Should Interns Be Required To Fetch Coffee?

Here's something I get my own coffee- I believe coffee runs should be done away with. There is always an ulterior motive in heaping that task on the new recruit- it's to put them in their place. The thing is that management came up through the same system and they usually want their turn to delegate this task. If everyone refused to get the coffees we'd all be healthier.

@Heather - Thanks for you input. That's an interesting point. More than likely, the management started out back when it was "normal" for the intern to get coffee. I wonder if they even think twice about it then...

@Cassandra - That's a great point. Even though the internship will serve as a reference for you, you also will be telling people exactly what you think of them. Essentially, they need to make as good of an impression on you as you do on them. Thanks for the comment!

Regarding the particular post you are responding to, the question is really "Should the intern do the work he willingly signed up to do?". And the answer is a simple, yes - the employer was NOT joking.

"...It was explained to him on the interview phone call that he would do the coffee run every morning and he agreed. But now he says he thought that was just a joke..." intern.FAIL

For example, a company can't say 'oh, I thought you were joking when we negotiated salary...' to its employees.

The opportunity to express his opinion on the matter of whether or not interns should be fetching coffee, was during the interview process. He should've voted with his feet then - and either tried to renegotiate the terms of the internship to exclude coffee runs, or declined the opportunity if he did not want to fulfill that task.

If every 'Gen Y' candidate that this company interviewed said 'no coffee runs, sorry', the company might get the message and be forced to reevaluate whether or not this was an appropriate request of interns. That's how it works, no joke.

I wouldn't want to be the regular coffee delivery person. But then again, that's why I probably wouldn't want an internship where that was one of the stated responsibilities.

That said, I think the examples that Rachel provides in her original post do not fall into that category. Both the infrequency (specific circumstances) and the manner in which the request was made are different from picking up individual coffee orders on a regular basis.

Frankly, if the office wants coffee that routinely, they should look into buying an espresso maker so they can make their own.

Okay, when I first read your post I imagined the boss expecting the intern to behave like one of the secretary's from Mad Men and fetch coffee on anyone's whim. But when I read the post you were referring to, I had a different picture.

Although the original post was sacarastic, it did say they told the intern before they hired him that it would be his job to run across the street and make the coffee run every morning. It's not like it came from no where.

Personally, I probably wouldn't have minded doing that as an intern. Get out of the office for a few minutes every morning. Maybe make friends with the Barista. Whatever.

There would be another advantage to making that run, too. You'd probably get to know your coworkers a little better if you talked to them every morning - and bringing that coffee would give you a chance to do so.

Some people, such as Tamar Klopfenstein, consider being asked to fetch coffee by her boss sexual harassment.

http://theofficenewb.com/2008/07/03/fetching-coffee-as-sexual-harassment/

@Emily - And to follow up on your comment, " If you have someone really skilled on your team, wouldn't you want them to do real work?," if the person isn't very skilled and can only handle menial tasks, then why did you hire them? Thanks for commenting.

@James - I understand that it was part of the job description, but that wasn't the focus on this post. The other post simply inspired this one. Thanks for the comment though.

@Cassie - I'm reminded by that movie as well. Although as interns we expect the less-than-glorious work and accept it without a problem, I think you put it best, saying, "you should be using the opportunity to the best you can and give contributions of real value." Great point!

@Kate - I think it really does depend on the situation and frequency. Thanks for reiterating that point!

@Suzanne - The other post did say that it was stated that coffee runs would be a responsibility. So, if you know that going into the position, I don't think you should argue. But, I don't think most places include that in the description. And you make an excellent point that it would give you the opportunity to get to know your coworkers better.

@RealAnonymous - Yes, he was told he would have to do it. But that wasn't the real point of this post. I wanted to know whether or not interns SHOULD be doing coffee runs...that was the point relevant to my own blog post (obviously not the one I referenced that inspired me to write this).

@OfficeNewb - That is interesting...but I don't think coffee duties aren't really sexual harassment myself. Like the judge said, it's not a gender-specific act. I think it's more of a "where you are on in the hierarchy" act. Thanks for posting that though...something to think about.

@DeadHedge - That's interesting because the medical profession is definitely different than PR. But I think it sounds like a good task because it gives you the opportunity to get to know a lot of people and to familiarize yourself with the hospital. Thanks for giving us that point of view.

The intern is not at the company to decide which requests to accept or decline. If the intern thinks the requests are out of line, the quit. It is not the intern’s prerogative to cherry pick assignments.

From the manager's point of view, fire the intern.

The issue is not about drinking coffee, if a coffee brand is over priced, or what someone does or does not see in drinking coffee.

The issue: is each assignment for the intern going to be a struggle? If the intern is asked to complete a 10 page report but feels like a 2 page report, is that a point of contention? If the intern decides to change the topic of the report because the intern does not feel like the assigned topic is appropriate, is that acceptable? The manager has to remember Intern A, or Employee B, or Employee C made the coffer run yesterday so today it is Employee D’s turn just to make the intern happy. Some managers may manage that way, some do not. The manager does not need the grief, the uncertainty, or the confrontation.

Fire the intern and move on.

Let the intern find a position that allows the intern to do what they want when they want to.

Let the manager find an intern that will be supportive of the team.

I don't know, if someone told me in a job interview one of my job duties would be to get coffee in the morning, I'd chuckle. If someone explained it to me that it was expected as part of my job, I'd be irked. If someone condescended the way it sounds this woman was speaking to the intern, I'd be having a very heated discussion behind closed doors with this "big boss person."

It isn't about the coffee (we have a very high test system in our office...if you are the first person there, you get the coffee) It's about the fact that such a menial task would be expected of someone "cause it's their job." Especially for an intern. They are there to learn and develop. What the hell do you develop fetching coffee?

I work in the marketing office at a large academic health system. We recently hired two interns. One was terrible--picked and chose assignments; didn't follow through; failed to provide regular updates; lacked business savvy. I quit asking him to do meaningful work and simply started using him strictly for manual labor around the office. The other intern was wonderful--wrote extremely well; followed directions; met deadlines; kept me updated; acted professionally. I never asked her to do one menial task because she was too valuable to me to waste her time like that.

If all you're being asked to do is run to get coffee, perhaps it's you.

When I was an intern, I was doing the work of the accounts people. Coffee fetching? The boss didn't even bother leaving his off

However, if someone had asked me to do it, I would've done so. Internships are a way to get some experience, get a better resume and meet the folks in your industry. It's not meant to be a cakewalk.

Just remember, less than a century past, masters had the right to beat their apprentices (and servants) with a stick for the slightest mistake!