THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: Nintex on August 22, 2019, 01:21:59 PM

Title: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Nintex on August 22, 2019, 01:21:59 PM
I'm looking at how we're doing things at our workplace and this subject comes up regularly among my employees and I thought,
why not get some unbiased insight on a message board with people that actually have jobs  :smug

So here's the deal at my company
- Drinks, tea, crisps, fruit, cookies, sweets, coffee etc. are free (provided by our company)
- Each employee is paid an additional €50 a month for 'lunch expenses' on a full time basis (so if you work 4 days a week you get 80% of that)
- They can use this money themselves to buy lunch or deposit it into the shared lunch account (at this point, all do but that might change)

About 2 or 3 times a week (depending on how much we need) someone picks up groceries and hits the bakery (usually me).
A shared supply of food is more ecological and of course cheaper than buying everything yourself.
Employees can just put in requests for lunch and I will pick it up for them, granted that it's not to hard to find or overly expensive or ends up in the bin weekly
We have supplies like a grill, microwave, juicer machine, cheese guillotine, refrigerator, freezer etc. so people can prepare their own food.

However, there are some 'ifs' and 'buts' among the employees. For example, some people don't eat 'expensive' while others do.
We have a few guys who just eat bread, cheese and ketchup while some girls prefer vegan slices with lettuce and what have you.
Of course the basic foods are cheaper than the bio power food or vegan stuff so they don't feel they should pay the same for lunch.
Some of the girls bring their own food from time to time (left-over salads or other more exotic veggie things I couldn't find in the supermarket).
So they also think they should get a discount on the monthly cost even though they are on average the most expensive eaters.
 
I sorta try to remedy this unbalance by ordering protein bars for the dudes who are lifting from time to time or simply by ordering more beer and other alcoholic drinks in general.  :doge
Another perk is (and people in tech(artists/developers) in general are lazy) that I pick up the stuff and they don't have to go out and buy their own lunch supplies.

Yet if people drop from the collective account and buy their own lunch the shared pool becomes much smaller and lunches less luxurious (which of course has the downside of more people opting out).
But for some it seems enticing to just pick up that €50 extra each month and go broke for lunch.

New tax regulations do not allow us to pay for all of our employees lunches like we used to because we end up going over the limit of tax-exempt employee expenses.

So how are you guys handling your lunches. Sharing expenses with co-workers, buying it yourself or company provided?
What are your thoughts on a shared account for lunch expenses?
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: nachobro on August 22, 2019, 01:35:58 PM
Usually I just bring my own stuff. Our situation is a bit different here since the majority of staff is out in the field most of the day so there wouldn't be much point in getting a shared food thing setup.

That being said my work does do two "organized" lunch things a month. Usually one is a small fee ($5 or under) just to cover the cost and the other is provided by the company. Those are mainly just to give people a chance to actually see each other and scheduled on Thursdays since that's pretty much the only day everyone is in the office for various meetings.

There's usually a breakfast provided once a month too but that's premade stuff like burritos or cakes/pastries so it's whatever.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Brehvolution on August 22, 2019, 01:38:34 PM
By time lunch rolls around, it's time to GTFO of the office for a change of scenery. Only coffee and tea is free in the office. Most people bring in their own coffee and tea.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Joe Molotov on August 22, 2019, 01:40:39 PM
succ
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Mupepe on August 22, 2019, 01:48:44 PM
Only coffee and tea are free. Vending machines are everywhere throughout the campus. We have two cafeterias that sell decent, but overpriced food with quite a bit of variety. But most people bring their own lunch or go out because the cafeterias are so busy or you just get tired of it after years. I bring my own lunch because I'm bound to also get tired of the restaurants in the area and if I'm going to eat a lunch that is joyless it might as well be economical.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Raist on August 22, 2019, 01:57:49 PM
We get fuck all. Except tap water, I suppose. They'd probably expect us to be thankful we get a salary at all so that we can buy food :doge
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Momo on August 22, 2019, 02:13:22 PM
We have an on-site cafeteria (that I never use)
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: demi on August 22, 2019, 02:21:18 PM
We order like once a week from someplace and you can order, and it's taken out of your pay.

On most days I just doordash. *dab*
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Transhuman on August 22, 2019, 02:25:18 PM
Lunch was free at my old work. All the milk you can drink, plus anything from the bottom row of the vending machine.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
(https://i.imgur.com/XasE7yN.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/3JAC5jH.jpg)
[close]
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: HardcoreRetro on August 22, 2019, 02:26:01 PM
Poos, with Mars.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Transhuman on August 22, 2019, 02:27:47 PM
Free is free

:idont
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Momo on August 22, 2019, 02:30:16 PM
Clip your thumbnail  :doge
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: porkbun on August 22, 2019, 03:35:00 PM
Quote from: Nintex on August 22, 2019, 01:21:59 PM
What are your thoughts on a shared account for lunch expenses?

Fuck that.  Grown adults should be able to provide their own lunches.  I don't need part of my paycheck going to Chad in accounting who couldn't make a sandwich today.  Also the leftovers I bring in are better than 80% of the restaurants around here and 120% cheaper, which makes it a 235% better lunch.

(percentages per Scott Steiner math)

 :steiner
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: porkbun on August 22, 2019, 03:37:51 PM
Quote from: Momo on August 22, 2019, 02:30:16 PM
Clip your thumbnail  :doge

Are you one of those gross fuckers at work?

 :sheik
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Mr Gilhaney on August 22, 2019, 03:43:51 PM
I bring my own, or I go into our kitchen and find something if I forgot/was too lazy to bring some. We rarely have anything exciting though. But quite often there will be cake at least, which helps me get even fatter.  :-\
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: team filler on August 22, 2019, 03:46:04 PM
stealing coworkers lunches  :rash


used to steal other kids snacks in school  :pimp
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Potato on August 22, 2019, 03:54:50 PM
Is your work a child care centre and are you children? If not, bring/buy your own damn lunch.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: porkbun on August 22, 2019, 04:23:39 PM
Quote from: shosta on August 22, 2019, 04:02:49 PM
at a grocery store, I did not get free food, and our lunch breaks were unpaid (and discouraged)

I used to work in a grocery store and got lunch breaks (union job) but the "free" meals were always shit that was gonna get thrown into the compactor anyway because is was past the expiration date.  I never want to see another Krispy Kreme donut ever.  They were super popular here for a about a month and then people realized how shit they are, so every night at work I'd have to breathe in that sickly melted sugar stink for 10 hours because the day shift was too lazy to fill out the forms to get them thrown away, so they would sit in the break room until one of the desperate fatties would scarf them up.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: naff on August 22, 2019, 06:30:55 PM
pay for a fruitbowl, coffee and beer on fridays and take people out to lunch occassionally. or just pay them more. lunch allowance, wtf are your employees teenagers?
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: bluemax on August 23, 2019, 01:14:01 AM
In typical poor millennial fashion I survive off the bread, cheese and lunch meat provided by my work place.

I make 6 figures! America is fucked up man.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Momo on August 23, 2019, 01:18:46 AM
Quote from: porkbun on August 22, 2019, 03:37:51 PM
Quote from: Momo on August 22, 2019, 02:30:16 PM
Clip your thumbnail  :doge

Are you one of those gross fuckers at work?

 :sheik
why the fuck would I practice private personal hygiene at work  :nope
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Cerveza mas fina on August 23, 2019, 01:24:07 AM
My workplace provides free coffee, tea and fruit. Also a free beer on friday during work.

This being Denmark you can opt in for catered lunch, but Imho itd too expensive at my company (90 bucks per month instead of the regular 50).

 So i bring my own, if it was 50 like most places id pay prob.

Yeah I maybe save 500-600 bucks a year like this but a few bucks here and there and you gave money for a holiday.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Momo on August 23, 2019, 01:26:37 AM
I get a birthday voucher worth 5 euro at my cafeteria  :japancry  can i get a momo cry emote  :goldberg
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: team filler on August 24, 2019, 06:19:05 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/06twz71.jpg)
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Tripon on August 24, 2019, 08:29:58 PM
I usually pay for my lunch. Workplace will spring for lunch from time to time for whatever reason which is usually a mix of Mediterranean/halal food, Pizza, or subway. I can pretty much make my own schedule, so I can leave off site to get lunch usually.

Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Rman on August 24, 2019, 11:58:15 PM
I pay for it. I pack Monday thru Thursday and eat out Friday.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: VomKriege on August 25, 2019, 04:41:05 AM
Honestly a bit surprised at how elaborate your setup is at your company to be honest. My experience is companies providing a small lunchroom with a microwave if you bring your food in or everyone fending for themselves in nearby restaurants & bakeries... I haven't really worked at places with a full-on lunch made on site by a contractor but it's obviously fairly common. Probably has to do with working in an urban environment and maybe Restaurant Checks being really popular here anyway (a coupon you can only use to buy lunch, partly paid for by the employer).

Typically at the place I work at nothing is free except water with some leniency / gray-endorsing / semi-sanctioned coffee machines (especially since rise of capsules - one serving coffee bags) and boiler pots despite the presence of a contractor owned paying coffee machine on the premises. Informal practices around this could be :

- Your superior lets you serve freely in his own coffee supplies.
- The service chipping collectively with whatever change they have to go buy more capsules.
- People bringing their own for themselves or to share.

With good faith, sensible use and trust that things roughly equals themselves in the long run being implied, no actual accounts being kept.

Pastries in the morning is similar : it's a nice gesture to bring some for people in your service but it's informal and infrequent. Again with an implicit understanding that department heads do it more frequently.

Apart from one guy having the reputation to be awfully possessive of his sausage and his beer pack whenever the dept. had a DIY aperitif, I never saw any issues arising because of it.
:yeshrug
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: samir on August 25, 2019, 05:13:03 AM
People pay me to have lunch with them  :smug
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Van Cruncheon on August 25, 2019, 11:11:59 AM
slobbery dumpster head
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Huff on August 25, 2019, 02:55:57 PM
Jimmy johns across the street
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: brawndolicious on August 25, 2019, 05:34:23 PM
My lunch process is:


I take that hour to avoid other human beings as much as possible, the thought of having a committee that you pay dues into and have to plan things with to get a lunch that you all compromised and agreed on sounds just terrible.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: naff on August 25, 2019, 09:15:40 PM
Quote from: samir on August 25, 2019, 05:13:03 AM
People pay me to have lunch with them  :smug

waiting their tables isn't "having lunch with them"
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: chronovore on August 25, 2019, 11:21:09 PM
I’ve only ever paid with my own money.

I’ve worked at a number of software developers, most places don’t have additional benefits for lunches. The idea that the company might regularly pay for lunch was surprising. I mean, I’ve visited a friend at Google and used their US$20,000 crazypants single-cup coffee maker prior to visiting their multiple option free cafeteria, but that was like visiting fucking Narnia.

In Japan, I’ve worked at two places. The first place had an option where employees could make a checkbox next to their name, and receive a bento. The bento boxes were 350 yen, cheap, but utterly miserable meals. The total number of bento lunches was subtracted from salary, which was convenient. I think they were partially subsidized, never checked up on it. About halfway through my 10 year tenure (hee) the bento option was discontinued. This place also had a lunch bell that rang at 12:00 to dismiss us for lunch and another at 13:00, and we were expected to be at our desk moments after that rang. It was institutionalized.

My current place doesn’t subsidize lunch at all but there is an on-site cafeteria with three inexpensive, calorie-controlled lunch options each day. There are snacks and drinks available, including 100 yen (US$0.85) coffee that is delicious. It’s on the top floor and the dining area has a full-wall window view of Tokyo. It’s glorious.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: chronovore on July 11, 2020, 09:14:56 PM
Fucking hell, this was a simpler time.

Not even a year ago.
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Positive Touch on July 11, 2020, 09:38:53 PM
remember when we used to socialize around food
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: CatsCatsCats on July 11, 2020, 11:46:35 PM
... my work offered to cater us lunch for surpassing production expectations, everyone was just like, Are you kidding?
Title: Re: How do you pay for lunch?
Post by: Clockwork5 on July 12, 2020, 10:41:49 AM
(https://i.pinimg.com/600x315/2c/4d/0d/2c4d0db1ff485755b0f6618f631ac581.jpg)
Have you thought about calling in one of these badboys?

Its time to think outside the bun, my friend.


Edit: whoops didn't notice the bump.
RIP catering industry