If you have a dietary need, does your employer remember?

[puddingisgood]

Sorry for long thread title!
I work in a place where there are around 100 members of staff. We recently had celebration drinks & nibbles, cakes etc in the staff canteen at lunchtime.Think end of a big project etc.
I have a dietary condition, which my manager, plus the level above them and 3 senior managers have all been told about. Would your employer ensure there was at least a packet of biscuits, crackers or cake that was suitable for you? Just a basic supermarket 'Free from' product, nothing elaborate.

no.
but wirk policy is that any event is catered with vegan food and gluten free items are set up at a separate table to avoid cross contamination.

I don’t remember everyone’s individual needs. I have about 50 people work for me.

However, the persons whose role it to organise these things always makes sure there’s vegan/ gluten free options. People are asked to fill in a form with their dietary requirements, email it to her and she logs them on a database.

She has a little footer on her email to remind people that, while she tries to ensure everyone is catered for, they need to make sure they have filled in the form and emailed it to her. That’s their responsibility.

So I suppose I don’t need to remember. As she has it all in hand.

No. It’s not their responsibility as they never ever provide food. We bring our own food so l would bring something suitable for me

My actual employer no, but the organiser of such events usually includes a line about letting caterers know of any dietary requirements.

In that sort of occasion, no, they wouldn't have catered for me. A formal catered thing, depending on the office I might get something but it would depend on the admin organising the catering as to whether they are just ordering sandwiches/ pizza or if there are options

No.

My department, yes but we mostly all have weird needs -vegan, veggie, gluten free, egg free, various allergies etc.

Whole company events are mostly bring your own coffee so wouldn't be catered anyway

No but most of the events they send out a dietary requirements request so I say gf.

Am sorry but like pp I don't think it's something they would actually remember?

I'd remember about the colleagues with deadly airborne asphyxiation allergies, but no way can I remember who's on a vegan month or a gluten free etc

No

No. It's on you to inform the organiser of dietary requirements.

Thanks for your opinions. I never assume that there will be food for me, and I did have my lunch with me. This was a celebration of all our hard work, open to all staff, and I found it a bit upsetting to sit there and watch my colleagues tuck into cakes etc knowing there wasn't even a biscuit for me to have with my cuppa! But I will unclench now knowing that lots of other places would be the same.
Great to know that some places are more considerate & organised

Are you coeliac? Did you tell organiser?

Nope, in fact for my retirement luncheon management planned to have it catered by a company they loved, but that did NOT cater to dietary needs. When I pointed out that I wouldn't be able to eat anything at my own luncheon, they shrugged. Didn't see a problem, said I could bring my own food. This was their attitude towards any office function, I (and another worker with lactose intolerance were told 'bring your own and once 'why do you make things so difficult) I told them to cancel the luncheon as I would not attend and I would let the rest of the staff know exactly why. It was grudgingly cancelled. A small group of coworkers took me out for dinner after my last day to a wonderful restaurant with loads of GF options. God bless them. Management was NOT invited except for my immediate supervisor who always made sure I had a 'treat' when others were eating, even if it was a Snickers bar or a store bought GF cookie.

No. It's quite hard to cater for dietary needs and preferences for a large group and I wouldn't expect my employer to do this.

We check and re-check dietary requirements and allergies on every occasion we serve food.

Couldn't rely on memory for this.

No. We have one buffet a year and I don't even try to get people to bring anything veggie and gluten free.
I always have my own food.

Yes but our team is only 12 people and my boss is gluten free so it's on her radar. We have two vegans and also someone who is gluten and dairy free. I think in a bigger team it would be harder.

Catering policy at my office requires questionnaires to be sent out r.e. dietary requirements. So your situation wouldn't have happened.
However, If I were you I'd have made sure to email the organiser directly. I don't expect senior managers or line managers to be doing this for their employees. Fair enough if you asked who to email, and were told to escalate like this. But if they knew socially it's still not their responsibility to remember and tell the organiser on your behalf .
Personally I ask for dietary requirements - for all organised team events (even if it's just 5 people) but I think it's a bit much to expect people to 'remember'. If someone just brought a bit of homemade cake in for instance, or we get treats from an external vendor it's just tough luck if you can't eat it. It's not meant for 'the team' people are just bringing in whatever they want ifyswim.

Whilst I dont feel an employer should automatically know the dietary needs of every employee, I personally feel they should have some sort of built in knowledge, that out of 100, 6 people would be secluded ( 6 or 4 or 20, dont matter, what matters is they were excluded )

However if this was a planned advent, I do feel that you should have spoken up and said what you needed to be available

Where I work we have those that are dairy free or lactose intolerant or coeliac so there is always something available, however I work in the catering industry so more au fait Last job and it was more of here it is, take or leave

I would be upset too op. At our place they always cater for different dietary restrictions and requirements, including any free from or kosher. That is the first question asked when a team meal is being planned. Tbh I would have mentioned it to them. They should know they didn't get it right and be more inclusive next time.

Congratulations!

Thanks GrumpySock

We weren't told in advance that there were to be treats provided, just an email on the morning of. So letting them know in advance wasn't really an option. But thanks everyone, I will bear your replies in mind for the future.

You really expect a manager to know and cater for your dietary requirements at an ad-hoc, inormal event...?
That is entitled beyond belief

I organise events in work that sometimes include catering.

I would always include vegetarian/vegan options and ask if people have other dietary requirements.

I wouldn’t automatically add on other options unless people reply to let me know, even if I remember X person usually asks for xyz, they might not be around that day and the food would potentially be wasted.

You need to speak up and put in a dietary request, you can’t expect everyone to remember.

The email the morning of was your opportunity to flag this, just drop them an email back next time.