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Original poster

Is this normal - bring & make at work

103 replies

Ceci03 · 22/12/2023 00:29

So yesterday at work an event was Organised - just for our office. I'd say about 30 people altogether. Everyone was asked to bring in some food some savoury some sweet. I had the idea we were to make something but bought some dips and breadsticks in the end. Anyway it was to start at 1 and run til 230. At about 1230 the 2 girls from reception started laying out all the food on a table in the corner of the office. Pretty large open plan office. Everyone was sat at their computers. Eventually around 110 my colleague beside me said he was going up to get some food. A little queue formed. I wandered over to a girl I'm friendly with and said shall we get some food but she said she was busy. So I went up by myself and got a few bits on my plate. I hovered round my friends desk but she was still
Busy so I went back to my desk. Everyone did that. Got their food and went back to their desks and continued working on their computers. It just felt really weird . I thought we would chat and pull some chairs over . But no. I thought it a bit miserable. And my 2 managers worked from home. After saying we all had to come in for this event. Am raging and trying not to be.

OP posts:
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Allyliz · 01/01/2024 11:07

At least you only brought dips I would have felt worse if I'd spent ages cooking something. To be honest it doesn't sound too bad to me...we have to stay after work at my job and bring in the food and the senior team stay home. Its just a little bit of wind down before Christmas 🎄

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 31/12/2023 18:00

Prinnny · 31/12/2023 11:17

Welcome to the world of front line NHS 🤣 we eat when we can. Some days we can get our full 30mins per 12hr shift allowance but depending on what comes through the door that might not be until 5pm and you’ve been on shift since 730am! We just have to roll with it, powered by picking on bits as we go!

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Well, you didn't say you were frontline NHS, obviously that is different. However, I don't think OP is in the same situation.

Prinnny · 31/12/2023 11:17

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 30/12/2023 23:32

Seriously? Don't you even have a lunch break? I've worked in one place where the lunch break was half an hour, everywhere else it was an hour, plus morning and afternoon tea breaks.

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Welcome to the world of front line NHS 🤣 we eat when we can. Some days we can get our full 30mins per 12hr shift allowance but depending on what comes through the door that might not be until 5pm and you’ve been on shift since 730am! We just have to roll with it, powered by picking on bits as we go!

christmaspawpaws · 31/12/2023 10:04

@ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming good point - we don't have overlap so I didn't think of that!

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 31/12/2023 03:29

christmaspawpaws · 31/12/2023 00:24

@ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming it might be like where I work - lunches are staggered so while we get them, we never have one together. My lunch might be at 11.15 or 2pm
So it's not a stop and eat together type thing

Lots of places have staggered lunch hours - those on lunch at the same time eat together surely?

christmaspawpaws · 31/12/2023 00:24

@ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming it might be like where I work - lunches are staggered so while we get them, we never have one together. My lunch might be at 11.15 or 2pm
So it's not a stop and eat together type thing

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 30/12/2023 23:32

Prinnny · 30/12/2023 16:44

I don’t think it’s that weird but again I don’t work in an environment where we can down tools and stop for an hour 🤣

Over the festive period we’ll often all bring buffet food in, set a table up and pick as we go!

Seriously? Don't you even have a lunch break? I've worked in one place where the lunch break was half an hour, everywhere else it was an hour, plus morning and afternoon tea breaks.

Catxxxxxxxxxx · 30/12/2023 21:42

Yeah it sounds boring. But if youre raging over that think you need to seek some help

Josienpaul · 30/12/2023 21:04

We do this but have our lunch break together, well we did, and then everyone started having different times so we did it straight after work instead. It did mean lots didn’t stay but that’s up to them, it wasn’t compulsory and the ones that stayed had a lovely time.

BadLad · 30/12/2023 20:27

SmugglersHaunt · 29/12/2023 23:13

You just described my worst fear: homemade food that’s been brought to a second location.

I’m afraid I would projectile vomit if I worked where you do. Someone encouraged everyone to do a ‘bake off’ contest at work and I almost had to go into hiding.

I enjoyed watching you in Little Britain.

gothicomedy · 30/12/2023 20:17

JFDIYOLO · 30/12/2023 09:27

If that's the worst thing that happened to you last week then you're pretty lucky. But I think being in a rage about it suggests you might need some anger management work.

Oh behave and stop with the passive aggressive nonsense.

OP has already explained that in Ireland we use the term 'raging' to mean irritated and annoyed. I was 'raging' the bus was 20 minutes late etc.

It sounds like a rubbish affair OP and I wouldn't bother coming in for it next year.

TrinityTinselToes · 30/12/2023 19:41

Doesn't sound great but not worth raging about

Toomanymincepiestoday · 30/12/2023 18:49

Everyone saying she’s mad to be raging - if it was an office day for her then a bit disappointed or a bit meh what’s the point is a reasonable reaction but if she’d usually have been wfh that day I think raging is fair enough - travelling time / cost , getting your face on etc when the managers requested ir but didn’t turn up and there was nothing social about it . I do not miss my office days !

Prinnny · 30/12/2023 16:44

I don’t think it’s that weird but again I don’t work in an environment where we can down tools and stop for an hour 🤣

Over the festive period we’ll often all bring buffet food in, set a table up and pick as we go!

SmugglersHaunt · 30/12/2023 12:26

Same to you!

hangingonfordearlife1 · 30/12/2023 10:54

As a manager i find it pretty poor behaviour for management not to attend an event if based in the office. They should’ve been there to lead it.

Heyhoherewegoagain · 30/12/2023 10:39

Grimpo · 30/12/2023 08:24

For one event just before Christmas, when people have specifically been asked to come in and bring food? I don't think I've ever worked somewhere that couldn't stop for something like a Christmas lunch

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Ummmm an emergency service control room can’t just stop, we LOVE a buffet and just eat at our desks. I work with some fantastic feeders 😂

LindorDoubleChoc · 30/12/2023 10:08

SmugglersHaunt · 29/12/2023 23:13

You just described my worst fear: homemade food that’s been brought to a second location.

I’m afraid I would projectile vomit if I worked where you do. Someone encouraged everyone to do a ‘bake off’ contest at work and I almost had to go into hiding.

FFS Hmm

christmaspawpaws · 30/12/2023 09:47

We have these quite often but because our lunches are staggered we don't eat together so people dip in and out and just take something when they're on their break or lunch

RockandRollers · 30/12/2023 09:31

I work for major supermarket chain, we are lucky to get one opened tin of sweets between 80 of us, we work on dot.com where every single second is timed, so we have to try and grab one quick as we past, God forbid we stop to try and take wrapper off.

TerfTalking · 30/12/2023 09:28

We used to do this when I worked in a call centre in 1986! completely normal IMO. DD works for the NHS, same for her 2023.

You set up your table, people dib in and out during a normal working day. End of the day, lots of food left on the table which some poor sod has to clear up and dispose of.

JFDIYOLO · 30/12/2023 09:27

If that's the worst thing that happened to you last week then you're pretty lucky. But I think being in a rage about it suggests you might need some anger management work.

RLouiseH · 30/12/2023 09:25

I agree, this is weird! The managers told you all you had to come in for this event, but then didn’t show up themselves? That’s really poor from them, they should’ve come and encouraged everyone to step away from their desks for a bit. I appreciate you may have the kind of job where work is continuous and people can’t all take breaks together, but if that’s the case, then why bother with the buffet in the first place? Saying that, I suppose it’s a nice gesture like “at least you can eat some nice food whilst you work!” but I do think the whole thing does sound a bit of a shame, it was something you were looking forward too and it just fell flat. I probably wouldn’t be “raging” over it though, more just a “bit miffed”! At least you only took breadsticks and dips and didn’t go to loads of effort to make something!

Grimpo · 30/12/2023 08:24

margotrose · 22/12/2023 09:02

It sounds normal to me - most workplaces can't just stop for hours while people eat a buffet and chat Grin

For one event just before Christmas, when people have specifically been asked to come in and bring food? I don't think I've ever worked somewhere that couldn't stop for something like a Christmas lunch

ImCamembertTheBigCheese · 30/12/2023 07:38

I'd be very annoyed I was made to come into the office for 'organised fun' but the managers WFH.