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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the new lady shouldn't be made to make brews when she doesn't drink them?

42 replies

LolaTheShowgirl · 03/06/2009 12:39

We have a new lady in our office who never drinks anything hot. Everyone else in the office does, and whenever they're making a brew, they ask everyone else if they want one. Now because new lady doesn't drink anything other than cold juice/water, she never offers to make anyone a brew which I think is totally justified, but the others are rolling their eyes a lot at this and saying that she isn't pulling her weight where making brews is concered. I mean WTF!!! I could seriously hurt these bitches and i'm not even violent!

OP posts:
HumphreyCobbler · 03/06/2009 12:42

Really? Have they nothing better to do? YANBU, what irritating people to work with.

nancy75 · 03/06/2009 12:44

i am one of those people that doesn't drink tea /coffee or other hot drinks. i would happily make hot drinks for people but dont anymore because, i have been told my tea making ability if beyond dire!

PuppyMonkey · 03/06/2009 12:44

Oh no, she definitely doesn't have to do it if she doesn't have hot drinks. Unless she fancies a quick five mins break - but up to her.

However, we had someone who said she "didn't drink hot drinks" so thought this rule should apply to her. Then when we were making a round of drinks, she'd often pipe up: "Can I just have a camomile tea?" or something. Which as far as I'm concernd is a hot drink. Yet, she still never took her turn doing the teas. It made me very cross. Indeed. I can tell you.

Hulababy · 03/06/2009 12:44

YANBU - they are being petty.

Does the lady have to get up to go somewhere to get herjuice/cold drink? I suppose if she was heading that way she could offer, but it is hardly a major issue surely.

Do they offer to get her a cold drink when they get up to make hot ones?

cordonbleugh · 03/06/2009 12:45

YANBU I don't drink tea or coffee myself, and although I'm never in that kind of situation, I wouldn't make a brew for everyone else!!

For a start, I haven't got a clue how to make tea or coffee!!

Do they offer to get her a glass of juice or water?!

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 03/06/2009 12:45

They're a bunch of bitches Humphrey. They're really petty. Out of them all, there is only one genuinly lovely one and all the others take the piss out of her because she is scatty and makes little, but very easily rectifiable mistakes.

OP posts:
nancy75 · 03/06/2009 12:47

cordonbleugh, glad its not just me, on the odd occassion i make tea or coffee it never comes out the right colour

nickytwotimes · 03/06/2009 12:47

Yanbu at all.
They sound horrid.

onepieceofcremeegg · 03/06/2009 12:47

YANBU.

I rarely drink hot drinks at work, and people know that. Sometimes if I am going to the water cooler I offer to make a drink or (more likely) fetch water for others.

On the very odd occasion I will make teas etc but only as a favour, it is not expected. I might do it if colleagues were exceptionally busy or we had had an incident or similar (I work in mental health so not a traditional office environment)

Original poster
LolaTheShowgirl · 03/06/2009 12:47

Their kettle is in the office. She has to go to the other side of the building for her juice and water. No one ever offers to get her water when they're filling up the kettle though.

OP posts:
Sassybeast · 03/06/2009 12:48

YANBU - it was a bit of a running joke in my previous job because as a non hot drink drinker, I always forgot to offer so the girls would start a 'Cough cough Oh I'd love a cuppa - whose turn is it...' I didn't mind cos it was just part of the banter and it was an excuse to raid the biscuits as well.

nickytwotimes · 03/06/2009 12:48

...and non-hot drink drinkers should NEVER make the tea/coffee as it is invariably revolting.

whoisasking · 03/06/2009 12:50

I have made a rod for my own back by being THE BEST TEA MAKER IN THE OFFICE.

Grrrr. I have to make the tea all the time.

PuppyMonkey · 03/06/2009 12:54

Where I work now, we're not allowed to make tea in the office. Health and Safety. We have to go down to the canteen, buy a cuppa and then bring it back to our dresk. Which is so much safer, obviously.

2shoes · 03/06/2009 12:54

yanbu
I don't drink hot drinks during the day, so wouln't expect to have to make other people drinks at work

slushy06 · 03/06/2009 13:01

YANBU I hate tea coffee hot choc and anything else that is drunk hot. However I would make them tea and repeatedly offer. Then they would have something to moan about having to drink my cats pee tea.

andirobo · 03/06/2009 13:05

I am a water drinker, and I dont make a round for the hot drinkers. It is not expected of me and I am in an office full of men!

PuppyMonkey · 03/06/2009 15:26

I would just like to add as an aside that I think people who don't drink tea or coffee are a bit weeeeeeeird! You don't know the joys you're missing out on.

jumpingbeans · 03/06/2009 15:29

You are right, a non hot drinker should not allowed near a kettle, anything they make just tastes like rats piss, except hot chocolate -strange but true

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 03/06/2009 15:41

You can tell A LOT about a person wrt their attitude towards getting/making drinks.

We had drinks machines at work so getting drinks was dead easy and I would go for about 10 people a couple of times a day. However there are always people who accept the offer of a drink when someone else is going, but they never reciprocate. VERY telling of a person's personality imo

Jux · 03/06/2009 15:44

I shared an office with a non-hot-drinker years and years ago. She did once offer to make tea and of course we all jumped at the offer. The tea was the colour of tomato soup - absolutely undrinkable

Ripeberry · 03/06/2009 16:03

I used to be the one in the office who never went to the tea/coffee machine as i did not like hot drinks as i was in a call center and it always got cold before i could drink it!
One afternoon, all the managers went to a meeting and the office witches decided to verbally abuse me about it!
Hate office politics.

Morloth · 03/06/2009 16:07

I was this person!

I do drink tea and coffee, but have never ever worked in an office before where you make anyone else cuppas. It is a very strange English custom, people must have thought I was dreadfully rude.

PuppyMonkey · 03/06/2009 16:19

Morloth, I bet you were slagged off til the cows came home behind your back!

It is VERY important for office politics this sort of thing. Like I said, I work in a big open plan office now and we have to get our teas from canteen. Now I have to deal with the "tea cliques" that form. Certain people buying tea for certain staff, but not others. After four years of getting all my own cuppas, I am finally in a tea clique of my own. Four of us take it in turns to go. I am so proud.

And you thought only MN was a minefield!!

LovelyTinOfSpam · 03/06/2009 16:23

Hot drinks people get hot drink rounds in.

Cold drinks people get cold drinks rounds in.

I do not drink tea or coffee and apparently when I try it is revolting.

However - in my last office the cold and hot drinks machines were all together, and automtic, and it was a small team, so in that case we did all get drinks in...

I think we need to see a layout of the office plan with drinks areas marked, organigram of employees annotated with what drink they have, and a full run-down of the relationships between all the protagonists