Making coffee in work- non drinker

[Winchester89]

Right, started a new job couple of months ago. I love it, everyone's really nice. I'm the admin assistant for a small team of 4 other people.
Anyway- I don't drink tea or coffee. Therefore have never offered to make anyone any as I really hate doing it and don't think I should if I'm not also drinking it! Couple of the team made some subtle comments that I've just ignored or laughed off.
So today- my manager is on her way out to a meeting with other team member - mug in hand goes- oh we were just saying we should get you making coffees!
I replied automatically 'not happening' and laughed. And she looked taken aback by it and then carried on to the meeting.
Am I being unreasonable in not wanting to become the tea lady for the team considering I don't even make the stuff for myself!?

TornFromTheInside

As your on a break could you make me a coffee?

@dellie84 If you want to be well thought of you do it!
It totally gives off the wrong impression if you won’t help out your manager!

And here's me thinking actually doing the job I was hired for well was enough.
How ridiculous and very British of you.

lol BBJ - You can stick your coffee....

..on your desk. Milk and sugar? ;-)

I've had a few senior roles, including directorships and I've never, ever expected anyone to make me drinks. I think it's disrespectful to expect the more junior and admin staff to do this - plus it just seems very hierarchical and a bit 80s.

I work with 90% men and I have made sure I never fall into the role of brew maker, food bringer - or general tidy up person. The FT article is right.
In a previous role I’ve excused myself from a brew run by saying I’m so fussy about how my drinks are made I’m not joining in. It may have raised eyebrows but tbh I couldn’t be doing with the expectation of making / getting a brew every hour.

Why yes, you did, katie, you claimed that the removal of all the plastic rubbish from public places was a terrible idea, that people who don't agree with plastic pollution in such areas are kiljoys and that such rubbish doesn't pose any risk at all to wildlife, which is patently untrue. You similarly scolded a woman who lives in a flat with her child.

Thanks for your concern, but I don't drink alcohol. It's handy for remembering things I post. Are you sure it's not you is imbibing? Short-term memory loss is worrying.

TornFromTheInside

damn :)

I was hoping that we could get to

or even

Lol @ people thinking admin assistant means office dogsbody. What an outdated view of office environments.

I also don't drink tea or coffee and if I'm going to the kitchen I may say that I'm going to get a glass of water and ask if anyone else would like one (moreso during the recent hot weather) but I would never offer tea or coffee. I know I would make a terrible cup of either.

Jesus Christ @leftrightandcentre just fucking leave me alone will you?

What is your fucking problem?

I am not engaging with you anymore. You are just weird.

In my office, we pull together as a team. Any selfish, self-centred people like the OP, and the weird poster (who is stalking me, and bringing up irrelevant or inaccurate stuff from other threads to try and discredit me) would not last 5 minutes in my office.

Thank fuck for that! Whew, narrow escape we've had there, Winchester!

Depending on the industry your response may well have been considered rude and unprofessional.

I work at a senior level in a professional environment where we would expect the junior members of the team to help by offering/ arranging tea/coffee. Particularly if we are, for example, working intensively on something in a meeting room for several hours. We do in addition, make them for ourselves and offer to colleagues. I would also expect tea/coffee making/organising refreshments to be in the junior team members' job descriptions.

If I asked a junior team member to do something and they replied "not happening" I would be reporting it to HR.

Aside from the above, if there's a culture of making drinks you look like more of a team member if you're involved too. Even if your response is I don't drink tea or coffee but could you get me a glass of water please, and then you take turns offering too.

Jesus Christ @leftrightandcentre* just fucking leave me alone will you? sad

What is your fucking problem?

I am not engaging with you anymore. You are just weird.*

No problems at all. You don't get to dictate to others how to post, unfortunately, but hey, carry on scolding others on every single thread you're on. If you don't want to respond when people point that out, that's entirely your business as well.

Ugh, I hate the whole tea run thing. I made plenty of teas and coffees early on in my career, when it was part of my job description - runner and office assistant. In later roles I've made and accepted the odd hot drink for/from team members but it's never been expected.

In my last role there was a very definite 'tea round' thing - for 6 people. I was not into it at all so I opted out, never accepted an offer of tea from others and just made my own when I felt like it. Getting a tea is always a mini break for me, time away from my screen between tasks - I don't want to take a hot drinks order thanks. I could feel eyes on me every so often but I didn't really care, I'd happily have explained if asked but no one ever did.

In my current role everyone just makes their own. It's great.

If I were you OP I'd just carry on as you are. If you're asked directly just say you don't have hot drinks.

@thinkfast

100% agree. The OP WAS rude and unprofessional, and I don't think she will do very well in that company.

Maybe if she apologises and decides to be a better person at work, and more of a team player, they may let this one bout of rude and unpleasant behaviour go.

She needs to say sorry though, and definitely offer to make drinks, even if just once a day...

Let's all calm down and have a nice cuppa.

I'll brew up, but just this once! after that you're on your own.
You can feck right off with the Jaffa Cakes though - those are MINE

Some very odd responses here.

I work in a team of 20 odd, although we're very rarely all in the office. If you drink tea or coffee, you take your turn and do the drinks run. If you don't drink hot drinks you're not expected to make them for anyone else. Doesn't matter how far up or down the food chain you are.

LOL @TornFrom

Glad your manager didn't make a big deal out of it, Winchester, sounds like it's a good place for you all to work.

Drinks run? DRINKS RUN?

It's a blood snail's pace.
'Just making the coffee' they say. 20 minutes later they return!

@katielouise3
I don't think making tea and coffee will make me a better person.
As I've said, if I drank it I'd be involved. But I don't so I'm not.
'She' will definitely not be offering to make drinks once a day going forward.

Well in the office the OP works in @evilharpy offering to make drinks for others IS expected!

So if she wants to get on with everyone, and do well there, her saying 'fuck off I am not making anyone a drink!' is not going to go down well. And it makes her come across as a rude and difficult person actually.

As I said, in my office, a person with this kind of attitude would not last.

Well, katie, you are not the OP's manager, don't know anything about her office, either. The OP knows the climate she's working with, it's apparently no big deal, she apologised to her manager and they have moved on, so Winchester, I'm sure you'll be a great success there and it sounds like a great place to work. Good on you!

@evilharpy there are no 'odd responses'... Just peoples different opinions.

@LeftRightCentre
Thanks!! It is a nice place to work and I really like my team and manager.
I'll be sure to let @katielouise3 know after our team lunch out tomorrow that everything is ok and she needn't worry