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Work/volunteering

Do have a cuppa vs bog off and make it yourself

(130 Posts)
Alima Fri 12-Jul-19 11:56:30

Certainly not a burning question of the moment but nevertheless one bugging me at present. I have very recently started volunteering at a local charitable organisation, one morning a week doing admin. Always enjoyed office work, seemed right up my street. However there are roughly ten other people in the office at any one time.
I am expected to make tea/coffee for everyone else at least 4 times during the morning. It is even documented in the office procedures. Finding it hard to get my head around this. In my first job 50 years ago we had two tea ladies, Maggie and Alice who came round twice a day offering tea and wisdom. They were lovely. In every job since if you wanted a drink you got it yourself as did everyone else. All of a sudden I am expected to provide tea, coffee, decaf, green tea, Earl Grey etc with a smile and a nod. Don’t think I am going to last much longer, especially if in colder weather my repertoire is supposed to branch out into offering sick-in-a-cup ( cup a soup) or blackberry fruit tea which smells like cats pee.
I could really enjoy the office work but not the tea making bit. Is it me? Ps, I drink tap water or strong black coffee, no sugar or sweeteners.

shysal Fri 12-Jul-19 12:03:10

I don't drink any hot drinks and cannot make a decent cup of any of them. Perhaps you should make them so awful that they will start to make their own!

kittylester Fri 12-Jul-19 12:08:52

Sounds as if they have heard of the saying 'Volunteers are unpaid, not because they are worthless but because they are priceless'. I'd leave. Volunteers are worth a lot to any organisation so they should value you.

kittylester Fri 12-Jul-19 12:09:30

Not have heard but haven't heard!

sodapop Fri 12-Jul-19 12:18:47

I agree with kittylester volunteers should be valued. Is there any way you can discuss this with the other people there and suggest taking it turns. It does seem though that this was part of your remit when you took on the role. If you are finding it tiresome and I can understand that there must be a lot of other organisations looking for admin help.

grannyactivist Fri 12-Jul-19 12:24:25

If I had to make tea for ten people four times during a morning I would never get any work done! In your shoes I would be saying to the appropriate person that you need another volunteer to come in just to do the tea/coffee round as you are unable to get on with the work you volunteered to do. It sounds completely daft to me.

BlueBelle Fri 12-Jul-19 12:26:03

Never worked like this we all make for each other or for ourselves if no one else wants one However I guess perhaps it’s always been the volunteers job in that place of work you are now working in
When I volunteer I expect to be asked to do whatever they want me to do whether it’s sweeping up, making tea, or doing what the paid staff do
Nothing wrong with making cups of tea,it’s an important job keep the staff happy ...you are Maggie or Alice now ??

silverlining48 Fri 12-Jul-19 12:31:56

I did a day every week in an Age UK day centre for nearly a year before I gave up. I was the only volunteer and the paid staff only ever spoke to me when issuing orders.
Had looked forward to being treated as one of the team and valued as a volunteer. I felt I was treated as a skivvy by all of them.
When I left I told the least hostile member of staff why I was not coming back. She agreed with me and said she had another job and was also leaving.
No one ever contacted me to ask why, or perhaps even to thank me. Very disappointing experience.
Having learned my lesson, I would definitely not do the teas.

EllanVannin Fri 12-Jul-19 12:31:59

Use " crap-a-lot " tea bags, courtesy of the joke shop. Senna pods in the coffee for extra taste.

Beckett Fri 12-Jul-19 12:50:23

I assume there is a manager - have a word, tell them you signed on to do admin, not make tea. I volunteered in a charity shop and found those actually employed treated me as if I was of no importance, unless they wanted to nip out for some shopping in which case I was often left alone in the shop, using an electronic till which I had not been trained on.

silverlining48 Fri 12-Jul-19 13:03:12

Beckett I always felt volunteers should be appreciated and feel valued but my experience and yours shows that’s not always the case. What a shame.

cornergran Fri 12-Jul-19 13:17:22

About 15 years ago part of my role was to supervise volunteers who were welcomed, valued and always included as an equal part of the team. None were ever expected to make drinks. As they settled in people would offer to take a turn at making a drink along with the rest of us. Very different to a requirement. I’m saddened that there are organisations who treat volunteers poorly.

annsixty Fri 12-Jul-19 14:12:47

Another one here who gave up a voluntary job as I felt like nobody.
They were all professionals and boy did they know it.
One of my jobs before I left was to ring up other people who had volunteered to ask them to come in for an interview.
I am not being snobby when I say some of them wouldn't last two minutes and if I , a confident, educated person felt talked down to and unworthy, I don't know how some of them would fare.

Nannarose Fri 12-Jul-19 14:15:57

Personally, I would be quite happy to make drinks if I thought it helped everyone else get on and do their work better. However, sounds as if that's not what you signed on for.
I think that if you are committed to the cause and / or otherwise like the people and the office, then talk to the manager and say that you are offering specific office skills, and if they can't make use of them, then you'll go elsewhere. otherwise, I'd just leave and look for something else.
At the moment, I only volunteer in all-volunteer settings.

BlueBelle Fri 12-Jul-19 14:41:44

?? Just how I feel nannarose
Having said that I m lucky as my manager makes my cuppa as often as I make hers We just all muck in and although she is about 45 year my junior she does everything everyone else does and yes I feel very valued
Lucky eh

wildswan16 Fri 12-Jul-19 14:43:08

I think if one of the reasons for taking on a volunteer is to provide this tea service, then it is a valid thing for you to do. Maybe the managers prefer you to do it so that the others remain at their desks and get on with work.

Liz46 Fri 12-Jul-19 15:54:01

I worked as a volunteer in a charity shop. I had worked in a bank for 19 years so the manageress was happy to leave me in charge of the till. She always used to bring me a cup of tea and I know I was valued.

PamGeo Fri 12-Jul-19 16:13:56

hmm
If it's in the office procedures I don't suppose there's much you could do about it although 4 times in a morning seems excessive.

Is it possible to have a chat regarding the amount of time you spend doing this on an average morning ?

If tea lady / office work is the job title and you still want to do the work then lovely, but if not, I would politely explain that it's not best use of your skills and their resources.

1 person taking avg 5 minutes x 4 occasions per morning vs
1 person taking avg 20 minutes x 4 occasions per morning.
Not counting the time spent collecting cups and washing up of course.

If they can't see it from your point then perhaps you need to find somewhere else to volunteer.

Jane10 Fri 12-Jul-19 16:24:06

If its in the job description, which presumably you saw when you joined, then you should just do it. If that's beneath your dignity then find another voluntary job.

3dognight Fri 12-Jul-19 16:27:35

All I can think is that four cups in a morning is excessive!
I just hope that their was more than one toilet...

Gonegirl Fri 12-Jul-19 17:27:48

I can't see how making tea for the regular staff helps a charity. Would they really be unable to do their jobs if there was tea available.

Let them make their own tea. Telling you are doing admin. Nothing more. You are not a servant.

Gonegirl Fri 12-Jul-19 17:28:22

if there was no tea available

Gonegirl Fri 12-Jul-19 17:28:59

Tell them

( I give up)

MissAdventure Fri 12-Jul-19 17:34:09

I think if I was to spend so much time making tea, I'd rather be doing it in a care home, for the residents.

kittylester Fri 12-Jul-19 17:34:34

I volunteer for the Alzheimer's society and my team leader always asks me if I'd like a drink I as soon as I walk in. I know they are often looking for admin volunteers!