to think you should provide lunch if you are a business hosting a meeting from 10am to 2pm?

[Mintyy]

Just that really.

What was actually offered was 1 cup of coffee.

I think it fine to go without lunch tbh.

Yes you should be offered lunch (soup and sandwich) or at the minimum a scone and fruit. I woud be starving!

Yes.

No soup due to spillage issues, but sandwiches and fruit with water/juice/tea/coffee should be the absolute minimum.

Sadly not these days! I work on the public sector and all that was knocked on the head as a result of the cuts. The meeting invitation should make it clear it's byo though.

Whether business or personal, if you are holding an event/meeting/party which covers a conventional mealtime, then at least some food should be provided.

If you're budget doesn't run to that, avoid planning meetings that go over feeding times.

They should provide you with a break for lunch, and you bring a packed one in. Not happy if meeting runs over lunch.

It's 4 hours, you need to work a minimum of 6 hours to be entitled to a break.

No they should not offer lunch unless they described it as a working lunch.
People can have a late breakfast followed by a late lunch that day if need be.

ICan a business holding a meeting is not the same as working a shift.

You would if you came to a meeting with us.

I used to work for a company who had a policy that if you had a meeting in one of the conference rooms between 12 -and 2 then they would automatically order lunch, even if itnwas just internal meeting. Naturally everyone used to book meetings to get free lunches.

Mintyy is this a meeting at your own employer, or a meeting with another business where they are hosting?

yep - another public servant here no lunch provided ever - even on 9-5 training days - and during working ours I often eat 'lunch' after 2pm

however they should mention lunch wasn't included

Did the invite/memo say lunch was provided.

I usually would get lunch for meetings at this time, however, if it wasn't provided I wouldn't notice or care, I'd just assume I was to get lunch after. 2pm Is not too late for lunch.

They might at least have warned you to bring your own! I'd never go to a meeting at that time expecting lunch, though.

This was a meeting dh was invited to today. He was definitely expected to be there. He is doing some freelance work for this company - a big job - and the meeting was to go over it.

Nah, the days of lunch meetings are well and truly over - and as a freelance, he could easily have eaten before or after.

What, whereas a non-freelancer could not have eaten before or after [confused?

I'm just talking about basic courtesy here.

Oh that is bad of them I think.

DH works freelance for a consultancy so is always trotting about here there and everywhere and they always have food in long meetings like that over lunch.

On the few occasions when the numpty who books the meeting forgets to order lunch, there is normally a hasty e-mail saying 'please grab something on the way and we will eat as we work'.

Public sector here. We usually take our own - and that includes if you're travelling a long way to attend off site. Twice, the host departments provided sandwiches and crisps - we were unreasonably thrilled by this

I have been known to take a flask

Sometimes I deliberately don't order lunch at some of my meetings as a way of bringing the meeting to a close. If I know there's a tendency to run longer than necessary it's an easy out.

If he's freelancer - then even less entitled in my view.
It's not basic courtesy at all to provide lunch and is actually pretty entitled to expect it.

Damm why do you say that?

It's as you say, just basic courtesy.
It doesn't need to be some big lavish spread, just a few butties or something.

You can't schedule a meeting over lunchtime and not at least provide a basic lunch. They wouldn't if he was a client. It's just not professional.