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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you think it is unreasonable for a boss to ask his Secretary to make a cup of tea?

234 replies

Pepperypig · 06/05/2018 12:42

My boss asked his Secretary to do this for him and a client the other day. It used to be commonplace but I would have thought that it wasn't part of her duties?

OP posts:
Dozer · 06/05/2018 12:43

Standard.

PinkbicyclesinBerlin · 06/05/2018 12:45

I don’t only because when it is not a secretary they look to the next available woman in the room to do it. I am an engineer, in one place I worked I was regularly asked to make coffee and cover reception which men were never asked. I was often quick to nominate my male colleague when it was their “turn”.

TeenTimesTwo · 06/05/2018 12:45

Not unreasonable at all I wouldn't have thought.

Ardant · 06/05/2018 12:46

Are you the secretary?

Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 12:47

His PA or a secretary? Those are slightly different roles.

KC225 · 06/05/2018 12:49

Did it all the time, but don't drink tea or coffee and apparently make a cup of poison. Last boss would order it in from the coffee shop next door. I was happy to collect for a stretch of legs and to flirt with the pretty boys in there, they would give me samples of warm biscuits. Bloody hell sometimes being married is boring

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 06/05/2018 12:49

Standard. He's hosting a meeting and her role is to ensure the client is looked after.

Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 12:50

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot

Not what I've ever seen in a secretarial job description. You may be thinking of Receptionist?

SauvB123 · 06/05/2018 12:50

No, this should be expected as part of the role, unless the office is large and they have a catering and facilities team, and even then the secretary / PA should be arranging it!

OopsPardonMrsArden · 06/05/2018 12:50

It's demeaning if a secretary is asked to make tea just for for the boss because they are perfectly capable of getting their own and it isn't the 70s anymore. Fine if providing tea and coffee for meetings as paet of a general reception service, but a secretary isn't a waitress and often it's a highly skilled and well paid position.

user453678953 · 06/05/2018 12:51

When I had a secretary she always made my drinks. I hated it at first until my boss explained that I had other things to do.

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 06/05/2018 12:51

I'm thinking of any role involved with ensuring clients are looked after and meetings that the office hosts are in comfortable rooms with tea coffee and water facilities. It's common decency.

bengalcat · 06/05/2018 12:51

Seems reasonable

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 06/05/2018 12:52

My secretary makes me tea. She offers, I don’t ask. I bloody love her for looking after me.

TalkinPeece · 06/05/2018 12:53

Perfectly normal to ask another member of staff to make the refreshments during a client meeting

generally the person asked will be subordinate for obvious reasons

outside of client meetings they can get their own

Original poster
Pepperypig · 06/05/2018 12:53

No, I'm not the Secretary - I just thought this kind of thing didn't really happen any more. I was once asked to hoover the stairs - there was no way I was doing that - I'm not the cleaner!

OP posts:
confusedlittleone · 06/05/2018 12:53

If it was just the boss then not so much ok. But for a client meeting I think it's acceptable to ask (although in my office the standard practice is whoever answers the door makes the drinks)

whywhywhywhywhyyy · 06/05/2018 12:54

Depends on if it's part of the secretary's job description. I know secretaries where prepping the room is part of their role, and therefore they'll bring a tea tray to a meeting before hand, and I know secretaries where it's not part of their role so they don't.

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 06/05/2018 12:54

Well it is. Your boss is hosting a client and it's polite to offer refreshments it stands to reason they ask a junior member of the team to provide them. Cleaning, no.

Original poster
Pepperypig · 06/05/2018 12:54

TestingTestingWonTooFree that is a different scenario and I have a boss who will happily make me a cup of tea and I will happily make her one. However, I think it's the whole being asked to make tea which seems a bit demeaning. I doubt they would ask a man to do this.

OP posts:
Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 12:55

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot

A secretary isn't client-facing, nor is he or she necessarily at the bottom of the office hierarchy. It may or may not be appropriate depending on her precise role.

QueenAravisOfArchenland · 06/05/2018 12:56

He's being U referring to a secretary, who says they have a secretary any more? He/she is a PA or admin, no?

Not U for PA/admin/receptionist to make and serve coffee for a client meeting IMO, it's a fairly standard duty. Would be U if boss never made his own though.

SerenDippitty · 06/05/2018 12:56

I used to be a secretary and I did it. Where I work now it’s still standard duties for PAs (who are not secretaries, we don’t have them any more).

agedknees · 06/05/2018 12:56

I used to make tea and coffee for the doctors in clinic (am a retired nurse). Sometimes if I was mad busy due to understaffing they would make me a brew. Don’t see a problem with it.

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 06/05/2018 12:56

It depends on the company. A small office where everyone chips in they may well be. They are also categorically junior to the boss - or why call them the boss?!