No, Frank, it is not the role of employers to make sure their secretaries are satisfied first. However, in a very slow evolution over about the last thirty years, secretaries have elevated themselves from roles where they are expected to do personal shopping for their employer, bring coffee, fetch and serve lunch, pick up dry cleaning, etc., to perform as professionals.
Secretaries these days need to be well educated and intelligent, extremely well organized, and anticipate their employer's every BUSINESS need. They need to be able to delegate, interface in a businesslike manner with important people, and have very good computer skills. If you will look in the newspaper help wanted ads, you might notice that many times, a college degree is required as well.
Some employers are very egalitarian, and jump up and run out for lunch, or bring coffee or small treats, and in this kind of informal, egalitarian atmosphere with a boss who has become a friend, of course you would get coffee or do other small favors in return. But not because it is part of your job, because that can indicate a general disrespect for you and/or your skills. |
