Office rant!

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

laurajayne_u

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2015
Messages
11
Reaction score
13
Location
Leigh
Morning ladies!!

I just need to get this off my chest.. Hope you don't mind!

I've been working for a company for the past 10 months as office administrator, and it's been a running joke that I don't make enough tea or coffee.. Bearing in mind I don't drink brews myself! Yesterday we had a meeting and the boss brought up that the sound of heels in the office irritates him and he doesn't want us to wear them anymore! There's only me and 1 other girl in here and she wears heels everyday so she was not happy!! This got the ball rolling for yet more petty issues to bring up..

He then went on to the tea and coffee situation and told me I need to start making him a cup of tea as soon as he walks through the door as he is my director and I do as he says! I couldn't believe my ears! I said I can't just drop what I'm doing if I'm busy to make you a brew as soon as you walk in the door! He told me that I was brought in to "service the office". WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?! Do I just do ANYTHING he says? I find it so disrespectful it's like he's living in the 1950's and women still belong in the kitchen! Anyone is capable of putting the kettle on.. I made him a cup of tea half an hour before the meeting and when I mentioned it he told me I hadn't made one, that I was an "office junior who thinks can rule the roost" and said that this situation was going to end up going further than it needed to.. Is he going to sack me over tea and coffee?!

The office junior comment really upset me, it made me feel belittled and worthless tbh cause I do absolutely everything in this office! One of my friends told me to take it to HR.. I am HR without the title, or pay! I do every single administrative role there is to think of, I sort all holidays, sort all the engineers problems, if anything goes wrong it's me everyone turns to yet he thinks of me as an office junior.. There is noone above me who does my work who I am learning from so why is he putting me down so much? I feel like a skivvy and that all they see me as is a tea maid who currently isn't making enough tea :mad: I feel as if the less you get paid, the less you are respected and I'm not cool with that type of thing.. Nobody is better than anyone else just because they have a bigger pay check!

P.s I do beauty on the side.. Tans, eyelashes, threading, tinting, shellac etc so that's why I'm on here xxxxxx
 
If there is no one that you can put a greivence in to then i would seek legal advice as this could be grounds for harassment at work or something else that i cannot for the life of me think of!. Is it stipulated in your contract that your the one that has to make the tra and coffee? If not then you are not doing anything wrong however if it does then you do need to start doing it.

I dont drink tea or coffee either and i cant stand the smell. I too work in an office but due to not being a fan i rarely do it. However when i do everyone is very grateful and i am frequently told i do make the best cuppas out of everyone even though im the only one that doesnt drink it.

Good luck and i hope the issues get resolved quickly. If not i wouldbe putting laxatives in the tea (jokes) that will stop them being demanding
 
Thanks for your reply! No there's not even any job roles in my contract, it does say though..

"The company reserves the right to make changes to the job title/job description and duties to be undertaken by the jobholder when required. However, when it is considered necessary or appropriate by management you may be required to carry out any other duties considered within your skill and competence to assist the smooth running of the business."

Since this contract I've been given more responsibility and a higher salary, still not a patch on anyone else in the office, but I've never been given another contract. Me not making him a cup of tea must affect his business tremendously!! I made him a cup of tea yesterday but that was definitely not appreciated. Nothing I do in this office is appreciated :(
 
Make him his cup of tea. But do something horrid. Not as bad as spitting in it (that was my first though) but use like sheep milk or something gross.

My initial thought was to ask him to show you where it says to make tea and coffee.

I could understand his frustration if you made yourself a brew and no one else. But considering you don't drink it, I think filling the kettle and flicking it on when you make yourself a drink is acceptable.

I would be inclined to talk to CAB because I feel this is sexual harassment. If you were a man, would he expect you to sort his tea out.

You're office administrator not a teasmaid
 
He is being a bit insensitive about it. But to be honest every office I've ever worked in the Admin person does do the tea rounds. However, mostly we do it ourselves, to get a break from the desk, but she does ask every day, many many times!

I'd ask him every half hour until he gets sick of you asking :)
 
Use sour milk but sour milk that's still indate?
 
Make him a really gross cup of tea with way too much (or too little) milk and get it wrong every single time. Maybe then he'll stop asking!

Or if you're more mature than me, smile and say ok and then look for another job where they appreciate you. This guy sounds like a royal arse!! Everyone in my place takes turns at making the tea: secretaries, managers and partners included. It's polite.
 
Apparently it was his way of "showing his authority" and that what he says should be done straight away.. I do everything in the office so if he's implying I don't do as he asks is stupid. Telling people not to wear heels and kiss his feet when he walks in is definitely the wrong way about it!! The other boss has called me in today and said he thinks it's ridiculous. There's another girl in the office who must make 10 brews a day so it's not that he doesn't get one, he doesn't make one all day and still gets loads. Xxx
 
OMG please leave! No office role I've been in has ever had tea making in the job description. It's sexist, disrespectful and plain disgusting!
Most office jobs are not like this, trust me! You are worth much more than what this person is offering you!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OMG please leave! No office role I've been in has ever had tea making in the job description. It's sexist, disrespectful and plain disgusting!
Most office jobs are not like this, trust me! You are worth much more than what this pig is offering you!

Get out of there pronto. He is nothing more than a sexist person. Defo take legal advice as it may fall under discrimination or something. Don't put up with it. We are not in the dark ages anymore. If someone wants a cupa they can bloody well get off their arse and do it themselves. Admin staff are not there just to do tea rounds for everyone else.
Unreal.

(Edited by a moderator to tidy up language)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't really see a problem with making drinks for the other people in the office and Yes, it's usually included in the general contract under 'any other duties'.

However, if you think the boss is treating you unfairly and making unreasonable demands, give him the option of either
a) you stop what you're doing to make his tea, thus taking much longer to finish the task in hand or
b) he makes his own drinks during the day if he's desperate for one and you carry on working more effectively with fewer interruptions thus being far more productive.
Obviously, you'll be happy to do a tea run between tasks but not so frequently that they're interfering with completing tasks in a timely manner.

If he's being silly, treat him like a young child and only give him two options to choose from, putting the ball firmly in his court. :)
 
I would seek legal advise, it's bullying! That bloke is on a power trip! What's the betting his wife wears the trousers at home so he needs to feel special at work! Either that or he has a small....well you know [emoji23]
 
I don't think it's unreasonable what he is asking.
I think the main problem here is that your extremely under appreciated and I think the tea was just the nail in the coffin.
I agree with AcidPerm make sure he realises that by stopping what your doing to make him tea is just going to hold back productivity. I don't feel your boss is being sexist. However if you dislike it there that much you should defiantly quit. There is nothing worse than not being appreciated at all for what you do. Otherwise I'm afraid your other option is to grin and bare it. Get in do what your asked. Then get home and rant like hell.
 
Find a new job. But in the mean time make notes of all this with dates and contact ACAS for advice.
 
Jees in my office you would be told where to get off if you started demanding tea off staff under you. Why can't they just make their own. Insisting on cups of tea is not a reasonable management request. It doesn't help you carry out your actual work that they are paying you to do. They can't make you do it. Tell him to sod off. Silly man child.
 
Suck it up......or go!
This man might or might not be on a power trip, but he's your boss.
There will be plenty out there who will make him endless cuppa's, and will happily take their pay check at the end of the month.
If you decide that person is not you, leave, and concentrate on building your beauty business.:)
 
Last edited:
Suck it up......or go!
This man might or might not be on a power trip, but he's your boss.
There will be plenty out there who will make him endless cuppa's, and will happily take their pay check at the end of the month.
If you decide that person is not for you, leave, and concentrate on building your beauty business.:)

She shouldn't have to 'suck it up' or leave. Being someone's boss in an office environment does not make you their personal servant. You hired for your skills, it's in the contract.
Join a union OP. That's the best thing you can do. They can discuss all your options with you. If he is only treating you this because you are female staff you have grounds to sue as well.
 
She shouldn't have to 'suck it up' or leave. Being someone's boss in an office environment does not make you their personal servant. You hired for your skills, it's in the contract.
Join a union OP. That's the best thing you can do. They can discuss all your options with you. If he is only treating you this because you are female staff you have grounds to sue as well.

Totes! Get union in.
 
Thanks for all your replies girls! He didn't speak to me for the rest of the week which is making me feel awkward in work which isn't a nice feeling! I'll look into the union thing. I don't have a problem making him tea every now and again, I made him a brew before the meeting but the way he's said it and brought it up in front of everyone else, and the way he's demanding I do it as soon as he walks in the door I find it petty and I feel quite belittled by it [emoji17]. I'm not a slave x
 
Why does EVERYONE want 'TO GO INTO BATTLE'.o_O

Not EVERY job will tick your box, and you will NEVER get on with EVERYONE.

We have heard one side of this situation......most on here have taken the OP position.....
We should all remember, there are ALWAYS two sides......
Boss man might be an ar**hole, but we do not have enough information to hang the man....
Just saying.......
 
  • Like
Reactions: KHS
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top