Workplaces supplying food...is this a new thing?

[JLTraveling]

When I was in mental health, free food was pretty common. At residential facilities, we generally got to eat free in exchange for supervising the clients. In outpatient therapy settings, we always had food around...either someone on staff would bring something in, or the boss would spring for lunch. Sometimes we'd all go out to lunch and the boss would pay.

At Universal, free food wasn't common, but it did happen occasionally. Generally our attraction supervisor and a group of leads would get together and spring for pizza or subs or something...I'd say it happened maybe once a month or so. When I was a scare actor for Halloween Horror Nights, we had free Gatorade and a ton of candy in our break trailer. We also had a super-cheap food booth from an outside catering company set up between the trailers for a couple of houses. Although we technically were supposed to pay there (and nothing on the menu was over $2), they were always giving us free hot dogs or a plate of brownies. The idea was to keep our energy up, so everything was either sugar carbs or heavy protein.

 

[acejka]

Read up on the motely fool and what they do for their employees! i wish I still lived in NOVA, I would try to get a job there.

 

[avgeek81]

i work for a retail store and we get food about once a week. Usually its something simple like milk and cereal or chips and soda or peanut butter/jelly. Sometimes we get taco bell or grilled cheese or soup.

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

Zappos does amazing things for their employees. It has scaled down but they are taken care of nicely.

 

[MM27]

At my school we get free milk from the cafeteria the day before a long break, isn't everyone jealous?

 

[tvguy]

Not new at all. My mom is a RN and after World War II hosptials used to include room and board with the job.

I work in the news department of a TV station. The news would not get on if they didn't bring food in once in a while. Election night, major breaking news, they always bring in food.
We get donuts every 2 weeks on pay day, and we have a quarterly staff meeting that they are having food brought in.

 

[kacaju]

I work in our High School cafeteria. I do not work for the Board of Ed. I work for a food service company. We are allowed free lunches....yum!!

 

[kirstenb1]

I worked with a group of investment bankers. Every night if you were there around 8, they'd order dinner in. I was support staff, so I got overtime. But the young analysts easily worked 80 plus hours per week, so dinner was the least they could give them.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

At my school if a student takes a milk with their lunch but then fails to drink it, they are not allowed to put it back into the cooler. So they will put it in the teachers' fridge in the lounge. On days that we have to stay late for conferences our PTA or principal will provide food for us for dinner. Some PD days we get it as well. Every month, a different grade level does a "feel good cart" and provides snacks for one day.

When I worked for Disney entertainment, we were given free Powerade for obvious reasons. When we had long rehearsals for the Christmas show (out in the cold), we were provided with things like Easy Mac and Ramen.

At my current theme park we do "meals with management" once a month during full time operation that is free even if you aren't working that day. The rumor is that they use that time to thoroughly clean the employee cafeteria.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I've worked in entertainment most of my adult life. I started out getting free breakfast and lunch, catered in daily. Dinner was provided if we worked late. Beer was always in the fridge, as well as oodles of boxes of full-size candy bars.

Then, when I changed jobs, it was just breakfast.

Then, I changed jobs again and it was breakfast every Tuesday.

I see a pattern here.


I've always had free soda, water, coffee, and tea. We do keep a cabinet o' candy at work for everyone in my department. As long as I stock peanut M&Ms, it is encouraged and paid for.



We do have a commissary on our studio lot, but I can't afford to eat there. Correction, I refuse to pay their prices. It is $10 for lunch and it is average at best. I bring my own food in now with my diet anyway.

 

[gina2000]

When I worked on a trading floor all food was provided....breakfast, lunch, snacks. People just couldn't walk off the floor and take a lunch. It's incentive to do a good job and to be available when needed.

Teachers get squat. I go to workshops and have to bring my own bottled water. On prem we pay for everything.

 

[momof1princess]

wow, i'd read about google, but didn't realize things like that are the norm in the computer tech industry. i used to work at a law firm where we had a drink machine in the break room that was stocked with free soda and canned juice drinks once a week. i worked there about a month before i realized it was free not sure how many quarters i wasted!

 

[AustinTink]

Just read the Google benefits, basically identical to DH's corporate headquarters in California. The Austin office is not far behind. We're looking forward to the onsite car repair, no more waiting at the repair shop for me!

 

[Cindy B]

My current school.. gave us free lifesavers one day... yep, individual lifesavers in packs!

Now, I don't want anyone thinking I am a greedy teacher.. you can have my ONE lifesaver!

I forgot-- we do get free "water cooler" water since the building water supply was unsafe--

When I worked for the federal govt, nothing was ever free. You had to pay for any potluck (participation fee), water cooler fee, you even had to pay to use the fridge/microwave. Seriously... there was a fridge and microwave club and if you didn't participate in it you couldn't use either.

 

[bicker]

A lot of this falls into the category of projecting a message to staff about the success of the enterprise. A stark, spartan work environment, where only the legally-mandated amenities are provided, project the message, "We're in bad shape; get your resume ready; start applying for new jobs; focus a lot of your energy and focus on thinking about how to get a new job, and what you're going to do if you have to be without a job for a while." A fresh, up-to-date work environment, with coffee and snacks provided, projects the message, "We are so successful, that our owners wouldn't begrudge you these benefits, even though they're not mandated; things are secure; focus on your work and you'll be well-taken care of."

 

[bunny]

I work at a company where lunch is provided. In my opinion the main reason is to shorten the lunch hours. A lot of times when I have extra work or don't feel like socializing I get my food and bring it back to my desk. Unfortunately that means I can't really ignore my phone when it is ringing. I appreciate the lunch but would prefer to leave the building especially in the summer. Since lunch is provided it is frowned upon to leave.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

DH's company has a full cafeteria that serves several selections for lunch. You have to pay for the meal but it's only $3.00. If you do not want to spend the $3.00 you can help yourself for free to the daily soup selection and the prepared side salad and bottled water and coffee.

Not all free but certainly not too shabby.

 

[cabanafrau]

Among all of the friends and family we have in this area I know of no one who gets anything like this kind of perk. There may be the occasional pizzas or other food ordered in in the case of a very exceptional situation, but no, no one I know gets this.

I'm kind of laughing at all of the comments about those in the computer technology field & how common this type of benefit is. DH works in IT for a fortune 500 company, frequently working ridiculously long hours. He is lucky to eat lunch once every two weeks or so away from his desk. Anybody asking about benefits discussed in this thread would either never get the job or be shown the door, period.

 

[bicker]

Well, to be fair, "Fortune 500" generally means a publicly traded stock, and shareholders don't take kindly to such use of what is effectively their money. I've seen these benefits concentrated among smaller and more privately-held companies, especially those seeking to attract and retain the best and brightest, leading up to the financial bonanza many expect from an IPO. Typically, when I've seen these benefits in other companies, it is a legacy of some time in the past where they were in that, or a similar circumstance.

 

[ReneeA]

I work 12 1/2 hour midnight shifts as a RN. We are not given any sort of food at all by the hospital...in fact, it's a very large hospital (1000+ beds) and they only have a coffee shop open for the night shift workers...no "real" food. You can get coffee and donuts and once in awhile a cup of soup at a premium cost...in fact, a cup of soup and a medium coffee costs almost $6.

I bring in cans of soup for myself - I normally have a locker full. I also like to have some extras because we get many homeless, hungry patients that haven't been fed...they all appreciate a bowl of soup. I also stock the kitchen with coffee and creamer for the night shift nurses. We pool together the money from bottle returns (10 cents a bottle in Michigan) and buy condiments for the kitchen. Once a month or on special occasions, we potluck, and about once a year, certain practices will cater food in for us. We are a pulmonary floor and work very closely with one practice in particular...their PA will buy us pizza and get reimbursed later.

I'd be happy if they gave us more food options to *purchase*, but I'd give my right pinky finger for free catered food every night.