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.

[LookingThroughTheFog]

I'm torn on this. One the one hand, I think it's bad manners, and that being in a meeting with hungry people isn't ideal for anyone. Surely trying to avoid that situation is simply good practice.

On the other hand, I've been taking responsibility for feeding myself for some time now, and because I need to eat regularly, I make sure I eat regularly. If I have a meeting at any time from 11, I make sure I eat before hand. If a meeting is scheduled over a lunch-ish time, I usually mail and ask if they mind if I bring my lunch with me (at which point they'll say if they ordered lunch or not).

So I feel it's bad form, but I also think your husband could have been a tiny bit proactive about this.

Also, it sounds as though the meeting dragged on, and that nobody expected that. It would be odd to provide lunch for a meeting that should have been 10-12. After the 1PM mark passed, it wouldn't have been unreasonable for him to say; do you mind if we have a ten minute break? I need to get some food.

[SelectAUserName]

Public sector worker here so I wouldn't expect lunch to be provided. I'd expect to either take a late lunch at 2.00pm, or for someone - ideally the chair - to say "shall we have a quick break to grab a sandwich, come back here and crack on?"

[normalishdude]

I would expect some sort of offer, yes.

[Whitewaters]

YANBU. Some proviso for lunch should have been made - either sandwiches provided or a quick 15 minute break to go and grab something, even if they then asked 'shall we eat and continue the meeting at the same time?' or something. What about drinks/bathroom breaks? I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some sort of comfort break in 4 hours, why not make a slightly longer one where someone can at least grab a sandwich to take back in. That said, a few weeks ago if had an interview that finished at 1:00. About 12:30 someone came in and brought the interviewer lunch, they then ate it while interviewing me! I thought that was a little odd.

[tearoomtrash]

I would expect some biscuits with my coffee at the very least!

[manchestermummy]

I get up at 6 am. If I gofor eight hours with nofood my blood pressure drops and I feel faint. Having said that, i would have had a big snack before the meeting and made sure I had a stash of sweets for a boost if needed. However, to schedule a meeting over what is a fairly standard lunch timeframe with no provision of food - or even saying bring your own - is very odd.

I work in HE and we regularly have seminars from 12-2. Sandwiches and fruit are provided.

[Fusedog]

Add message | Report | Message poster cheekyfunkymonkey Mon 24-Mar-14 21:54:30
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.
*have to agree when I was fostering we were always given lunches when on a course but they went to far they were like wedding buffets now they have to cut back also the council uses to pick up the bill for peoples leaving do were as most offices have wip rounds or ask people to bring stuff in

[PlumProf]

...more of a first world problem than a third world one actually.

[simonelebonbon]

Yes, of course they should provide lunch. It would be rude not to.

In my previous life (of organising meetings) I would try to avoid meetings running over lunchtime just because it was a pain in the arse. Too many meetings are cancelled at the last minute and people not turning up (and not bothering to tell you!!!).

[RuddyDuck]

I work in the public sector, and no lunches are provided . If we have meetings over lunch time then we have to bring our own lunch. We usually have a 15 minute break but as there's nowhere to go and eat your lunch everyone sits in the meeting room feeling self conscious about their sarnies!

[Pilgit]

Should have been made clear. I once flew to Jersey for a lunch time meeting - 3 hours worth. 10 minutes from the end the clients lunch was wheeled in. We weren't offered so much as a biscuit. Thankfully it meant they finished the meeting.

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Regardless of who provides the organizers were BU for not expecting anyone to eat between 10am-2pm.
It's not the 4 hour window, it's the timeframe.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Mintyy I'm even more astonished then - I would have thought they would want to look after him. Very bizarre!

Sounds a v.exciting project though, I am of course dying to know what it is but fully accept there is no way on this earth that you will tell us

[miaowmix]

I would expect lunch too, in that instance. At my work if any lunchtime meetings are scheduled then lunch is always provided. Good manners really. I acknowledge this is a third world problem .

[MoominIsWaitingToMeetHerMiniMe]

I thought one of the perks of being talent, you can demand ask to take a lunch break? and make them pay

[BackforGood]

Those saying its fine for people to go 4 hours without eating are relying on the fact that they will have eaten at 10 to 10, just before going in the meeting, which most people wouldnt have. As a general rule, if having a 4 hr meeting over lunchtime then you need to let people know what the arrangements are.

[ananikifo]

YANBU. It's fine for individual healthy adults to go four hours without eating, or to skip meals or delay them, but it's rude to expect anyone else to do it. If you invite someone for a meeting from 10-2 then you should either provide lunch or break for it, and if there's nowhere to buy food you should warn people. I know we all love to talk about how we're too busy to eat but it impresses no one to be rude like this and the meeting would end up being less productive.

[SigningGirl]

See in that context I'm even more surprised... normally in that kind of environment, the least you would surely get would be a junior member of staff sent on a sandwich run? (What my old team did more recently - was that for internal/contractor meetings one of us would go round taking sandwich orders... and getting the cash from people to pay for them)

I guess as the "talent" though, he could have spoken up? Even for another coffee and some biscuits??

[ForalltheSaints]

I think you should avoid having a meeting going over the lunch period if at all possible. Lunch breaks are not just about eating- I do a lot of personal business such as visiting the bank in mine.

[60sname]

I have to eat at ridiculously short intervals and am always hungry to the point of feeling light-headed by midday. My concentration and thinking just go. Plus my stomach rumbles loudly. So yeah, I'd be in the meeting but wouldn't be able to contribute usefully. For some people it's not just a case of exercising some restraint.

[PlumProf]

chrome you eat at unconventional times! (So do I ) How can a business possibly cater for that? You are basically saying that you cannot have any meeting for longer than 2 or 3 hours without providing a meal in case it is over someone's idiosyncratic mealtime. That is unrealistic.

[susiedaisy]

Yanbu op. It should of at least been a working lunch where everyone brought their own and had a small break in the middle to have a 'comfort' break and a quick bit of lunch.

[PlumProf]

Delaying lunch by 1 hour is no big deal so YABU
But they should have made it clear so YANBU

Incidentally, was the meeting scheduled for 10-2pm or was it a 10am meeting that accidentally over-ran into lunch time?

[chrome100]

I eat my breakfast at 6am, my first lunch at 11, my second lunch at 3 and my tea in the evening! Would not be impressed having to wait til 2, esp as I have a 25 mile cycle to the office.