AIBU about job?

[Dhapeer]

I started a new job 6 months ago. I was interviewed by the office manager, my manager and a director. It was casually alluded to that everyone pitches in with taking calls etc.
On my first day, it became apparent that while doing your job, they also have this 'virtual' reception which is where your phone rings every time a reception phone in any of the offices nationally rings. You are expected to take some of these calls.
I can not describe the stress of being in the middle of something and having to answer reception calls.
Ok, so I got used to that and accepted it.
Last week, we had an admin meeting and we were told that we now have to do the following as well:

1. Offer to do incoming/outcoming post when receptionist is on leave
2. Listen out for the doorbell ringing and answer the door if no-one is at the 4 desks behind reception. I sit about 30 seconds walk from the reception door.
3. Make teas and coffees for meetings in the absence of the receptionist.

I have 22 years administrative experience and am supposed to be a Team Administrator for a team of 5 building surveyors. I also have PA duties for my Director.

Would any of you do this? I have handed in my notice to my manager by text and have rang HR and am waiting to hear back.

FFS, they are paying me 28k to answer phones and make tea?

Am I the unreasonable one given that NONE of this was indicated in the interview and is not on my job description?

I'm an administrator, everything you describe is normal in my job, amongst alot more.
I think you are in the wrong role if you think a 28k administrator job hours answering the phone/door rr making a brew beneath you!!

We started an “Appreciation Society” for the Prop Admin at my last job but our team leader was excellent and any changes that would’ve put out anyone in his team were fought against hard.

In my current organisation... there’s a perception that a different team leader just doesn’t get his own team to do their own job properly, and so our team admin has some extra time consuming duties. Some weird politics mean that despite my whole team objecting, nothing is done

It's not the job I signed up for and I wouldn't have taken it if I had known.

Gottagetmoving I think you’re massively missing the point.Doing an additional job as well as your own is an issue that OP would need to address with her seniors in a professional manner

There are a few points...but I agree there are better ways to resolve it than resigning.

It's not my job.
They could employ someone for half that wage to make tea.

Anyway, it's not my job! Woohoo!

ONLY 28k? I don't know any administrators on that. They don't get pay according to years experience either.

I was on that after two years' experience and, yes, I covered for reception and made drinks for meetings. If the receptionist didn't answer the phone within 15 seconds, all the admin people's phones rang and we were expected to pick up. But it would open be a few times a day that reception didn't get the calls first, and that was usually because they were already on the phone.

I'm now on £50k and not an administrator and I would also walk from a job that expected me to cover reception or make tea for people. It would be an utter waste of the specialist skills I'm actually employed for, and it doesn't happen to men.

Well out of 22 administrators, there is none male...Yes, but everyone in our company doesn't answer the phone. Just us administrators...in fact, myself and another girl are the ones who answer most calls.

So either there is another female administrator or it's not just administrators who answer calls.

I was on that after two years' experience and, yes, I covered for reception and made drinks for meetings

Do you all work in London? I've never seen an admin job at that amount up north, unless it's admin manager of a bigger company.

Bit full of yourself aren't you?

I really don't think someone who can't handle the stress of a ringing phone is any great loss to an office.

If someone has 22 years experience and is actively looking for a challenge then, yes, £28k is a low grade job.

I am simply not going to make tea for men. Simple. I won't. End of. Good luck getting the next pretty lady to do it. I'm sure many will. But I fucking WON'T.

Bahaha and enter the realms of madness.

Also with your 22 years experience, I'm assuming you're no spring chicken - so £28K at late 30's 40's - 50's? Isn't something really to so uppity about. I would have thought through these 22 years, being the asset that you truly claim, you'd be on a massive higher salary.

Don't get me wrong, I'm 42, I work in admin - I'm on pretty much min wage, but you know what? I LOVE my job. I've returned to work after children yet started in admin at 16. I have a wealth of experience and qualifications - what I have now from my new lovely little admin/tea making/I've even cleaned the bog job is inside out knowledge of a new accounting package, payroll, VAT returns etc etc.

You just sound nuts. Why not propose a solution to the business? I'm sure your boss is just devastated at having to look for another employee.

I needed a London job on my CV

Let's put this into context for everyone who thinks a phone ringing across the entire office multiple times a minute isn't an issue, when nobody knows whether there is anyone in Reception to pick it up:

14:22 - RING RING

You love your job. I don't.

20 seconds later:

RING RING

Late to the party, but the thing that gets me about this is that there are apparently FOUR receptionists: why are they all out of the building/absent/on leave at once?

At any company large enough to have four receptionists where I've worked in the past, they would all have been on a rota, to ensure the desk/phone was always manned (normally from 8am-6pm), and overseen by an office manager.

Admins/PAs have their own jobs to do, except in exceptional circumstances.

Personally, I think you're well out of it, OP, their management 'structure' sounds a bit batshit.

20 seconds later:

RING RING, RING RING, RING RING, RING RING etc.

20 seconds later:

RING RING, RING RING, RING RING, RING RING

20 seconds later:

RING RING

RING RING, RING RING, RING RING, RING RING

Leave your job then. Someone out there will appreciate it MUCH more than you. Too many people get all high and mighty because they have better qualifications or a degree.
They mean nothing if you don't have a good work ethic and don't moan about having to be one of the 'serfs'.
This isn't the 1970s.

Liz, you've got it.

OP I don't mean to sound like a cow but you are an administrator making 28k a year - how challenging and amazing did you think your job would be? and saying it's beneath you is utterly twatish. Your an administrator ffs - phones, drinks, general dogs body work is standard in those roles.

RING RING, RING RING, RING RING, RING RING