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!

Use it as an opportunity to play on your phone/browse FB/mumsnet.

They are paying you and it’s temporary.

I'm very surprised during times of covid and HSE advising not touching other colleagues items if not necessary...but in usual times..... I find it rude that someone would hint that you can keep making them a tea especially if it's not reciprocated! Old fashioned mindset annoys me so much!

Cross check what pays more: this job or a barrista. Then decide what to do.

Fuck's sake. I'd not find this very amenable. No.

I'm the boss and I frequently make the tea for everyone , I think it's no problem and allows everyone to keep going rather than individually stopping to make their own drinks

I tempted in uni/grad school and when we first moved to London. One fucker saw me eating my lunch and thought it was totally fine to get me to go and get his, before I was finished.

@dooratheexplorer

At the end of day, a major part of this role is making the tea and getting it right. It's not rocket science.

If you want to command respect then don't do a basic admin job. Tea aside, everyone assumes you have half a brain due to the job title!

And this, I am sorry Doora, I think is very out of order.

I am in a very different job to the one I had back in the day, when I was getting said lunches for people.

Am I a 'more important' person? No. Do I command more respect? I don't know where to start with that comment. Honestly. I hope it's not just because of my job title if I do.

I tempted in uni/grad school and when we first moved to London.

As in getting people to part with their immortal soul in return for everlasting life or whatever? Cool job.

One fucker saw me eating my lunch and thought it was totally fine to get me to go and get his

That has to be the shittest pact with a demonic temptress I've ever heard of. I hope it was something good like a steak, I'd hate to spend eternity in Hades for a pret salad or a subway.

I'm the boss and I make the drinks, damn I've got it all wrong 😱 If it annoys you that much just make it badly every time they'll soon stop asking.

I think YANBU at all OP! Some of the opinions on here are just SO old fashioned! Should you also have to wear a pencil skirt with tights like a good old fashioned secretary 😂

Worst thing is your boss probably knows people are desperate for a job in the pandemic so she can make you do things you really don’t want to! What a bi*tch!!

It sucks if you need the cash and haven’t found another job yet.

Maybe next time she says how thirsty she is you could say something like “I’ll go and make a drink. Getting up is really good exercise and I know it’s totally unhealthy to sit in a sedentary position staring at a screen all day long. Will do me SO much good to just get up and move a bit!”

People like this probably get a kick out of treating you like a dogsbody. Or she’s just ridiculously old fashioned/ entitled and doesn’t realise it’s not ok.

Either way, maybe you can convince her that getting of her own backside for literally a couple of minutes is a good thing.

It sounds like a power play. It will be tricky to extricate yourself snd it’s a temp job so I would switch things and be super enthusiastic about it snd take the power back so you’re not irritated by their hints. Leap up and offer before they can. Add a little something. Kill it with enthusiasm.

Just make tea, morning after lunch and at every hint. Lots and lots of tea. Nice to stretch your legs and a break from the screen, your back and eyes will be grateful. Wish I could get paid good money for tea making, living the dream haha

They need to make their own hot drinks!
Is this really what an efficient company spends its money on? I’m a Headteacher of large school (nearly 200 staff) - I make my own tea & offer anyone in my office at the time.

She probably thinks your her skivvy well sod em, hope you get a better job soon but in the mean time make the daft moo lots and lots of tea. Water log her

@raddledoldmisanthropist

I tempted in uni/grad school and when we first moved to London.

As in getting people to part with their immortal soul in return for everlasting life or whatever? Cool job.

One fucker saw me eating my lunch and thought it was totally fine to get me to go and get his

That has to be the shittest pact with a demonic temptress I've ever heard of. I hope it was something good like a steak, I'd hate to spend eternity in Hades for a pret salad or a subway.

Hi Raddle! Can I just clarify?

So what you think is a really nice thing to do is to watch someone eating their lunch and think to yourself, Goddamn, I am hungry too. Stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW and go get me mine? Just because you can? Cause you're the BIG BOSS? Lol.

I'm guessing you're joking and I don't need to wonder about what your last slave died from.

Worst thing is your boss probably knows people are desperate for a job in the pandemic so she can make you do things you really don’t want to! What a bitch!!*

Which is why they are "paying well for the role"

The bar-stewards! Offering a decent wwage for a job it seems a low IQ monkey could do.

By the way - as the saying goes, careful how you treat people on the way up because you may meet them coming down.

"Tea bitch" is not a very nice name for someone whose actual job it is to make hot drinks for other people.

Is this really what an efficient company spends its money on?

This literally doesn’t matter. It’s irrelevant. So maybe it’s a luxury, or inefficient, or old-fashioned, or whatever. The point is, it’s their money and they are choosing to spend it on someone to make the tea. The OP hasn’t been forced to do it, nobody is holding a gun to her head and she’s not charged with making the business more efficient. Just making the tea.

Omg. Reminds me of working with three ancient boys, I was 40 years younger than them. And female. Every day, several times, I was expected to make them tea. Long time ago, but I was fully qualified for my job. My tea-making seemed to be more important.

“Which is why they are "paying well for the role"

The bar-stewards! Offering a decent wwage for a job it seems a low IQ monkey could do.”

Paying good money doesn’t make it ok to degrade someone.

Making hot drinks isn’t degrading - if you’re doing it in cafe/bar and that’s your actual job.

Asking someone in an office to do it feels really wrong. They’re there to do office/admin not make drinks. You wouldn’t go into a coffee shop and ask the barista to type an email while you dictate would you? Or go up to the waitress while your eating lunch and ask her to reorganise the office papers in your bag.

Spit in her drink OP 🤭 (just kidding obvIously before anyone jumps on that 😂)

Paying good money doesn’t make it ok to degrade someone

How is i degrading to expect the ASSISTANT to make beverages?

She asked what was most helpful.

She was told what was most helpful.

She accepted the post.

She should make the tea.

They’re there to do office/admin not make drinks. You wouldn’t go into a coffee shop and ask the barista to type an email while you dictate would you? Or go up to the waitress while your eating lunch and ask her to reorganise the office papers in your bag.

But they told her what the job was. She chose not to believe them and is now oddly surprised. It’s not just admin, it’s admin including making the tea. They told her, she accepted the job. It’s not degrading in any way.

Make them s drink but make it badly.
They stop asking then.

Why is it degrading? See above post.

She asked what was most helpful. She understandably assumed the answer was a joke!!

If her boss had said “it would really help me out if you wiped my *rse” should she do that? How about the if her super kind boss paid her extra?

Too far? How about cleaning her shoes before a meeting? making her lunch? Cleaning her desk? Going out to get her things?

All Of this would save time. Most would be office based. Doesn’t make it part of her admin job.

And even if a boss said she should do all of the above in the interview and she agreed, doesn’t make it ok. People will agree to do lots of things when they need money.

Sunny: it’s making tea, and she agreed to do it. Nothing degrading about any of it, unless you for some reason think putting a tea bag and some water in a cup is something no human should ever have to do. Can’t think why that would be but okay, if you say so.