Tea: The Other Brown Brew

Office politics amuse me. Why some things happen while others don't, and the people pushing behind those happenings tells a lot about who has the strongest voice or persuasive method. Generally it is not me, which is why I feel fairly confident that I can write what I am about to write, and what I say will not be taken as belligerent office employee but musing minority.

It is about coffee. Or, more specifically, how I do not drink coffee. At least not the "regular" coffee of the office building. I understand there is a history of coffee in offices, where employees are provided the liquid free of charge. However, I have a slight complaint about this history. The times, they are a'changing, and more people are exploring different beverages. Like my hot beverage of choice, tea.

I like drinking tea every so often. I have a basket of tea in my office with varieties ranging from green to black to herbal. And, while the downstairs kitchen has a jar of various teas to choose from, I think most of what is in there is Lipton regular tea, the kind you brew for iced tea. In other words, very little "tea cup" tea.

Here is where the coffee comes in. While a vast majority of the staff are coffee drinkers, there is a growing minority that prefer tea. However, the tea people (Tea-ers) must purchase their own tea for work. Should this be so? Should the Tea-ers buy what the Coffees can get for free? Is this a workplace inequality? Or, are Tea-ers too selective in what they like to have a blanket variety pack provide for all?

For instance, I prefer green tea. Another coworker only drinks black tea. Yet another lives by loose leaf green tea. Are we Tea-ers too selective in both type and brand to be easily satiated? With coffee, as is my understanding, if it is a little to strong one can put more cream and/or sugar in it, whereas with tea, if it is not your flavor, there is not making it taste better. Bitter tea is bitter tea is bitter tea.

I can see where the argument can go from here. Someone speaks up, saying that if the Tea-ers get their liquid provided for them, then s/he prefers to drink a certain brand of soft drink every morning. And another would like orange juice, but no pulp and low acidity. Suddenly the office is stocking every beverage under the sun to accommodate everyone. It would anarchy. People would start expecting that muffin or egg white omelet to compliment their morning brew of Indian Chai tea with clover honey and vanilla soy milk. Or someone who only drinks a Starbucks venti 1% triple Caramel Latte no foam.

But where do you draw the line? Is hot tea in the national conscious enough that people would drink enough of it in an office building to merit the company buying the tea for them? Or, since Tea-ers are a selective lot, do the Tea-ers ask for reimbursement on the tea they buy for work?

A note here. I have no problem with the beverage situation at my job as it stands now. I have no problem buying whatever tea suits my fancy when I go to the store. I do not drink it often enough that I am buying a new box every other week. And, with the new "coffee" machine downstairs, I can get a hot chocolate as a treat when I like. Which is usually close enough to coffee for me. This is more a think I wonder about when the afternoon gets long and my eyes begin to gloss over from computer screen glare.