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!

TurquoiseDragon

They did! And the OP says it is a very clear expectation.

Sorry I have not read the full thread so apologise. I am in my lunch break - just a question as I cannot see it mentioned . If you are working closely with your boss - and you are all in a work place together - how is this a Covid Secure workplace? What does your risk assessment say about this ? To return to work all workplaces must have this and ours says - and has done since about March - that sharing tea mugs and making tea for one another is not permitted?

@ErrolTheDragon

Ha! DS was told it was his task to make the drinks in his summer job. He doesn’t drink tea or coffee and had no idea what colour it should come out, or even which was which once he’d made it.

Presumably he's capable of using a search engine and applying a bit of nous?

He’s very bright with no nous whatever, and capable of utter panic at the thought that people have different preferences. And when I said he didn’t know which was which, I’m not sure Googling ‘what does coffee smell like?’ would help. (We’re talking that level of ‘uninterested in hot drinks’ here! I suspect the OP is better at it than that.)

@flaviaritt

TurquoiseDragon

They did! And the OP says it is a very clear expectation.

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

It wasn't mentioned until OP asked that question. If it's an important part of the role, it should have been mentioned without having to be asked.

FlyingSquid
I can believe that too. I drove my eldest to his first day of work experience at a local hospice and he asked me how to make coffee and tea. 🤦🏻‍♀️
He has never drunk any tea, coffee (or alcohol!) in his life.

Thé interview was not stated as a clear job role - or key reporting area- it was seen as ‘helpful’.
I feel for the Op being lulled into making tea as a key job role .. and the job title states otherwise.

OP - just check the manager hasn’t stapled a copy of tea samples to your job description.

@TurquoiseDragon

There's a really important part of my role at my work. Couldn't do my job without it, but it didn't come up at interview.

...opening my laptop and logging in.

Do you honestly think that every last task an employee does ought to be on their job description and discussed at interview to be a requirement?

(Funnily enough, one of my 'major' early innovations at both my last companies was to create a tea/coffee chart for each person to record how they like it, so whoever was doing the round had a list to work from - spoke volumes about my organisational tendencies .)

TurquoiseDragon

She says from the start it’s been very clear that making the tea is very important. She’s under no illusions that this is her job, she just doesn’t want to do it because she believes she’s too good for it.

We have had so many employees like the OP, who think it's beneath them to do mundane tasks, that we now only recruit for this type of role on a fixed-term basis or via an agency. If they turn out to be like the OP, we can let them go. IME, it's the least able, least competent staff who are like this.

In my experience it is those with self esteem issues.

It's what you make of it, isn't it? If you consider it demeaning to make tea as part of your role, then it's going to make you unhappy and resentful to do it.

If you just think, hey, they're paying me to make some tea, money for old rope, you're going to do it with a spring in your step.

It's a junior temping admin job, it's not about to set the world on fire. Get another if it doesn't suit.

We had a tea rota at a previousjob. I don't drink tea or coffee and no-one got me water. So I made the coffee all look the same colour as the tea and always did something wrong with the tea.

I was off the rota within a week.

It's just tea. You're the temp, it's pretty common for the most junior person to be on tea duty.

I think its bizarre that someone has to make everyone's drinks!
Surely its not good for those senior people to be sat on their arses all day. Its better for everyone to get up from their desk and move occasionally.

@Lalalatte

I think its bizarre that someone has to make everyone's drinks! Surely its not good for those senior people to be sat on their arses all day. Its better for everyone to get up from their desk and move occasionally.

Oh no, no, you see, only people who are incompetent or have self esteem "issues" would ever question why on earth senior people can't just make their own drinks occasionally

“ Surely its not good for those senior people to be sat on their arses all day. Its better for everyone to get up from their desk and move occasionally.”

You’re probably right, but that’s their look-out. They employed someone to do it instead.

I'd feel very uncomfortable about it but since you need the job/money - I'd suck it up.

It echos the "little woman" ethos - which I hate as its demeaning.

It exists everywhere though - we have a team of builders in to do our loft conversion. They are a really lovely and fun group of guys. The youngest apprentice - a 17 year old lad, is assigned as the tea bitch in their group.

[quote thecatsthecats]@TurquoiseDragon

There's a really important part of my role at my work. Couldn't do my job without it, but it didn't come up at interview.

...opening my laptop and logging in.

Do you honestly think that every last task an employee does ought to be on their job description and discussed at interview to be a requirement?

(Funnily enough, one of my 'major' early innovations at both my last companies was to create a tea/coffee chart for each person to record how they like it, so whoever was doing the round had a list to work from - spoke volumes about my organisational tendencies .)[/quote]
If the tea/coffee was that important, then yes, it should be discussed.

Not everything in a job role gets discussed at interview, but when you've got a manager waiting for an employee to get in to make her a drink, rather than actually get off their arse and make one for themselves, it's clearly very important to them and should have been mentioned. Properly, so that expectations can be open.

An old boss of mine tried this stunt. I can't stand the smell of milky tea/coffee but I made one for him one day with one of those tiny pots of milk. Well it had all milk "bits" in it, I tried to stir them away but it didn't work. That cup of tea stayed on his desk for 3 days before he asked me to take it away. I wonder why he never asked me to make him a cup of tea again.

@FrankieStein402

Gobsmacked at the number of people saying this is fine - why the f*ck doesn't everyone make their own drink or have a rota?

It's not admin at all. Can you see a man being asked to make tea for the "managers"? it's ridiculously old fashioned and not recognising that everyone contributes to the success of a business.

I used to be a manager in a company mostly male, all the sales reps were male. It was normal routine for any of the sales reps coming in to the office (they were out and about most of the time) to make tea for the office when they came in to the office and made themselves one before setting down to do their calls and paperwork.

In general, I find MN collectively lean to a job description that is pin-accurate on tasks and duties. All I can say is that I've never behaved like that in any job, and I've advanced massively as a result. I still happily drop down to any level of mundane tasks if it makes sense for me to do them, whilst at other times asked colleagues to support me by subbing off more menial tasks.

Absolutely!

I've made tea when required - both when I was minion and when I was head of department, and I have had tea made for me, both by minions and by my bosses when I was in a lowly post.

It's not as though you are performing brain surgery, and they are dragging you out of the operating theatre to make tea. You are an admin assistant - and you admit you are a well-paid one. Just doe as they ask.

Put the kettle on when you get in. Ask people if they want a cuppa. Just make it - your working life will be so much more pleasant if you show a it of willing. I really can't understand what you are making such a fuss about.

Just.

Make.

The.

Tea.

@Lalalatte

I think its bizarre that someone has to make everyone's drinks! Surely its not good for those senior people to be sat on their arses all day. Its better for everyone to get up from their desk and move occasionally.

Surely those senior people can decide for themselves on the appropriate allocation of work based on resource? Their exercise routines are none of your business.

If we were still in the office I'd barely have time to go to the loo as I dash between meetings. It's a much better use of company resource for a temp admin assistant to get my tea while I have a conversation about budgets/clients/staff/risks, because I can't delegate those conversations (or my loo break) to the admin assistant.

@Maireas how is not wanting to make tea and coffee in your job rude and entitled? I did plenty of rubbish tasks while working my way up (plenty and I didn't whinge either I just got on with it) but my career is about my intellect which I worked hard to earn. I don't see where tea and coffee fits into that exactly? I am also really sad today that females are asked to take on this task over males. I would never ever ask anyone to make tea or coffee for me for those same reasons.

I have actually made tea and coffee for people early in my career by the way. My point is I don't agree with people being made to perform that task.

“...but my career is about my intellect which I worked hard to earn. I don't see where tea and coffee fits into that exactly?”

You don’t earn your intellect. Anyway, it’s fine not to want to make tea and coffee. Just don’t get a job where that’s one of the responsibilities.

@Pinkfluffyunicornsdancing

Its annoying having to make other people drinks all of the time but honestly, its a temporary role, just take your merry little time making them. Stand beside the kettle the whole time it's boiling and revel in the fact they are paying so much for you to stand and do pretty much nothing. Treat each tea making session as a nice paid break.

This.