To consider a team lunch to be a meeting, not my unpaid lunch break?

[realteal]

Prompted by the ‘is it ok to arrive at work at 9am’ thread.

We have fortnightly team lunches where we all bring in a plate and eat it in the staff room. It’s not optional.

AIBU to consider this a work meeting, and not to consider it as my unpaid lunch break?

If you can’t choose to walk out and eat elsewhere then it should be paid.

It sounds like a lunch break to me. You are eating lunch and socialising. Do you resent spending time with colleagues?

I'd feel the same, but I wouldn't expect to go for my full lunch after, I'd maybe go for a quick walk to a shop or something though.

@hibbledibble

It sounds like a lunch break to me. You are eating lunch and socialising. Do you resent spending time with colleagues?

Yes, if I'm forced to.

If it compulsory it’s work.

If it's mandatory then it's work time.

Depends how senior you are. Above manager level, then stop whining and step up, below then you could probably get away with asking for an extra half hour to get personal stuff done.

I think the more important question is, do you want to work in the type of place where this sort of thing matters? Can you achieve the company's goals - and your own - without needing to account for every minute?

@hibbledibble

It sounds like a lunch break to me. You are eating lunch and socialising. Do you resent spending time with colleagues?

Yeah, a bit to be honest! They are my colleagues, not my friends…

I like my lunch break solo and need the quiet time away from it all
So I have voted YANBU
Who says it isn’t optional OP ?

Forced ‘Fun” basically

I think this very much depends one the role.

NMW you should get a break.

Salaried professional, suck it up. If one of my peers complained about that I would quite frankly laugh at them.

@hibbledibble

It sounds like a lunch break to me. You are eating lunch and socialising. Do you resent spending time with colleagues?

I would resent being told who to spend my unpaid lunch break with yes.

It can't be compulsory to have to bring food in! (I assume this is to share).

Although lunch is provided at least in any erring I've been involved in over lunch.

@Popitdontstopit

It can't be compulsory to have to bring food in! (I assume this is to share).

The team lunch isn’t optional. Everyone does bring in some kind of food, it would be a bit awkward if you didn’t.

They are my colleagues, not my friends
Exactly this. Some people can’t distinguish between the two.

If you’re not paid then it’s up to you how you spend that hour.

I'd agree with you and feel the same way, but I don't think I'd be able to explain that to my boss without sounding like someone she doesn't want on her team.

Is it just social or do you have to discuss work? If they're not paying you they can't insist you do it.

@hibbledibble

It sounds like a lunch break to me. You are eating lunch and socialising. Do you resent spending time with colleagues?

If it is a work meeting it should be paid, especially if compulsory.

But there are often three line whips for "social" events - it's even worse when they are after work.

It is controlling

I once had a similar problem. At the second meeting, I said I was now going to take my lunch break & walked out of the office.
So did some others, & the tosspot manager realised he was in the wrong.

I had a student job in a family-run London publisher in the 1980s. My job as the extremely junior person was to go and buy a selection of breads, cheeses etc which everyone then ate together at the same time round a big table. Sounds lovely in theory but even at 19 I wanted a break from those people and a chance to do some life admin (or just sit on my own in the park staring into space questioning my life choices...!), so I think an enforced lunch with your colleagues is 'work time' unless it's very much optional/once in a blue moon/celebrating someone's major life event.

Is it actually stated in your terms & conditions that you MUST attend the team lunch? I'm not sure how that can be inforced during unpaid time.