Bringing baked goods into work

I’m slightly biased because in my last office there was more than one person who brought in tray names every six weeks.

And there was a culture of anyone who had a birthday / promotion / wedding / new house buying M&S tubs at lunchtime. It really was endless. I think if it’s one employee, bringing in home bakes, 7 or 8 times a year, then that’s maybe ok.

But for some people the struggle to regulate their consumption of calories is very real.

it’s normally demolished by Wednesday.

is that like an oxymoron ?

I'd say you need to bring in smaller cakes if some people want them/some dont or be willing to throw them out after a day - I wouldnt want somebodys weekly baking hobby to be available most the week/every week

But a cake turning up ever so often/a Monday lunch treat would be amazing

Ignore them, OP. Being on a permanent diet doesn't give you the right to stop a pleasant thing happening for others.

Of course there is a big difference between people eating their own food and it being offered to others as a social thing.

Bake sales during Ramadan…. I’m sure it won’t be long before they are banned.

It's actually pretty patronising of Torrington Dean to assume that Muslim colleagues want or expect special treatment the way she seems to think they do.

Stop making things up. You're projecting your own issues. Not actual reality.

Someone who is fasting for Ramadan isn't going to be tempted by a slice of cake, and if the cake is only brought in once every few weeks, it might not even happed during Ramadan anyway. During the most recent years that I worked in an office, several colleagues observed Ramadan and they didn't expect anyone else to avoid eating their usual lunch or snacks so as not to tempt them! My daughter and son in law are Muslim and have recently moved in with us, and they would never expect us to change our eating habits because they are observing Ramadan, any more than I would expect them not to get up in the middle of the night to eat before dawn starts to break.

@Twoshoesnewshoes how the hell is the NHS pushing cake to people? Don’t you read your own advice?

Of course we have. And good luck if you think bringing a plate of cakes in during Ramadan or Lent constitutes bullying. It absolutely does not.

During Ramadan this year we have had 2 very successful charity bakes. No one was forced to eat anything. Oh and btw, I'm a partner in a law firm. One of the partners in the Employment law unit is a practising Muslim.

I work for NHSE so I doubt we’d get away with the heroin, but we’re all about the cake.
if someone bought in a dog on heroin who’d made a cake - I don’t know. It’s a tricky one.

@IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle I’m sure there is a lot of social pressure to consume the cake and people who don’t want it are branded “joyless”! As I said, I love cake, but I have learned that only joyless food suits me. Must be hellish for the diabetics seeing that food sitting around looking tasty.

This discussion is absolutely in no way at all comparable with work place smoking. There was no control over where smoke went- hence passive smoking.

No one is being forced to take a slice of cake. Cake doesn't emit clouds of calories and carbohydrates.

@Fizbosshoes dogs are a definite no-no. They are intimidating. Maybe your neighbouring office is the place serving up heroin?! Two wrongs don’t make a right though.

@IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle I take it you have no anti-bullying training in your workplace. If you did you would have learned to respect others’ beliefs and take them into account.

I'm not convinced dogs belong in the workplace but the person in the workspace next to ours brings theirs in, every day - not just every 6 weeks. It barks every time someone comes to the door, (which is often) it occassionally wees or shits on the floor and is way more annoying than a cake minding it's own business, on a plate, in the corner!

If anyone chooses to fast for religious reasons, that's up to them. If their faith is so weak they are "tempted" by a slice of homemade cake, that's their problem.

Actually, I wouldn’t find heroin tempting as I’ve never taken it and can see for myself the devastating effects. Cake, on the other hand, is highly tempting and addictive because we all know what it’s like.

And what about if you have colleagues who are fasting for Ramadan or giving up cake for Lent? Is it fine to tempt them too and then just tut-tut about lack of willpower? Cake belongs in the home not the workplace! Having tempting foods around does, of course , make them more likely to give in to hunger hormones and eat it. Isn’t that why the OP is bringing it in?

Who knew cake could be so contentious??? It's cake, not heroin! It's once every six weeks, not every week....and as for the pp saying it's work, not a tea party, do you realise how utterly joyless that makes you sound?

The comparison about passive smoking doesn't really work, because if smoke is present you can't choose whether to breathe it in or not. (Aka passive)
If someone brings in cake, you can actively choose have it...or not...

I imagine the situation is someone brings in cake, and leaves it on a plate for people to help themselves, rather than insisting each person has some and forcing them to eat it?

But you made up your own narrative of what's happening... it's not constant!

@Sonyaleg That’s quite a patronising response too. I’m happy enough, thanks. Are you?

I have struggled with my weight all my life and have worked very hard to try to control it. Personally, it wouldn’t bring me joy to have cakes brought in and to face the expectation I would eat some. I mean, I love cake, but I am trying my hardest not to eat it.

This discussion is a bit like the old ones about passive smoking. I’m sure allowing smoking in the workplace made the smokers happy. It just wasn’t so good for those who breathed in their fumes and got cancer.

Whether or not to eat cake should be a private decision. But once it’s in the office and being offered round, no doubt it is seen as rude or “sad” to refuse.

The focus on UPFs is the latest fad. From real, lived experience I’d say cake is undoubtedly not a healthy thing to eat, be it homemade or shop bought. Fine if you want to indulge occasionally but don’t force it on others.

It's every six weeks and not constant.

I think they're just put on a table, not under the women's noses.

Judging by some on here the OP is likely using out of date ingredients for her every six week (8 times a year) cake making so it won't be costing too much.

I feel really sad reading that. I feel like you might be really unhappy. I hope not.

Those women were really inappropriate and gaslit the OP into thinking she was breaking rules. If you don’t want cake, don’t eat it. As you say we are tempted by unhealthy food choices all the time, are you saying we should stop selling them in shops too.

From an organisation perspective, happy workers are productive workers and those little bonding moments over a quick piece of cake once every few weeks can give a bit of joy, people can feel nurtured and the OP feel good about doing something kind.

In terms of the problem with carrying excess weight in this country it’s the manufacturers and marketers of UPF foods and drinks and the Government that doesn’t care enough to legislate that you should direct your energy at.