'I've been waiting all day for coffee and you dropped the ball again': Office owners repeatedly ask female employee to make coffee for the entire office

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jun 26, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

It's an eternal question at any office: who makes the coffee, and who replaces it when the pot has run empty? 

Every workplace has its own coffee culture. All of the employees need some form of caffeine, whether it's the classic bean juice or energy drinks or tea. And at a lot of workplaces, high-end espresso machines and coffee machines are touted as a perk for employees. If your workplace has single-serve K-cup coffee makers, this problem solves itself. But if not, someone has to keep a pot of coffee on the burner all day, and it often becomes the job of one person. But who? Should it be the first person to enter the office? Should the coffee-maker job go to an intern, or to someone whose cubicle is right next to the kitchen? 

There are layers to the issue, as this office worker shared in her story. She's an office administrator and she's "really angry" about her coffee-making role. She's expected to make her coworkers coffee, yet she doesn't even drink it.

She asked if she was in the wrong about this, and there were a few differences of opinion. Some people thought that she was correct, and she shouldn't be making coffee. Others warned her that this duty might be in her job description… You can check out the entire story below, and judge for yourself. 

After that, read a few stories of instant karma, like one person who realized they had the power to cancel their awful boss's long-awaited vacation plans. 

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  • 01
    HARIO -2- 1 cup 130ml 200
    via Goran Ivos on Unsplash
  • 02
    AITA for not making coffee at the office? I feel like this is dumb but I am starting to get really angry about it. I started a new office job a month and a bit ago and I really do like it. Owned locally and
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    owners (husband & wife) are in the office everyday. To preface, I don't drink coffee. Makes me too anxious. But lately the owner (husband) and the operations managers have been making jokes that slowly turned passive aggressive as the days went on. I am seated on the opposite side
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    of the office, and every time they walk past the coffee pot and its empty they'll make a comment like "Oh no not again sweetdreams didn't make any coffee!" or "I've been waiting all day for coffee and you dropped the ball again" among other things. At first it just seemed
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    playful but its getting more. aggressive. So today the comments were made again (boss brought in donuts for everyone) and there was a couple drops of coffee left in the pot. He said "Oh, sweetdreams I got you donuts and you can't make coffee for me?" There was a
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    bunch of us in the break room so it was slightly embarrassing. Then I got a little mad and said "Why can't the last person who DRANK all of the coffee make a new pot, I've told you guys LOTS that I dont drink it." Then the ops manager who participates in the
    via u/[deleted]
  • 07
    said "Well it would be nice!" Like I mentioned earlier I am not seated where I can see the coffee pot and only have to walk that way every 2 hours tops. I told them "How often would you like me to come check if the coffee pot is empty?!" Then everyone went back to joking.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 08
    I'm just wondering if I'm being a and just need to make coffee, or would I be the if I told them i'm not doing it and to drop the subject? I could also talk to the other owner (wife) and ask her if they actually want me to be doing it, or if she could tell
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    them to back off. I know it's like a non issue that's starting to really bother me and I almost just want to never do it out of spite because of the way they speak to me about it.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10
    It honestly also kind of feels degrading, like since I'm the female whos always in the office I should be making coffee for everyone? Help
    via u/[deleted]
  • 11

    The original poster revealed her job title: office administrator.

    trit... Edit: NAH You said office administrator in a comment. If I had to guess, I'd say it's intended to be part of your job, but maybe that was assumed and not directly indicated. What you take as passive aggression may be them trying to gently tell you that you aren't doing something you're supposed
    via u/tritoeat
  • 12
    to, and giving you a chance to fix it without having to call you out. I think it's a miscommunication, that could easily be solved by...communication.
    via u/tritoeat
  • 13
    AllOfficerNoGent I'm guessing you're a younger woman? My personal view is never make coffee or it'll become your job. Unless making coffee was mentioned during your interview or induction they can make their own coffee. NTA, stick to your guns. They may well call you a but this is a job, you're not there to make friends.
    via u/AllOfficerNoGent
  • 14
    horrorjunkie707 NTA "Why can't the last person who DRANK all of the coffee make a new pot ^This is normal office- coffee etiquette, not bullying the new person who doesn't drink the stuff to go out of her way to make it.
    via u/horrorjunkie707
  • 15
    Far-Dark What is your job description? Typically Admin/Office Assistants or Secretaries it is in their job descript. IF you are not either, then it isn't your problem. When people do this to me or other younger females, I let them know where the ingredients are. Straight faced.
    via u/Far-Dark
  • 16
    boomba1330 Make the coffee. Make it so strong or weak that they complain. Then say, " i don't drink coffee, is that not how its done? Maybe you should take the reigns on this"
    via u/boomba1330
  • 17
    DocJust I think you need to just ask if this is something they'd like. you to do. I know you said you've never been asked to make coffee as an admin before, but this is really commonly considered part of the job. If you refuse to do it even if they expect it of your role... you may not last long in that office.
    via u/DocJust
  • 18
    Araucaria2024 You need to clarify your role. If it is part of their job requirements for you, then it up, or leave. It's not uncommon for office admin roles to include tidying break rooms and making coffee. If they are mentioning it so much, then I suspect you are expected to keep an eye on the coffee pot.
    via u/Araucaria2024

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