To think I’m not the tea bitch?

[Ribrabrob]

Recently started a new job. Fairly basic administration job, although fairly well paid for the role. It’s just a temporary maternity cover role. Not really a job I enjoy or want to do but was rather desperate so took the job.

The job is okay and the people are fine, mostly quite nice. I work closely with the manger in a tiny office, the owner is based in an office nearby but regularly pops in. From the start it’s been made very clear that making tea/coffee for them both is very important in fact in my first interview I asked what was the most helpful thing the previous post holder did for the manager. The manager answered ‘oh it’s so helpful when she gets my drink for me’. I remember laughing thinking it was a joke but it wasn’t

Hints are regularly made about having a drink, at least twice before I get the hint and then I’ll offer. If I don’t offer she’ll then ask outright but always after hunting. It’s annoying, i would rather she just ask. Other people also make little remarks when they visit the office that she (manager) doesn’t seem to drink as much as when the other post holder was here! It’s so weird.

I don’t drink many hot drinks myself, usually just one in the morning and occasionally another later on so it doesn’t always enter my head to make one 🤷‍♀️ But of course I do offer when I am making.

The other day the owner was due in in about half an hour. Manager asked me to have a chat quickly and took ten minutes explaining to me how he’d like his tea and to try and have one ready for him.

Aibu to be annoyed by this or is it just a part of a basic admin role? Aibu to think I’m not the tea bitch?! Aibu to think how I make the tea really isn’t that important? I’ve worked in offices before and the CEO’s would always make drinks like everybody else!

You sound difficult, tbh.

'Difficult' because I like and expect job responsibilities to be communicated clearly and colleagues to ask for things rather than hint. And managers not to sit about waiting for people to get in and then moan about how thirsty they are.

IntermittentParps

It’s easy to give that feedback politely and then just make the bloody tea. I couldn’t be bothered with all this and would just sack you.

Ohhhh this almost made me miss the office! Before the pandemics. Our boss used to make tea daily in the morning for all of us before our morning meeting I wonder if she wants to move in with me and DH

Now, I'd reaaaaaallllly take my time making the tea

I agree the manager should have been clearer about their tea making requirements. Though when they were direct (when owner came in) the OP still seems to be annoyed about this.

It doesn't matter whether OP or a 100 people on this thread think that the manager should make their own tea. It's quite clear that, at this particular company, tea making is part of OP's job. If she doesn't like this, she should move to another company. If she keeps not doing it, or doing it badly as some people have suggested, she may well find that the manager will just sack her and hire someone else. Therefore it would be sensible and professional for her to say to her manager "I'll make tea at 9am, 11.30am , 2pm and 4pm - does that work for you?"

I had a company director visit my office once and sat hinting for a cup of coffee. I asked him to come with me and I took him to the kettle and showed him where everything was. So now everyone that visits my office knows I don't make tea or coffee. Unless I am making one for myself haha

I worked in admin for a while after I graduated. Some managers/senior staff really love power tripping and treating admin staff in the vein of a 1950s secretary (skivvy) makes them feel all big and important I couldn't bear it!

I had one role where making tea/coffee for visitors and conferences etc. was part of the role and that's obviously completely fine, but there's a difference between that and random idiots expecting you to wipe their arse for them when it's not in your job description.

If it's a temp job and you really don't see a future in the company I'd not do it unless specifically asked - the hinting would wreck my head. However, if it's a company that you feel has some potential progression routes it might be worth licking arse. I've done it before, swallowed my pride and my inner feminist and make a big fuss of the big important men by remembering exactly how they liked their coffee and what their favorite biscuit was as I wanted a transfer to where the big bucks were. It worked. I felt dirty and cheap but it worked

Make a flask and leave it on the desk, with a lovely little note, will refill at these X YZ times only. Don't ask outside stated times.

“ However, if it's a company that you feel has some potential progression routes it might be worth licking arse.”

It’s not. It’s a temp role. And it’s been made very clear (says so in the OP) that it’s part of the job. Not “licking arse”, just doing what she has been hired to do.

Just make the f*cking tea.

It's a temporary job.

You're the most junior person in the office - so their time is costing the firm more than yours is.

You don't find it taxing.

You presumably hope for a decent reference.

Just make the tea.

“ Make a flask and leave it on the desk, with a lovely little note, will refill at these X YZ times only. Don't ask outside stated times.”

And get fired. Great plan.

I wouldn’t make the tea badly.thats a slippery slope to resentment and bad vibes on both sides.
. I would either think I’m being paid to make a cup of tea and take pride in it, get in there before they even ask as you know it will get you brownie points!

Or: you can ask somebody. “ is this actually part of my job description as I’m always asked or hinted to make teas and nobody else is!”
That way you will know!

Stunned at all the "tips" on sabotaging this! It was literally mentioned in the interview.

It's massively unreasonable of you to force them to hint to you to carry out your job description REPEATEDLY. The minute you come in, offer tea. When you know the owner is coming in, get the kettle on. Stop being such a snob about it and do your job properly.

It's a bit old fashioned now. It's something I would accept from a very big boss who has constant meetings and genuinely doesn't have 5 minutes to make his/her own, but this sounds like a small place and your manager is in your office so presumably not a CEO of a massive company.
Sounds like it's compulsory for them though so not much you can do about it except look for another job.
I once had a job that included coffee for the boss, but I liked the rest of the job and stuck with it. I wouldn't accept making tea/coffee for the whole department or anything like that.

"get in there before they even ask as you know it will get you brownie points!"

Sorry, but being the first to offer tea/coffee doesn't get you anywhere in life.

Being a 'tea bitch' is exclusively a female issue it seems.

It's really not. I've been one of the (sometimes entirely male) cadre of tea bitches in junior admin roles 20 years ago.

But an admin tea making role sounds a good business decision to me. I think teachers and nurses ought to have a tea making person too, to be honest!

This. I think in a role where no-one is rushing around then having managers make tea along with everyone else is a good idea. Where some people's time costs a lot more than others an they are very busy it's inneficient having them doing tasks which can be done by someone on much less pay.

Also I guess it’s just the hinting that annoys me - I don’t like it when people hint at things

They probably don't like having to hint. They are expecting you to brew up as soon as the owner arrives- because you were employed as a tea bitch.

You've got to love the English. I'm just gob smacked at the 'just do it badly' comments. Is that really how you perform your jobs?

Why would anyone assume that the people who do their jobs badly all come from one region of the UK?

how demeaning and pathetic

Lots and lots of people prepare food and drink for others in their jobs. Some people's jobs is cleaning shit off toilets. It's not demeaning, it's working for a living.

I’d love a job in an office where my most important role is making tea! I’d give everyone chocolate biscuits too and be the most popular person there! 😂😂😂

It would annoy me too OP! I see no reason people would be incapable of making their own tea. Fancy being ridiculous and petty enough to remark on 'being thirsty' and not making your own drink! I'd be giving them a big smile and saying goodness, you should keep a water bottle on your desk like I do! And then making dreadful cuppas until THEY got the hint. Make your own drink like a big girl or boy, why don't you!

Passive aggressive resistance, like making a cup of gnat's piss, is tempting in the circumstances but not the mature way to deal with it I'm afraid. Not that their being childish and dropping silly hints is exactly the most professional way to go, either. They sound stuck in the 1980s.

I agree with the suggestion of talking to them and drawing up a rota with the exact times set out so that everyone knows what to expect. You can say quite honestly that you find the all the hinting unnecessary.

A direct approach always beats passive aggressivity. On that note, if the above fails try this:

coub.com/view/at0bnn

Also I guess it’s just the hinting that annoys me - I don’t like it when people hint at things

OP is annoyed when the manager hints and annoyed when they ask outright. So it seems she is just annoyed about tea making in general.

“ You can say quite honestly that you find the all the hinting unnecessary.”

It’s clearly not unnecessary, though. She says she knows exactly what they are hinting for, she just doesn’t like it. If it was unnecessary they wouldn’t feel the need to hint, they’d have tea!

Or perhaps this.

But an admin tea making role sounds a good business decision to me.

On the surface, maybe. And having someone do it as part of their job to do the refreshments for meetings is fine. Or if there's a defined morning and afternoon break time, if a rota doesn't make more sense. But actually, if the organisation isn't enabling staff to have long enough to go to the loo and get drinks when they need to, then that's surely very bad - for those people, not for the tea makers. 'Back to back' meetings are a sign of poor organisation. Don't schedule all meetings to be a full hour, that's insane.

@IntermittentParps

You sound difficult, tbh.

'Difficult' because I like and expect job responsibilities to be communicated clearly and colleagues to ask for things rather than hint. And managers not to sit about waiting for people to get in and then moan about how thirsty they are.

So

1. telling OP in the job interview that tea making was the most helpful thing about her job AND
2. having a ten minute discussion after being hired about the importance of making tea

Is not enough communication on a tea making job responsibility? God you’re hard work. Do you expect to be told 3x for each responsibility? Or must it be put in writing?

If you were desperate for a job and it's well paid , maybe just suck it up.

Alternatively bring in info outlining the health problems associated with excessive tea drinking. [GRIN]

I would ignore the hinting and insist they ask everytime (and make sure they dont forget to say please and thank you)