Hello Seniors, We have only one office boy in our company. so he has to the all office work internal/ external. In the morning he serves tea/coffee to all the office staff then he leaves for his other work so he has to go out for all other works related to banks/ collections of paper or documents etc. So sometimes it takes an entire day that he stay outside from the office. The problem arrives when anyone comes to our office to visit or office or for any meetings to meet with our CEO at that time when our office boy not present at the office we (any junior employees) were asked to serve a glass of water, tea/ coffee, etc to our visitors which is not at all good.

But today i was asked to clean my coffee mug and another employee was told to serve the coffee to visitors by one of our senior. I did not feel good for all this which was happened. Moreover, management is not ready to hire any other office boy as we have less strength in our company. And other employees has not raised any issue with all this. pls help me and give your suggestions on what can be done.

From India, Mumbai
Hello Seniors,

We have only one office boy in our company. so he has to the all office work internal/ external. In morning he serve tea/coffee to all the office staffs then he leaves for his other work so he has to go out for all other works related with banks/ collections of paper or documents etc. So sometimes it takes entire day that he stay outside from the office. The problem arrives when anyone come to our office to visit or office or for any meetings to meet with our CEO at that time when our office boy not present at office we (any junior employees) were asked to serve glass of water, tea/ coffe etc to our visitors which is not at all good. But today i was asked to clean my coffee mug and another employee was told to serve the coffee to visitors by one of our senior. I did not feel good for all this which was happened. Moreover management is not ready to hire any other office boy as we have less strength in our company. And other employess has not raised any issue with all this. pls help me and give your suggestions what can be done.

Regards

Supriya (HR)

attribution https://www.citehr.com/465748-new-is...#ixzz2YuLyyO3J

From India, Mumbai
Dear Supriya,

This is really a ticklish issue.

Not many times top bosses understand difference between "cost cutting" and 'stinginess". Former is important for sustenance of the business but latter demovitates the staffs. Leadership lies in understanding this difference. Leadership lies in being empathetic. That is why you have bosses everywhere but very few leaders.

Cleaning your coffee mug is not bad per se. In many big companies I have found staffs clean their own plate, spoon, glass etc after taking meals in staff Cafe. However, serving the beverages to the visitor is individual's choice.

As of now you have following options:

a) Doing nothing. Accept it (with or without grumbling) as part of your job.

b) Talk to your bosses. Try to put forth the side effects like lowering down morale because of this stinginess. Someone may quit the job also.

c) Tell the boss to keep tea/coffee maker and also small refrigerator in his room. Let him help himself to serve his visitors. After all in many four and five star hotels, there are tea/coffee makers and top bosses make tea or coffee for their visitors!

d) Tell boss to keep tea/coffee maker for everybody. No service from office boy to anyone.

d) If the boss does not listen then quit the company!

Choose the option that you feel appropriate!

Ok...

Dinesh V Divekar

From India, Bangalore
Dear Sir,
Thankyou so much for replying me. I do agree with you that there are companies where you have to clean spoon, glass, plates after meals aftre meals. even my past oragnisation there was self service for beverages . We had to take tea/coffe from coffee machine own. Even everyone use to clean their lunch box after taking meals. But no one was asked with any seniors to do this. But here the situation is bit different that any senior order you to do this. One day my boss also told some junior supervisor for this. As i was new so i felt bad for that guy. So i raised this issue in this forum. whether this is correct? And what acion should be taken by me. we were about to hire new office boy but management did not agree. And even when we have asked withour office boy he also denied for this he said no need for another person he himslf can handle all the work assign to him.
Regards
Supriya

From India, Mumbai
Dear Supriya,
I have a small suggestion for you.
I think your management people thinking about cost cutting and other things...
So just discuss with your boos about this issues and request him to hire another person.
or else,ask your boss to share about his meeting schedules and visitors details priory before a day itself.
It can be easy for you to manage the office boy to work for internal requirement as well external.
But convey everything clearly with your boss.
then only you can find a solution.

From India, Chennai
Hi,
Pls be upfront and discuss this issue firmly with your boss, but carry the solution as suggested by members.
All that needed is to resolve the issue that will be in favour of all.
I suggest to keep disposable cups etc along with coffee/tea machines and encourage sefl help policy.
And one thing more, Leaving ego aside, sometimes have to serve and feel happy abt it.
Your service with will never ever go waste.
Thanks
Bijay.

From India, Vadodara
Dear Supriya

These kind of things happen in small organisations. And people are expected to do these little chores.

Nothing wrong in expecting people do their own chores. If the owner is expecting you to clean your own dishes,coffee mugs because of lack of manpower, then it is justified to some extent. You should do this for yourself and for your guests, i.e. if you invite a candidate for interview or a vendor for discussion, then you should get him tea/coffee. And this rule applies to your boss too, He MUST serve his guest himself.

If he is asking you to serve his guest then he is disrepsecting you as an individual and as a collegue. The organisation is low on morality. You being in HR is in strong position to set these work ethics at organisation.

You must strongly protest this in the most professional & humble way. This is important for you and your collegue because this might be beginning of other things which may follow. If there is no protest, then tomorrow your team would be asked to do his other personal chores. Its all about drawing the line.

As my personal opinion,i would strongly recommend you to move out of organisation which treats its employees this way. Most of the time, trying to change their attitude towards work and employee is wasting our own time.

Regards

Abhishek Patil

From India, Mumbai
Dear Supriya,
Your problem is very genuine one, like most of us face! Your boss must solve it. Self service is OK when you are helping yourself. But the problem comes when the visitors are from outside. Therefore, better don't resort to offer tea or snacks. Even don't express before visitors that you are in dearth of assistance; draw their attention straight towards the business which they have come for and attend their business needs with positive attitude, instead. They will be more happy with your attitude than the extra curriculum you offer them!
With best wishes,
Krishna Murthy

From India, Nizamabad
Respected All,

Thank you so for your valuable suggesstions.

@ Mr. Dinesh V Divekar. i respect your suggestion that Doing nothing. Accept it (with or without grumbling) as part of your job. because i have already tried my level best to convince them for one more office boy bt i have already told you that they have denied saying that less we are having staffs. and if they are not ready to hire one more office admin boy then i am not sure that he will be ready to keep tea/coffee maker for everybody. But i will definenatly put this suggestion infron of him. Hope this will help us. Thanku so much.

@bijay_majumdar and @Sheerine . I have already discussed this matter with management that we should hire one more person for all this. but i dont know why they have denied. i have started using disposals cups for myself too and have told to other staffs also.

@ Abhishek Patil. First time also the same thought come in my my mind that to leave the organisation. but this is very samll reason to quit.i do agrees with your statement that the way of treation their employees this way is somehow not correct.But they

dont have any problems it seems like that.

@Krishna Murthy. I agree with you that Self service is OK we are serving for us. But the problem comes when the visitors are from outside.I will discuss with all empoyees this matter. Because they have never told me any thing about this issue. I have only felt this when it come to me.

Regards

Supriya(HR)

From India, Mumbai
In organizations where they have "self-service system" everyone does it on his own. They go to the Coffee Vending Machine etc. along with the guests and have coffee.
Its ironical to find that on one hand one claims to be "modern" by implementing self-service and on the other hand, general employees are asked to serve refreshment to guests.
If at all, the boss should himself get up and proceed with such tasks himself - even if it is only to set example.
Self- Service is a good thing; but then it should be limited to "SELF"-service and not Forcing to Serve Others.
Warm regards.

From India, Delhi
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