Am I being pathetic....?

Yorkie1

OP, when did you start working there?

ap1986

Yorkie1 wrote: »

OP, when did you start working there?

Coming up to 3 years now.

I must say though, its not always been the same. Its been a gradual thing... The finger clicking and demanding only started around 6 or 7 months ago

persa

I think being told to make the tea because you're female is ridiculous, but I think it's perfectly reasonable for the least senior person to make tea, particularly if they're non-client facing, non-fee earning etc.

ap1986

persa wrote: »

I think being told to make the tea because you're female is ridiculous, but I think it's perfectly reasonable for the least senior person to make tea, particularly if they're non-client facing, non-fee earning etc.

I am client facing and I also earn the company money. OK, I don't make the company the MOST money but, I still do my bit and also interact with the customers far more regularly than everyone else.

As someone has said previously, I am employed as an administrator, not as a skivvy.

I don't think its reasonable to be clicked at or demanded to do anything, unless its something extremely important and would have an impact on business if I didn't do, not matter what my job role or sex.

They all managed to find the time to make their own drinks today, I don't see why they can't everyday. It was no quieter/less busy today than any other day.

claire16c

If you ever do make anyone tea again because you're forced just make it so bad it's undrinkable.

I find it shocking they said you should do it because you're a woman. I have never worked anywhere where anyone would dare say let alone think anything like that. If they did it would have been some kind of joke!

mountainofdebt

I think you missed a trick here.

If they expect you to make the tea because you're a woman I would be expecting them to lift anything that weighed more than a feather because they were men and therefore must be strong.

gibson123

My boss makes most of the teas and coffees, he needs the most caffeine so he is always the first to crumble...

Here's a few things to do.

If they click their fingers, stand up, wiggle your bum, click your fingers in time to the music and do a marachi tune, say this is fun, keep it up for a minute then go back to work.

If they put their cups on your desk, lift them up and then gently place them back on the desk where they belong.

If they say .. make the tea... say sorry I can't be bothered and don't do it!

If they say, I want a cup of tea... say good idea, mine is just milk

If they say teatime, say good idea, mine is just milk.

If they say .. it's a woman's job to make the tea, hand over your carkeys and say ... ok I'll do it when you finish washing my car.

However if it's gone too far, just walk into the office and announce that from further notice you will not be making tea for anyone else, you will have to keep repeating yourself until they accept it, but the message will get through eventually

getzls

LannieDuck wrote: »

He actually said "you should make the tea because you're female"? Wow. I wouldn't last long in that office.

Why? Do you not know how to make tea?:)

Yorkie1

ap1986 wrote: »

Coming up to 3 years now.

Well, that means that you have been there long enough to be covered by the rules against unfair dismissal if they decide they want to sack you (although discriminatory dismissal doesn't have a time limit).

persa

ap1986 wrote: »

I am client facing and I also earn the company money. OK, I don't make the company the MOST money but, I still do my bit and also interact with the customers far more regularly than everyone else.

As someone has said previously, I am employed as an administrator, not as a skivvy.

An administrator has a support function. It is in my experience unlikely for more than a very small fraction of an administrator's time to be rechargeable to a client, and if so, it will be at a significantly lower rate than a professional's hourly rate anyway. Even if the others have an in-house role, these principles still apply.

It's normal to prioritise tasks based on charge out rates and capacity - if you 'cost the least', it doesn't make sense for, say, a manager to make tea or do filing if you have enough down time to do this.

ap1986 wrote: »

I don't think its reasonable to be clicked at or demanded to do anything, unless its something extremely important and would have an impact on business if I didn't do, not matter what my job role or sex.

Depends if it's "banter" or meant seriously. Although, if you're feeling this way, it's gone past a joke and you are IMHO in the right to complain. Banter is only acceptable when everyone is laughing.

ap1986 wrote: »

They all managed to find the time to make their own drinks today, I don't see why they can't everyday.

Presumably because the time they spend making their own tea (and probably gassing away if they all start doing it together) is time where they could be doing client chargeable work and earning fee income.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just trying to give you the other side. I've been an administrator before myself, these days I'm in a directly revenue generating role. And yes, I'm female. I don't think you making tea is necessarily wrong, but I do think your coworkers bringing your gender into it is.

Is it possible to make a business case to show you're too busy to make tea anymore? Could an office junior be reasonably employed? Or even a free vending machine installed?