call for athletics.