Making Drinks at Work...

Akagi · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:11

We do drinks rounds at work as well, whoever fancies a coffee asks the rest of the people in the general area if they want one. The CEO asked if I wanted a coffee once because he had just got out of a meeting with a bunch of senior managers and directors and they were chatting close by. He went for longer than we are usually gone for and came back with Costa's from the canteen for everyone (which you have to pay for), I for one thought he was just going to the free coffee machine by the door.

If your team leader was being serious with that comment, I would be seriously irked by it. I hope that they were joking.

Mrs Seabiscuit · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:15

Old ward i worked on we were not allowed drinks other than allocated breaks (which we never always got).
This new ward, kettle doesn't go cold and if your about you just ask anyone else if they want one. General consensus seems to be if you haven't had about 10 teas or coffees in a 12 hour shift your doing it wrong.
Can I just add to this people make their drinks and pop back between doing things for gulps we don't sit around

Gornall · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:16

badbiddy said:
Sounds like a joke to me?

My boss is always joking about people not working hard enough/long enough, it's jest and it's what you do when you're the boss.

He still gets the teas in though But then we have a coffee shop at work. They sell Kitkats too.

I appreciate the comment itself may have been a joke, but the attitude definitely reflects it. E.g. she is absolutely against making drinks as it's beneath her.

OhEsEcks · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:18

Office brew making should follow the same standard procedure as expected of the pub round.

Gornall · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:19

OhEsEcks said:
Office brew making should follow the same standard procedure as expected of the pub round.

I agree.

Personally don't get how people thing seniority (in the lowest form) is a ticket up the social ladder and that suddenly 'human' acts of kindness are suddenly only to be directed towards them.

Tuppy_Glossop · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:20

It isn't even a good metaphor; she sounds stupid.

Akagi · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:22

It is quite a moving story, a bitch that doesn't know she is a dog.

Zefan · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:23

I have been brew boy for most of my career, I don't mind it at all even if someone is annoying me - they're the ones drinking whatever I put in their cup

Fireskull · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:24

I think that comment would irk me too OP, but as said 99% of the time people like that are utterly useless at their job.

I don't drink tea/coffee so don't do any rounds, just fill up my 2l water bottle here a few times a day, plenty of the staff here to rounds though, don't think I have seen the directors do a round though, but some did at my old place.
Personally the only person I would make a drink for if they asked would be directors, after all they are the ones paying your wages, certainly not a manager or team leader, thats why I like working for smaller companies, I think I would kill myself pretty quick if I had to deal with managerial hierarchy that do nothing.

Gilly · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:31

On my first day I was expected to make tea and coffee. It was a huge outcry when I steadfastly refused. I didn't drink it, so I didn't make it. Stupid receptionist thought they had employed someone they could bully

Now I'm Ops manager I get the drinks in every now and again.

Gornall · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:32

Fireskull said:
I think that comment would irk me too OP, but as said 99% of the time people like that are utterly useless at their job.

I don't drink tea/coffee so don't do any rounds, just fill up my 2l water bottle here a few times a day, plenty of the staff here to rounds though, don't think I have seen the directors do a round though, but some did at my old place.
Personally the only person I would make a drink for if they asked would be directors, after all they are the ones paying your wages, certainly not a manager or team leader, thats why I like working for smaller companies, I think I would kill myself pretty quick if I had to deal with managerial hierarchy that do nothing.

That's the problem, this is a tiny company. 10 staff. She has 2 leaf-level employees and she is essentially a project manager.

bJN · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:33

Always used to do rounds when I was in the NHS, it was awesome. It was only a small office of 6 of us, but used knock on the manager office on the way through and get them included! Used to rotate throughout the day, we got through a lot of tea and coffee!

Freefaller · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:33

Zefan said:
I have been brew boy for most of my career, I don't mind it at all even if someone is annoying me - they're the ones drinking whatever I put in their cup

In my previous company, there was always the guy who made drinks literally every hour or so on the dot. Even when he became a more senior manager, he still did it - it was his "thing", irrespective of rank or position.

Some people are just like that, it's nice.

Gornall · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:36

Freefaller said:
In my previous company, there was always the guy who made drinks literally every hour or so on the dot. Even when he became a more senior manager, he still did it - it was his "thing", irrespective of rank or position.

Some people are just like that, it's nice.

It's why this irks me.

Making drinks has nothing to do with any sort of seniority or 'rank'. It's just courtesy.

We always understood, sometimes people were under pressure and as such we'd 'cover' them knowing it would be reciprocated.

As I say, the people I'm used to working with were all very high rankers in big companies. I wonder if they had grown past the arrogance of management, whereas this fledgling manager thinks she has something to prove.

timebomb26 · 12 Jun 2014 at 12:42

When I used to work at Ellis Brigham many moons ago I was running the ski team, which was only 3 people. We would take it in turns to make tea and it often involved boiling the kettle again whilst finishing our current brew. Drinking an unholy amount of tea was a great way to not have to listen to rich businessman talk about their awesome ski holidays.

ganesh · 12 Jun 2014 at 13:08

I only drink water at work so opt out of any rounds, just never been one for hot drinks.

platinum87 · 12 Jun 2014 at 13:31

Gornall said:
New job, we have a team-leader (essentially) who today made the comment, "why have a dog and bark yourself" when asked if she was making a drink for everyone.

It's probably irked me more than it should have...but I just don't sit well with people with superiority complexes.

Do you do 'rounds' at work, or did I just have it 'pleasant' at the old place?

/edit worth noting that this isn't my team-leader/manager. I just overheard her make the comment.

What the **** does "why have a dog and bark yourself" mean.

pioneer2000 · 12 Jun 2014 at 13:33

J.T said:
We get rounds in but there is one guy in our office who only gets in about 1 round a week and it really gets on everyone else's nerves!!!

Why is there always one!

Maybe he's busy actually working... unlike you lot!

Why can't everyone just get their own?! Rounds are so pointless :confused:

Gornall · 12 Jun 2014 at 13:39

platinum87 said:
What the **** does "why have a dog and bark yourself" mean.

It's implying that if you have something that can bark for you (make drinks) then why would you do it yourself. e.g. let others make me drinks.

dannyjo22 · 12 Jun 2014 at 13:39

I make my own, I'd rather have one good cup of tea per day than round after round of **** ones. Everyone else is in a round and always complain about X making **** tea. I'm not a big tea or coffee drinker though so rarely have more than 1 per day when I'm at work.