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Never heard of such a thing. Then again, I work in the public sector. We pay for our own holiday parties. I understand that some of you get them for free. They certainly wouldn't buy us lunch, lol.
Never heard of such a thing. Then again, I work in the public sector. We pay for our own holiday parties. I understand that some of you get them for free. They certainly wouldn't buy us lunch, lol.
dont worry, the private sector pays your meals upon retirement
Alot of the private sector isn't much better. Been with this company for over a decade.
We used to get holiday turkeys, and were allowed to leave around 2PM on the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas. The turkeys became vouchers for turkeys. That stopped.
At the same time, 2PM dismissal became 3PM and of course it went to 4PM. Now we just sit and remember the "good ol' days" as we wait for the clock to strike 5!
But, at least it's a job and the paychecks are on time...
Alot more fun and variety if all were involved in a food day where everyone if they choose can bring their favorite dessert,casserole,salad whatever. Seems alot of what could be considered profit to a company is going for food and not appropriate. Like whats next for the group?
In San Francisco, I worked for a place that had catered lunches offered up buffet-style a couple times a week. There were a couple caterers they liked using, but they'd also rotate in platters from various other places like Panera (soup, sandwiches, and salad) or a Chinese place. It was nice because at least they would have 2-3 different things to eat and tried really hard to ensure that there was a choice of meats / meat-free, and even dairy-free.
In Austin, TX I have seen a few places that offer free lunch every day. The choices are not very good, though, and I just bring my lunch because I've been on a pretty restrictive diet anyway.
Honestly...
Like others have mentioned...
I'd rather just get a raise. Sometimes the "perks" just really aren't. I remember at one of the employers, they actually had a print-out they gave us showing the "value" of all the benefits we received and calculated it into my estimated pay. I thought that was kind of a cheap thing to do to be honest. Oh hey, we are putting up a bag of poop for you as a benefit. We estimate this is a $100/month value of fertilizer for you to use for your fabulous garden. Look how well-paid you are. >_>
But to answer the OP's actual question, it's not entirely unheard of in some areas / work environments.
Forget that. You got money to pass around bagels, you got money to give me a raise.
I would rather just have the free bagel than a $1/day raise. $1/day would have no impact on my life. To each their own.
My last employer has a free cafeteria that was open 24/7. My current employer has a free cafeteria that is open only during work hours. It's nice to have fresh organic food prepared for you so you don't have to waste your time making it or getting it.
I would rather just have the free bagel than a $1/day raise. $1/day would have no impact on my life. To each their own.
My last employer has a free cafeteria that was open 24/7. My current employer has a free cafeteria that is open only during work hours. It's nice to have fresh organic food prepared for you so you don't have to waste your time making it or getting it.
I find the whole business culture of "what can I do besides paying more to keep good employees" insulting.
I can, and prefer to prepare my own meals. I wish employers would quit treating employees like grown children.
I find the whole business culture of "what can I do besides paying more to keep good employees" insulting.
I can, and prefer to prepare my own meals. I wish employers would quit treating employees like grown children.
Not everyone is obsessed with money. A lot of people value time. Perks like free meals, free dry cleaning, free health insurance, onsite gyms and spas etc. save time and money. It gives them more time to spend with their family and doing the things they love.
Some people just value money above everything else. These employers are not catering to those people. They also understand that $1/day isn't going to impact the bottom line for most people. For you it might, but that's a good sign that your not the right match for these specific companies. That's fine as there's opportunities out there for everyone. Just have to find the right fit.
These little types of perks used to be common for the ages in many places. I've been in the work force for well over 20 years. It's the little things like this that employees enjoy, and gets them motivated. Unfortunately, these little perks are almost unheard of today with most employers.
When I worked in the private sector 15-20 years ago, the bosses took us out to lunch a couple of times per month and often brought in soft drinks, bagels, donuts, etc. It wasn't anything scheduled, unless it was a staff meeting. I think it's a very nice perk. Raises morale and lets employees get to know each other and the bosses more easily. I really liked working there, and not just for the free lunches; we were treated very well overall.
Those saying they'd rather have a raise: Getting your lunch free on Wednesdays probably costs the company an average of ten bucks per employee. Ten dollars per week is not going to be a raise that anyone is going to be happy with; paying for sandwiches or salads or Chinese food makes more of an immediate impact and makes the employees happier than a whopping $10 extra in the paycheck will.
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