Can a Boss Ask His Secretary to Make Him a Cup of Coffee

Rav Yosef Jacobovits

Question: Can a boss ask his secretary to make him a cup of coffee?

Answer:  There is a halacha that forbids a woman to pour a drink for an unrelated man. While most Poskim say that this refers to all drinks, the Rashbah is lenient and says that this only applies to wine and not other drinks. Furthermore, the Rema says that this prohibition only applies in a private setting and not in a public place. For example, if a boy is proposing to a girl and pours her a cup of champagne, if they are in a private setting this might be problematic. However, if a secretary brings her boss a cup of coffee in a public office, there would be no problem. 

Additionally, the Rema writes that pouring a drink is only forbidden if it is done in a personal way that could be considered derech chiba. If she is just serving him in a professional and non-personal way, as a secretary would typically do for her boss, it would not be a problem.