Double Standard or Negligence

I don't know if this is a case of double standard, or merely a negligent attitude when I see people behave in ways that I would not expect. I am talking about people's behavior in the workplace as opposed to what they might do at home. I sincerely believe that everyone likes to live in a home that is neat and clean, and I am sure that people try to do their best on that front.

It puzzles me that the same behavior is not seen in the workplace. Let me give you specific examples from where I work. People will not clean up if they make a mess in the microwave. I see folks putting sugar in their coffee and tea, and if they spill some of that sugar, it remains on the countertop well after they are gone unless someone else cleans that up. Empty containers typically suffer the same fate. In our office, we order boxes of Styrofoam cups. These cups come in bunches of about 25. Each bunch is contained in a plastic wrapper. When someone needs a cup, they will open up a bunch. However, when all the cups have been used up, the plastic wrapper just sits there. No one will throw it away in the trash can. You would think that this is a such a basic expectation, but it is not. Over the day, unless someone else is cleaning up, there could be as many as three or four of those on the countertop.

The worst example is how the trash cans are used. In our kitchen, which is probably about 30 feet by 15 feet, there are four large trash cans. Two of those that are close to coffee makers get used more often. One routinely finds those two cans to be full by about 1:00 in the afternoon. However, people will keep piling up trash within and then on top of those two, and not bother to walk a few feet to use another trash can that is not even a quarter full. After a while, it is an unbelievable mess but that doesn't deter these folks at all. Of course, on the other hand, you should see the care these people exercise in washing their own tupperware.

What bothers me most is that 90% or more of the people in the office portray this sort of behavior. How can so many people have an attitude issue? Perhaps I am wrong. Thankfully, our coffee makers only brew one "disposable" cup at a time.