To dislike lunchtime learning

[MaMaD1990]

It's a thing at my workplace - a topic is chosen and every week there are a few sessions of 'lunchtime learning' to discuss said topic. Calendar and emails sent pretty much every frikkin day to remind us to attend. The aim is to hone our critical thinking skills - fabulous. But AIBU to want them to stop harping on about us attending when all I want to do is give my brain a break for 30mins at lunch? It's as though you're seen as a bad employee for not attending. Its also no mandatory (apparently...). Why can I not just go to work, do my job and then come home? Ahhh life.

I suppose it depends what sort of profession.

I appreciate that it's better to have proper breaks but where I am (healthcare) you have to fit in learning where you can.

Are the topics at least interesting? Is it saving you from study you'd have to do in the evening otherwise? That would make it worthwhile for me.

Omg the lunch and learn - fuck that shit

Depends- if its necessary for your job YABU. I work in a field where I am a member of a professional body and CPD is important. Yes it would be nice to give my brain a break, but my brain and the knowledge of my sector is literally my money maker...so I have to fit it in

It is of course mitigated if the speaker provides lunch, and im talking m&s lunch none of yer co op shite.

Totally get your point and if it amounted to CPD points you needed for you profession, its a wonderful opportunity. I'm not in a profession (or role) that needs this - other colleagues of the same level as me find it equally irritating. The topics, to us, aren't interesting and are waaaay above our pay grade, it would all be gobbledygook to me if I'm honest. I think it's the views from 'above' that get on my nerves - I'm good at my job and love what I do, but I don't want to pour my entire life into it, but that's looked down on for some reason.

This is one of my bug bears. If I don’t get a decent break for lunch I am very unproductive in the afternoon

Hahaha ohh I'd be there with bells on for an M&S lunch!!

This is rubbish. Lunch is your time to decompress. It’s your time full stop. It’s one thing for a profession to expect studying and learning to be done outside of working hours, but that should be something you fit in at a time that works for you. Not during your break in the day.

It’s even worse if you’re in a profession where you’re helping others, it can be very dangerous working while tired and regular breaks are important. If it isn’t mandatory I wouldn’t do it personally.

Every week is a bit much. When we were still in the office we used to have these every month or six weeks or so and I quite enjoyed them. But I’m nosey and liked hearing about what different parts of the organisation were doing even if it wasn’t directly relevant to my job.

I dont like these, and that even extends to meetings over lunch, even where lunch is provided. I think you need a bit of a break to recharge during the day.
Maybe start declining them or very politely suggest they happen AFTER you’ve had your break?

Depends whether you're expected to sit at your desk for particular hours or left to get on with your workload as you see fit. If the former you are definitely NBU.

Sorry I should've said in my OP, I don't go to them at all, explained my reasons for declining but did say if one popped up that I was particularly interested in or could offer decent input, I would go.

Its all about participation so its a sit there, listen, feed back, discuss etc.

I hate them....they should be optional but also just at a decent time like 11-12 or 1-2 I don’t get paid for my lunch break 😡

It's not mandatory, and you say yourself you don't want to pour your life in your job. Just don't attend!

I'd schedule other things at that time and would attend one every 6 months to show my face if I felt it did not benefit me. But you can't really blame a company to try to do something, especially at the moment.

I completely agree! I wouldn't want them to remove them completely, that would be ridiculous. I suppose its the constant reminder emails to attend something that is meant to be mandatory and, as I said before, views from above, its just irritating.

It depends who sends the reminders too.

If it's your boss, it's annoying. It's it Casper the office manager who is too keen, it's just someone being a bit useless.

Yep hate them. In my old job they were morally mandatory and usually formed part of the organisers CPD targets for that year.

Do you get paid for them? I don't get paid lunch breaks so I'm not going to do work stuff during them. I need a break.

This sounds really unhealthy. Why aren’t they allocating this to working hours rather then your lunch break

If it is required for your job it should be in work time.

This isn't and you admit it isn't mandatory so I am not sure what the problem is really? You are getting emails that aren't relevant to you so just delete? No need to feel guilty about it. You just aren't interested, I wouldn't worry about it.

@LEMtheoriginal

Omg the lunch and learn - fuck that shit

My exact reaction as I read op

That's really annoying, companies are obligated to give break's so I don't think they should be doing this. They have said it is voluntary, but will you be disadvantaged within the company if you don't attend?

If it is something important for your role, surely they should be training you in work time?

Maybe if it is a zoom call setup you could just log in, and not listen?

Do you get paid for your lunch break? You are legally entitled to breaks but it will depend on the job/contract I assume as to whether they are paid. I made a point of leaving the building at lunch time. What I did in that hour of non payment was none of their beeswax.

@Walesrecommendations

Yep hate them. In my old job they were morally mandatory and usually formed part of the organisers CPD targets for that year.

Morally mandatory, think I might much that term.

There are a lot of things in a company that theoretically aren't compulsory, such as irrelevant training or attending out of hours company social events.

Yet they are effectively mandatory if you actually want to go anywhere in the company or possibly not get fired.

These things are mostly pointless, it really annoys me!!