Page 8 | Do you think it is unreasonable for a boss to ask his Secretary to make a cup of tea?

Pepperypig · 2018-05-06T11:42:06+00:00

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?

Furano · 09/05/2018 07:11

I heard my boss asking his PA to book him a dentist appointment and book a family holiday last week! Now that is not part of her job description!

Bearhunter09 · 09/05/2018 07:17

Absolutely standard esp where a client is present

Newyorkhereicome · 09/05/2018 07:28

In the companies I have worked in, you would not be hired with an attitude like that. Places I have worked, you need a 'can do' attitude and we all help each other. If that means making the occasional cup of tea then I am not above that to help others out. They help me out when I need it

But with all due respect I wouldn't work for a company like that. As I pointed out before all companies are different as are all PA/EA roles, to be honest it's like comparing apples and oranges the job varies so much and when you have a decent CV and City experience you can pick and choose where you work and I wouldn't work for a company that expected me to make tea or coffee.

One last point I never see clients they go from reception to the meeting room nobody is allowed meet a client in their office so the tea making scenario for clients would never happen anyway.

Lizzie48 · 09/05/2018 08:10

I was a legal secretary for some years. I second what PPs have said, getting tea for the boss's clients was standard, but I was never asked to get tea because he/she just fancied a cuppa. They always got their own. Because legal offices are high pressured places and the boss would rather the secretary continued her work rather than making tea.

Lizzie48 · 09/05/2018 08:12

It wasn't the case that we made tea for every single client, but refreshments would be provided for case conferences.

OliviaStabler · 09/05/2018 08:42

But with all due respect I wouldn't work for a company like that.

And that's fair enough. You need to work where you are happy and feel comfortable. There is no point undertaking a role in which you are fundamentally unhappy with some of the tasks that might be asked of you.

Ikabod · 09/05/2018 10:14

I'm a PA. When my boss has any sort of meeting I put water and glasses in his office and offer hot drinks. It's part of my job.

littlebillie · 09/05/2018 10:38

I make drinks for my team all the time they make for my clients and me. It's part of the job

AngelsSins · 09/05/2018 10:44

I hate this attitude and have NEVER seen a man asked to make tea for his boss.

In my old company one of the directors used to swan in once a week and demand I make him tea. I was in HR, not even a secretary. They also only ever asked women to cover reception or set up for meetings. Once I was asked to set up a meeting for another department as his secretary was off. As I mentioned before, I was HR, nothing to do with his department or meeting. I refused and told him to ask one of his male team members. He instead got a secretary from another department to do it, because god forbid he had to ask a man.

Bekabeech · 09/05/2018 11:13

DH does this, or even just for him - but that is only on days when he has no breaks at all. On other days he will make or buy her one etc.
No problem with this.

Now expecting someone to provide tea/coffee because of their sex is an issue.

TheSmallClangerWhistlesAgain · 09/05/2018 18:11

I'm so, so glad I don't work in an office any more.

We do have an admin section but they are there to process paperwork. Even if my boss asked them to sort out appointments or cater for a meeting, they would tell him to piss off and their manager would Get Involved. They can be a nuisance and it's best not to antagonise them needlessly.

Growingboys · 09/05/2018 18:17

Absolutely fine but am sure everyone else is in a froth about it

topcat2014 · 09/05/2018 18:22

I am a finance director, (male), and always make the first round of the day.

My assistant (female) will make drinks for visitors that we are both meeting with at the same time.

If I am meeting a visitor on my own, I will make drinks for both of us - and would not ask my assistant to attend the meeting just for the purpose of making the drinks.

First job after uni was receptionist and post boy - where I did make drinks. That was a while ago (1993) and some visitors struggled with the concept of a young man boy doing that for them :)

BackforGood · 09/05/2018 21:48

One last point I never see clients they go from reception to the meeting room nobody is allowed meet a client in their office so the tea making scenario for clients would never happen anyway.

Just satisfy my curiosity...... does that mean someone coming for a meeting in your offices wouldn't get a drink then ?

I hate this attitude and have NEVER seen a man asked to make tea for his boss
Really ?? How many places have you worked, out of interest ?

Newyorkhereicome · 09/05/2018 23:34

@BackforGood no it means they go to the client suite, and this will probably blow some people's minds but there is an IPad in each meeting room where the client or the host can place an order for tea, coffee, hot chocolate, water anything they want and it is delivered by the catering staff from the kitchen.

midnightmisssuki · 09/05/2018 23:35

Pretty standard.

TroubledLichen · 10/05/2018 00:34

No iPads in any of my former jobs, but all meetings took place in specific client meeting rooms as well. I would never see the client either as reception handled their arrival and a refreshment selection (hot drinks/water/biscuits) would automatically be provided for every meeting. I had to book the room but not the refreshments. Another previous job also had self serve Nespresso and stocked fridges in their client meeting rooms, again stocked by a catering team.

So the only tea making scenario that could possibly arise was if my boss asked me to make it for him because he fancied one but didn’t want to go himself. Which never happened and I wouldn’t have been overly impressed if it did. I always offered (the key there being offered, I was never asked) to get lunch on a busy day and would use my boss’ card to pay for theirs and mine together.

Apples and oranges.

Girlgoneglobal · 10/05/2018 00:36

I have made tea for my boss. My boss has made tea for me.

Want2bSupermum · 10/05/2018 01:19

DH has a horrible assistant. She just doesn't get it. He is in the office 1-2 days a week so is extremely busy when he is there. She doesn't get him meals, drinks or work beyond set office hours. His flights are regularly screwed up and she won't answer her phone (paid for by the company) so it's me who deals with things like car rental reservations and the hotel being informed if he will be late plus make sure he has a snack platter as he doesn't like to eat on the plane.

His previous assistant was 70 years old and amazing. She now works for us personally doing our medical claims. It's a shame his boss forced her into retirement. She would deal with anything and everything. She knew every customer, their spouse, kids, hobbies and payment history. When he was in the office she would have a packet on his desk with his daily schedule she had left the night before. He got through significantly more work.

Bekabeech · 10/05/2018 06:36

None of the places DH has worked have a specialist catering outfit. There is usually no "making" tea either - usually its a pop to Starbucks.

And whilst he might ask his assistant to get him a sandwich or coffee on extra busy days - he wouldn't ask that of his female colleague.

LittleBearPad · 10/05/2018 07:12

DH has a horrible assistant. She just doesn't get it. He is in the office 1-2 days a week so is extremely busy when he is there. She doesn't get him meals, drinks or work beyond set office hours. His flights are regularly screwed up and she won't answer her phone (paid for by the company) so it's me who deals with things like car rental reservations and the hotel being informed if he will be late plus make sure he has a snack platter as he doesn't like to eat on the plane.

I don’t blame her.

LittleBearPad · 10/05/2018 07:14

Just because his previous secretary went above and beyond he can’t expect his new one to.

But back to the point it’s not demeaning for suppport staff to make drinks for external meetings in the absence of specific catering staff.

NurseButtercup · 10/05/2018 08:01

Oh this thread has brought back a memory. I was employed on a 6 month contract to deliver a project at local council (I wasn't admin). One day I went into the office early to try and catch up on some work.

One of the male managers was hosting a meeting with about 20 people that was due to start in approx 20 minutes. He'd forgotten about refreshments so asked me to do it. This would have involved searching for and washing mugs and boiling the kettle at least twice. I politely declined and suggested he enlisted support from the admin team, he wasn't happy and kicked off.

After the meeting he made a complaint to the team manager, who then had to mediate a meeting between us. I simply stated that it wasn't within the remit of my role to be washing cups and making tea for meetings I wasn't involved in. His argument was that I wasn't being a team player. I remember being really cheeky and suggesting that perhaps he'd over reacted slightly and was creating a storm in a tea cup? I was the only person laughing in the room (but the team manager gave a small smirk). But I also pointed out that I didn't have any spare capacity to be a team player on that day to assist with refreshment duties because of my own workload.

The team manager took my side and agreed that it wasn't appropriate to ask me to organise the refreshments or to make a complaint about me.

He wasn't happy with this outcome and didn't speak to me for about two weeks. Funnily enough he eventually came to his senses and broke the silence by offering to make me a cup of tea, silly sod .

OliviaStabler · 10/05/2018 08:08

DH has a horrible assistant. She just doesn't get it. He is in the office 1-2 days a week so is extremely busy when he is there. She doesn't get him meals, drinks or work beyond set office hours. His flights are regularly screwed up and she won't answer her phone (paid for by the company) so it's me who deals with things like car rental reservations and the hotel being informed if he will be late plus make sure he has a snack platter as he doesn't like to eat on the plane.

Who recruited her? They clearly did not recruit the right person as she is so far from the right fit for what is required in that role.

ChristmasAccountant · 10/05/2018 08:13

I’m a secretary at the moment, often make tea for the boss if I’m making one and always offer if there’s meetings going on. I don’t think he’s ever actually asked me to make one but I would if he did. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. It’s a nice break from my desk!