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.

[Mintyy]

I think we're talking at crossed purposes here db. But I'm definitely not complaining. I'm just saying its a bit shit.

[Mintyy]

If its of any interest at all, this was not public sector anything.

[Whatdoiknowanyway]

I once went to a meeting in California. Arranged my flight, hotel, hire car, parked, schlepped across the company HQ site where 30,000 people worked, followed directions to a meeting room and joined them just as they were about to break for lunch. 'Oh,hello Whatdoi, er, I think we ordered a spare sandwich bag for you... Is there one?...'
I was an outside contractor too.

[littledrummergirl]

2pm is still lunch time, eat lunch after the meeting.
I always think its rude to be working and chewing on something, it doesnt feel right to me. I like to enjoy my meals and take my time concentrating on the food. It seems a waste to be thinking of something else.
Yabu

[DamnBamboo]

Possibly, but I honestly wouldn't expect a lunch to be served unless I had been notified that it was a working lunch.
7 hours without food is a long-time, it's true. But as a one-off which this would have been, it's no biggie.

[JohnnyBarthes]

10-2 is fine, but yes if you've left at hell AM to get to the meeting, it's a long time to not eat. Also my stomach rumbles REALLY loudly at inopportune moments, so I grab a massive bacon roll or something which I stuff in my face on the street (trying not to get HP sauce down me) en route. Classy

[beals692]

I'm in the public sector - We definitely wouldn't get lunch provided but I think that there should be a break and the opportunity to go and buy something (or it should be made clear in the invite to bring your own lunch if there are no lunch facilities nearby). People work/think less well if they're hungry and some people need to eat at regular intervals due to medical conditions.

In my previous (also public sector) job we used to have lunchtime meetings which were always advertised as an opportunity to learn/have discussions etc over sandwiches and snacks but, of course, they didn't provide any food so it was just everyone eating their own sandwiches in a meeting - Essentially it was a 'you're not getting a lunchbreak' meeting but dressed up to sound appealing by referring to the food you'd brought yourself

[stealthsquiggle]

That would be normal for us unless meeting was with customers - might possibly schedule a break for everyone to go and grab lunch from the canteen and bring it back, but we can't order food for internal meetings (and a meeting with a contractor would count as internal).

... not public sector.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Bamboo you are being quite fierce. Did you host a meeting today that ran over lunch and you didn't feed people?



WhatdoIknow surely that is what videoconference, or just a plain old telephone dial-in was invented for? To avoid going half way around the world only to find you have no lunch?

[trappedinsuburbia]

I think its all cutbacks now, we used to be provided lunch on training and meeting days then we were informed that we had to provide our own.
The last 'thing' we were at, we were excitedly informed that lunch would be provided and the management were trying to give us doggy bags to take away it was such a rare occurance.
Yanbu but I think its just the way things are now.

[DamnBamboo]

Ha! No, no meeting hosting for me today thank god.
If I did though, there'd have been no grub.

I now really want a bacon roll with brown sauce

[RedSoloCup]

We often have courses 9.30am - 2.30pm with no lunch, no break, I'm always starving. I always bring my own as I know they don't provide lunch but no-one stops to eat and I'd feel like a pillock being the only one!!
I'm always grateful when there are smokers as they ask for a break and I can eat something!!

[ICanSeeTheSun]

Providing lunch is a nightmare, allergies and dietary choices are very common.

You provide a range of sandwiches for example, there could be someone who can't have gluten, perhaps a vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, egg allergy.

So providing a simple sandwich is not that simple.

[Whatdoiknowanyway]

Alibaba - actually that was before the recession. Once the financial difficulties hit my customers were much more amenable to videoconferencing. I perfected the art of submitting a just a bit ridiculously high quote for presenting in person and then graciously acceding to their suggestion that I present online instead. Made much more sense, particularly in the ten day period when I had presentations to make in Malaysia, the Philippines, New Zealand AND my daughter was starting university:) I know were I was happier to be!

[Whatdoiknowanyway]

Aargh
'Where' not 'were', sorry

[BackforGood]

It's probably just about expectations.
I work in the public sector, so, no, I wouldn't expect lunch provided - you are chuffed if you get a cuppa these days. I would automatically carry my sarnies with me, and get them out when I was too hungry to go on - if anyone moaned then I would point out that the times of the meeting meant it probably covered everyone's normal lunchtime, so obviously people would be eating their lunch if none were provided.
However, if the norm in the private sector, when visiting companies, is to be provided with lunch, then it would clearly appear to be more odd.

[whois]

10 until 2? Yeah either provide lunch (sandwiches, fruit, several cups of tea/coffee) or don't schedule something right over lunch!

[AlternativeMoniker53]

I think they just about get away with it with those hours, you could reasonably be expected to take lunch after 2pm. 11-3 would be more of an issue. What is the industry? In my experience the higher-ups get lunch provided and the have-nots don't.

[wobblyweebles]

I would arrange lunch for the visitor or tell them to bring their own. Basic courtesy.

[wobblyweebles]

And where I work a lot of people people arrive at 6.30-7am, so it's actually quite a lot to ask them to work through to 2pm without lunch.

[Beastofburden]

I wouldn't expect to be bought my lunch, but I would expect to be allowed to eat it, and warned if I needed to bring my own. I'd be starving by 2 pm and raiding the office chocolate machine at that rate.

[EverythingCounts]

Yep, they're not obliged to provide lunch, but it is inconsiderate if they don't say - bring your own and you can either eat in the meeting or take a short break.

As for the scorn about people not being able to last till 2, a diabetic would need to plan their eating time to manage their sugars.

[ncjustbecause]

mintty - is he in a creative/media area? I only ask because of the use of the word 'talent.' Not uncommon to have a later start to the day and therefore a 2pm lunch not that out of kilter.

[Greenandcabbagelooking]

I am the person who has to eat at regular intervals. It bugs the hell out of me that I can't skip or delay for meals, but ned to eat regularly like a toddler. If I don't eat, I faint. If I have breakfast at 7am, I need at least a decent snack by 12.30. I get very panicky about food not bring available, so always carry something.

They should have said "please bring lunch".

[PumpkinPie2013]

They should have said byo if they were not providing.

I guess it varies from place to place. I work in a College and regularly hold meetings/courses for people (both internal and external) as do many of my colleagues.

We always provide lunch if events run anytime between 12pm and 2pm. Otherwise we always have tea/coffee/juice and biscuits available. If I'm meeting an individual they are always offered a drink at least.

Honestly, I wouldn't dream of not doing or saying byo but maybe that's just us