I need you opinion about a water cooler situation

slim_photographer

I'm not quite sure this is a fitness question but I wanted to know what MFP peers think I should do.
I have a co-worker who is kinda old, not to old. He's old enough that he claims his knee hurts to go up a set of stairs for instance.
I get that he may have the knee problem I don't know how big it is.
As I'm trying to live a healthier life I drink more water so the water jug in the cooler runs down a lot faster. There's now 2 heavy drinkers including me.
This guy's always been opportunistic in a way that he'd take only enough water to not take the last bit, leaving the nearly empty jug change for someone else. I've noticed that and I talked to him about it. We have some ladies in the office and I thought that he might have been embarrassed that he couldn't. And volunteer to change it for him if it ran out. I asked him to not just turn his back and leave it empty as the ladies (not that they couldn't) may want to drink water and it might me a little difficult to do for them.
He very rudely turned my offer into an argumentation and said he didn't need help 'cause it wasn't his responsibility. And that he did a lot more than everybody else therefore the water needed to be changed by someone else regardless. He does not make more than everybody else and if anything he may feel that way because the makes a lot of mistakes and has to remake a lot of stuff, plus the boss keeps a close watch on him because of his bad decision making.

Was my offer improper?
What can we, in this office, do to have someone like him see it's the good neighbor thing to do to replace things as they run out?

jonikeffer

He sounds like a jerk. You're offering to change the bottle "for him" which implies he has some obligation to do it, and that seems to be the part he is getting prickly about. Maybe if you phrase it such that "if you take the last of the water, can you just let me know so *I* can change the bottle", without implying you are doing it *for him*, he will agree to that.

Not that it is wrong to suggest it would be the right thing to do for *whomever* to change the bottle if they use the last of it, but if the goal is just to get him to let someone know, my suggestion might work. Good luck, sounds like he's a pain to work with. :laugh: I am very short and weak in the upper body, but I always asked my coworker to change it for me when she had a chance, when I emptied it. We were all women so there was no man to ask, but she was a lovely amazon and was happy to help me. I think it's the "right thing" to not leave it empty.

PS - the whole "to leave a note or not" thing reminds me of when I worked in an all-female office and the two head offsite boss guys, who only visited occasionally. would leave the effin seat up on the toilet. I know they're the bosses, but that was just the most disrespectful thing to me, since the office was entirely women. They may as well have just peed on all of us to demonstrate their authority. I left a note in the bathroom to please put the seat back down. <lol>

aflane

You were perfectly proper and polite to offer to do the water bottle change out for him, if he's unable. His response just showed what an asshat he is. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to reform/remedy him. The only thing I can think of is an email to all staff that publicly shames him, while intentionally leaving out his name. He'll know who it's directed at. It probably won't do any good though.

Keep up the water drinking!! :drinker:

Jenscan

Ugh, I hate the people who are all "it's not my job to do X". Grrr. It IS the right thing to do if it's empty but some people just don't get common courtesy.

You were very polite and not out of line, to me. Some guys have fragile egos and maybe he was offended by your offer to do it for him, but that's really his problem as long as you were cool about it, and I think you were.

I don't know if you'll change this guy's mind. Some people are so stubborn about doing things they think are out of scope for them. Just don't hang one of those stupid notes on there that say "change me" LOL.

Good luck.

emsibun

With your bosses permission, stick a note on the water cooler that says something like: If this water cooler needs to be changed, please either change it or go ask (and then list the people who are willing to do it).

If the 'change' isn't happening after this ask yourself, do I need the stress of worrying what this stick in the mud old guy is or isn't doing? Or could I just l take responsibility for keeping an eye on the water cooler since I drink plenty from it myself and leave the management of a potentially anti-social and difficult employee to those in charge? Let them have the stress.

Edited to add: Aw someone said don't use a note lol. I guess a lots changed with etiquette since I worked in an office!!

tritta01

make a sign and say be considerate of others... if its low fill it up dont leave it for the next person .. we are all here working as a team so lets keep it that way..

mbowman323

Some people are just idiots and dont care for others. You didn't do anything wrong by talking to him about the situation. I guess the best advice I could give is just if you see it needs to be replaced then replace it. Don't sweat the small stuff that you can't control

Boomerof51

I'm making signs today to put in the bathrooms at my office..."If you are toilet paper replacement challenged, please ask for assistance." So, yes, I feel you were proper. :bigsmile:

DanceMomCG

make a sign and say be considerate of others... if its low fill it up dont leave it for the next person .. we are all here working as a team so lets keep it that way..

This is a great idea! And sadly one that I enforce at the dance studio I work at - with KIDS!!!!! LOL It's basic manners if you ask me.

Sheila_KI

Probably isn't much you can do about him. You can let the ladies know that if they see the cooler empty - to let you know and you will be happy to change it out. There will always be those people that don't make the next pot of coffee, won't change the water, won't add paper to the printer. My favorite - 1st of every month my company brings in donuts and puts boxes at several stations throughout the office. The people that take the last doughnut and can't throw the empty box in the trash that is two feet away. Let's just leave the empty box on the counter.

ShrinkingNinja

(Don't take this offensive please.... just throwing a viewpoint out there)

I'm not quite sure why it was necessary to mention it at all if your were going to be willing to change the bottle anyway... Why not just do it. They way you worded on here makes it sound like you wanted to make sure that he knew you knew he wasn't changing the bottle and he got defensive.

Bottom line: if he empties it - he should have been changing it...

If he didn't empty why should he change it. What is he supposed to do get another glass and fill it up just to finish off the bottle?

I definitely won't waste your time and energy trying to call someone out on how they are handling the water cooler... its stress you don't need.