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

[Pepperypig]

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?

Totally standard. The office I worked in the secretary did teas / coffees and if she wasn't there then the most junior practitioner did it. Part and parcel of office life I would have thought.

Everyone keeps insisting this is standard despite myself and others stating that it isn't and it isn't part and parcel of any office I have ever worked in

Maybe you haven't worked in standard offices?

@Newyorkhereicome who does make the tea/coffee for meetings then? If you have a separate resource then you're not in a standard office. Or are you telling me that in the City everyone makes their own drinks for meetings?

I've worked in a lot of offices, mostly in the creative industries, but in other more traditional workplaces and in every single one, the juniors/support staff would be expected to make the drinks for meetings. That's not to say senior people don't ever make their own drinks, but it's quite normal for them not to, for client meetings.

My PA handles refreshments for meetings - it is a part of her job description. It is not a part of her job description to makes me drinks or get my lunch. However she frequently does as she realizes that if she doesn’t I probably won’t have time to get anything to eat or drink. I appreciate her support and if I’m walking back to the office after an external meeting, I’ll often bring back her favorite coffee, cake etc. We’ve worked together for 12 years and make a good team. Without her I would function less well - every day she gives me a folder with details of my meetings for the day and any supporting documents. We both like working together and hopefully part of that is that we appreciate each other’s contribution.

@Parker231 Can I assume that you are able to take into consideration all the extras she does when deciding her pay rise?

Olivia - pay and bonus are on a performance annual review process for all support staff. I don’t see all the information but I believe she scores highly in her peer group. I don’t think she considers making me a coffee anything special in the same way as me bringing her back a Costa coffee - it’s all part of working as a team.

Clearly some very uptight Jobsworths on this thread. DH has had a succession of PAs over the years. Not surprisingly, the ones with a helpful, sometimes flexible attitude toward their work usually got highly recommended and promoted further. The rigid ones, not prepared to stretch one iota beyond their job description.........tended to stay stuck at the same level. But hey, at least they weren't being taking advantage of

Do no offices have one of those machines where you can make your own drinks?

I wouldn’t work for a small firm where I was expected to make drinks. I used to be an EA and now work in project management where nobody asks me to get their lunch!

In my previous job in the City, I didn’t mind getting my boss lunch and coffee because I liked him and we worked well together. Also, I wasn’t serving him, I was going to Pret or wherever. No doubt my helpful attitude helped me to move out of being an assistant though.

Making teas for a while meeting of people who don’t say thank you and look down on you as you wheel the trolley in? No thanks. I did temping as a student once in that kind of office.

Its standard and part of the role

I wouldn’t work for a small firm where I was expected to make drinks.

Yeah, it appears to a be a small office thing.

Want2bSupermum Why won't your DH's assistant answer her phone? Surely that is part of her job or she wouldn't have a phone! It sounds as though she isn't up to the job and she should be replaced by someone who is.

@Parker231

Sorry I was not judging and realised my comment might look like an accusation. I remember working with a compete jobsworth and she would never go one millimetre out of her way for anyone. Her pay rises were no where near those of Secretaries / PA's who were helpful and went out of their way to help.

I'm a PA and my boss makes MY tea I do offer drinks to guests and grab him a sandwich on a busy day though.

I'm paid more and am more senior than a lot of the staff in our office. Would be a total waste of time and money to have me staring at a kettle all day.

Weird how people seem to think Secretaries/PAs/EAs are at the bottom of the food chain, that really isn't my experience at all. I do wonder if it's a slightly sexist thing as women are over represented in these kind of support roles. It's not been 'expected' of me to make teas and coffees since I was a teenaged office junior.

It’s funny how people think PAs are on minimum wage and just make tea and do the filing!

If only they knew polar! Secretaries and PAs Work bloody hard. I think many think it’s the same as a typist role and picture Dolly Parton in 9 to 5!

I haven’t had a lunc break in weeks and generally put in about an hour extra (either before or after hours) (unpaid) to keep on top of everything. And I’ve never come across anyone painting or filing their nails! I can be found up ladders on occasion though or on my hands and knees trying to fix something.

insomniac She totally isn't up to the job. DHs boss hired her while he was traveling. His boss didn't like the image of a 70 year old working as hard as she was. She also had lung cancer and took a 4 month leave. During this time her duties were split between the four sales assistants and I stepped in sometimes although it wasn't expected. His previous assistant took it upon herself to cover all aspects of DHs life. She is a widower and I think it gave her purpose. When DHs boss let her go I was so upset for her and DH. They had a really wonderful relationship.

I've told DH that she must be miserable in her job so best to move her on. She is very well paid, making $95k a year which is about £60k. He doesn't want to get rid of her until he has someone else lined up. His boss is a pushover and doesn't have the balls to fire her nor will he let DH hire someone he picks.

For the PP who said she shouldn't have to work beyond office hours, an assistant is there to assist. If the person they are assisting has a travel issue they should be the first person dealing with it. It's not like she has to be in the office. However, last night DHs flight was delayed by an hour. It should not have been me who called his driver to let him know DH was running late. I'd hate for DHs driver to be waiting in their car unnecessarily for an hour.

This morning DH left the house for Chicago at 5am. He is expected back home at 11pm. This is why she has a company paid phone and higher pay. The people working office hours are making $50-60k a year.

My last PA job we had caterers to handle refreshments at meetings. I'd book a meeting room for my boss and select the catering at the same time. I'd meet the clients at reception and take them to the meeting room where my boss and the refreshments and other people who needed to be at the meeting were. Can't imagine going back to some dump where you still have to turn on a kettle and open packets of biscuits.

It was the same with arranging her travel. We had contracts with agencies who handled this.

OP why hasn't she been told to answer her phone? She's on $95k a year and won't even do something as basic as that? It's ludicrous.

To those questioning it, the standard set up in city firms, where you’re probably most likely find EAs earning £50k+, is that meetings do not take place in offices but on a dedicated floor or ‘client suite’. The EA will book the meeting room itself but that’s it. Reception will greet the client and take them through to the room, a catering team will provide the refreshments.

Want2b I’m shocked your husband’s PA hasn’t been fired, especially if you’re in IL which is a fire at will state isn’t it?! I had a colleague in London sacked for misconduct following one too many mistakes with travel arrangements. Personally I would never have called a driver about an hour flight delay though, I always give the flight number to the driver so they could check themselves when they get to the airport and park up/have a coffee if there was time. My bosses have always travelled a lot and across time zones so I would never sleep if I had to track flights for small delays and the drivers preferred it that way too. Phone was always on though so they could call if something was cancelled, mega delayed or there was a schedule change.

I would expect the driver to check flight delays. I’ve been delayed numerous times but no one rings the driver. One of the best things an organisation can do if outsource travel. Everyone can then do their own bookings online and it frees up a PA’s time.

Yeah, outsourcing travel is much easier.

However, last night DHs flight was delayed by an hour. It should not have been me who called his driver to let him know DH was running late. I'd hate for DHs driver to be waiting in their car unnecessarily for an hour.

Like someone above - I'd expect the Driver or the car company (usually Addison Lee) to be taking care of this kind of thing. They have the flight number and keep an eye on it. But maybe that is more a British thing because sitting around in Airport parking longer than necessary costs them a fortune.

troubled DH would have fired her this morning but he was on another trip. This month is a bad month for him and he is in the office for just one day. We are in NJ which is also a work at will state.

Anyway I'm heading home and getting a few minutes to MN while I sit on the bus. I work FT, run my own business and I'm on my own with 3DC. I really don't have time to properly support DH nor should I be expected to. The whole not doing private stuff I can live with but when DH is this busy I really wish she would just go the extra mile. DH will come home tomorrow and I will have been down to the office to collect his paperwork to review over the weekend. I'll return it Wednesday on my way to take DS to the developmental paediatrician.

It's also upset me that today is my BILs birthday and this assistant really dropped the ball. My BIL passed away in Feb and my SIL is in hospital. It's a very tough day for her. Of course this assistant thinks that DH should be sending flowers to his sister himself or that I should be doing it. All she had to do was ask one of the assistants in HQ to get it done for her. On Tuesday I did a last minute order and luckily they had a delivery already going to the hospital otherwise I would have been too late.