# Secretaries/Assistants Getting Lunch For The Boss **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484 "2005-06-16T02:53:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/41 "2010-10-13T18:36:08Z")
When I was with State Farm Insurance I wrote the policy for a member of the state government by working with that person’s assistant. There was the power of atty so it went smoothly. I also recall doing an auto policy by working with another person’s personal assistant. I was once the assistant to a company president’s secretary for about 6 months - I did a lot of unimportant stuff, faxing, telexing, copying, reconciling corporate phone bills for the different branches, pulling billing files [this was pretty much still pre computer, 70s, anything newer than 7 years was still in the back warehouse in hard copy. Older stuff was sent off to Iron Mountain.] I would pick up her lunch [and she frequently bought mine as well] but nothing more personal than that. I actually like the brainless plod of what most people consider boring, the copying, or sorting phone billing, doing lines on a spreadsheet. It is peaceful. Though my ultimate job would be to get minimum wage going through slush at a SF/Fantasy publishers by telecommuting. I have actually read a couple pieces of slush sent to Baen, :eek: I think the thousand monkeys could do better … ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/42 "2010-10-13T18:47:57Z")
I picked up lunch for my boss a few times when he couldn’t leave the office, but he always asked if I was headed out anyway and he gave me the money to pay for his. Didn’t seem like a big deal - he did the same for me, too, if I was working on something that couldn’t wait (and he wouldn’t let me pay for it). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/43 "2010-10-13T19:03:35Z")
My dad retired, holy crap, ten years ago, but his secretary always did that stuff for him - not the dry cleaning (my mom did that) but often brought lunch, always coffee, ordered flowers for funerals and anniversaries and such, etc. (She didn’t pick out jewelry for my mother for Christmas - the lady at the jewelry store did. She knows him by name.) She picked me up from school many a time. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/44 "2010-10-13T19:57:56Z")
I’ve been an EA for years, and I have no problem picking up lunch for people who are stuck at their desks, or getting coffee for everyone if I’m heading out anyway, but I’ve never worked for anyone who wouldn’t do the same for me. I’ll send flowers from my boss to clients or employees, not to his or her spouse. I’ll get online and pay his or her cell phone bill, not mortgage. Dry cleaning? Um… no, except perhaps in some situation where the dry cleaning is desperately and unforeseeably needed, with the understanding that this is above and beyond the call. EA is sort of a job title without anything even kinda like a universally understood job description, but it is NOT in most cases a _personal_ assistant. I work for the institution, not the individual. If it’s not work-related, it’s not in my job description, and if I run a personal errand for you, it’s a favor. ---
**Author:** ![SFgurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@SFgurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SFgurl)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/45 "2010-10-13T22:47:56Z")
My old boss (a C-Level Exec in a 500 Fortune company) told me that doing personal stuff is an option, that I can always say no to. And he was a wonderful boss, so I’d do anything for him. He was really generous to me too, although I never expected it from a boss. My current boss is a total A\*\*. Unfortunately the company lets her get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/46 "2010-10-13T22:51:10Z")
> [@Campion](#): > > (I return the favor by being snooty to people who are rude to her, because I can get away with it where she can’t, and it always makes her feel better to hear me plow through someone who’s just yelled at her.) Why the passive-aggressive route? I think talking to them directly about their behavior is more professional. I’m not an assistant any more but occasionally help out those who are. I’ve gotten lunches here and there for the boss – sometimes he’ll ask and other times when I know he’s scheduled back-to-back all day, I’ll offer. Back when I was an AA, I used to schedule my boss for global meetings that began at 6am. On those days, I’d automatically bring him a cup of coffee (one sugar) when I got in at 7am because I knew he’d already gone through the first cup and was tied to his desk (this was before wireless headsets). Of course, I’ve occasionally gotten coffee for peers. If I’m headed to the cafeteria, I’ll always ask my cube mates if they need anything. I’m an equal opportunity fetcher. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/47 "2010-10-13T22:53:44Z")
Is it Zombie Secretaries Day? I wonder if it’s now more acceptable for assistants to do more ‘personal errands’ since the economy tanked than it was when this thread was opened. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/48 "2010-10-13T23:09:07Z")
Many moons ago when I was a secretary, if there was no meeting room available for my boss’ meeting, I would go upstairs to a room that had long tables and chairs, make a pleasing arrangement by hauling the tables into a square, and putting the required number of chairs around them. The boss did come up and help me if he was free, especially after I became pregnant (not by him!). (I can still hear the click click click of my high heels echoing on the floor in that empty room.) I would set up the coffeemaker, cups, sugars, creamers, and napkins and spoons on a side table. I would order the sandwiches from a deli AND I would go out and pick them up before the meeting as it was a chance to get out of the damn office (and maybe do a quick errand of my own while I was at it - this was not during my lunch hour). Afterwards, I got first dibs on any unsold sandwiches that were left over (the board members were expected to toss their usual $2 into a little basket, and this money was taken to accounting to pay the deli)…There was a coffeemaker on our floor for everyone, about 30 employees. The rule was, the first one in the office, after turning on the lights, was to make the coffee, whether you were the president or a part-time temp, and any coffee fetching, well, you were on your own. I certainly didn’t mind getting the lunches, and I have no idea if it was in my job description or not. I never brought back lunch for my boss or co-workers as they either brought their lunches or went to any of a number of restaurants and food stands right on the block. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484/49 "2010-10-14T00:07:43Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Bosses can work almost anything into the job requirements of their secretaries as long as it’s on company time and company property and it’s not illegal. But driving to the cleaners would be a problem. Suppose the secretary gets into an auto accident - I don’t think workman’s comp is going to cover that, leaving the family no choice but to sue the company for medical expenses, et al. If other motorists were involved they could probably sue the company as well. Worker’s compensation does cover travel done for business purposes, and business purposes can include “Gloria, can you go pick up my dry cleaning?” if it comes from Gloria’s boss. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretaries-assistants-getting-lunch-for-the-boss/308484.md?page=2)