Message #42900

[bettylou]

I'm glad this has been raised as I've always wondered whether I should be as compliant as I am about having to make coffee for my boss (it is in my job description).

I work in local government and, as far as I'm aware, all the director's secretaries make coffee for their bosses (however everyone else also has an assistant to share this chore with).  I think it's a culture/tradition thing - the management here can be quite old school.

To be honest, my boss is quite good to work for so I don't mind all that much but when I started the job it didn't sit comfortably with me.  I wouldn't say I felt it was demeaning but making coffee for boss and for meetings and doing all the washing up is definitely my least favourite job (especially since I was told when I started not to ask for a dishwasher).  Even now I get a little irritated when my boss asks for coffee (and I privately I think he feels a little awkward asking) and get round it by providing coffee before he asks or offering it to him.

I get the impression from the other posts that I'm in a minority here and wish that my boss could be more modern but I don't feel strongly enough about the issue to raise it with him.  In fact, another secretary here made a sex discrimination claim to the Industrial Tribunal arising from being asked to make coffee but lost (although as far as I could see the actual issue of making coffee wasn't really addressed).   If anyone's interested I think the details of the case are published on the web.

Bettylou