To object to no kitchen facilities at work?

[PeachyL]

I've just started a new job and there are no kitchen facilities whatsoever. So, we can't make tea/ coffee on our break or heat any food.

Is this legal?

There are many shops nearby where we can buy coffee/ hot food, but I can't afford this every day.

I'm not sure. Is it the type of job in which kitchen facilities would reasonably be expected? I mean if you're in a call centre yanbu but if you're laying down tarmac then I guess yabu.

Thanks for the reply. It's in a shop.

Legally I think you have to have access to drinking water and toilet facilities.

You could take a flask of coffee and a sandwich, and leave them in a car to keep cool.. That should suffice until spring. After that, a cool box for your sandwich.?

Then if it's in a shop that does sound weird but I'm not sure where they stand legally. AFAIK you have to have toilet facilities. Is there not even something akin to a break room in which a kettle could be propped somewhere?

Yes it’s legal as long as you have access to toilets and hand washing facilities.

do you need hot drinks and food during the time your at work? I’d just bring in a flask of tea/coffee for the morning and a cold packed lunch.

In the UK I think they have to legally provide facilities for a hot drink and hot food ( kettle and microwave).

Our office fridge died recently and work refused to replace it, telling us it wasn't required. So 35 of us share a kettle and a microwave in a 1m square kitchen. We've snuck in a toaster though and bought our own fridge.

I've been working 40+ years and don't think i have ever worked somewhere without the very least having brewing up facilities.
Not really sure on the legalities.
I would bring a flask and sandwiches

It sounds like they are not doing anything wrong according to this. They just need to provide you with somewhere to eat food, not necessarily somewhere to make food -

Workers must have access to:

toilets and hand basins, with soap and towels or a hand-dryer
drinking water
a place to store clothing (and somewhere to change if special clothing is worn for work)
somewhere to rest and eat meals

https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/workplace-facilities/welfare.htm

First answer on google: www.guardiansupport.co.uk/blog/are-employees-entitled-to-kitchen-in-the-workplace/

I also work in a shop and we have a kettle, microwave and fridge. Toaster isn't allowed.

Second answer: www.mytipsandadvice.co.uk/2016-09/are-employees-legally-entitled-to-a-staff-kitchen-UKTAPSAR_EU18170601

There is no legal requirement to provide kitchen facilities - just drinking water and toilets

Says who!?

It says this

"The only electrical equipment you may need to provide by law is a means of heating food, such as a microwave. However, this is only necessary if hot food can’t be obtained in, or reasonably near to, your premises, e.g. within a 15 minute walk."

"May need to provide" is vague. And does "obtained" equate to "bought?"

What kind of shop is it @PeachyL ? Does the owner want customers smelling hot food after you’ve eaten in your break?

the HSE info a PP provided tells you everything. If you have somewhere to eat meals, bring in some cold food and eat it.

It's one of those "kiosk" type places that you get in the middle of shopping centres (it's pretty big though, not one of the tiny ones.)

There's no separate area or break room apart from the public benches and cafe seating areas.

Never mind a flask, surely there's a corner/table where a kettle could be put? There must be a water supply? So if you've got room for a kettle and some mugs and you can fill the kettle and there's somewhere to keep teabags and coffee all you need is a small fridge for the milk (you can get tabletop fridges for under £100-ish). So a brew can then be made anytime.
Microwave to warm up food might be trickier because as someone mentioned the smell of food might be an issue.

Take your own food? I have flasks for hot food and contigo flasks for tea. Both stay hot around 5 hours. In the summer ice packs and a decent lunch bag for sandwiches etc.

I work somewhere where there is a kitchen but rarely enough time to actually stop and make anything.

pret subscription for drinks?

Is it classed as a shop, i cant think there is room for a restroom in a kiosk.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

The only water supply is in the public bathrooms in the shopping centre.

I'm not really sure. I thought there would be some kind of staff room in the actual centre. But there isn't (we're the only kiosk style venue there - everything else is a permanent shop and I presume they have their own staff rooms and facilities.)

Kiosks are exempt from the minimum space required by law.

I would imagine each store has its own facilities but there might be staff facilities in the centre that security and admin staff use like toilets and rest rooms, maybe ask them what they do. In a kiosk I would take a flask or go to a shop, do you get store discounts.

Flask or chilly type bottle for coffee
Bottle of water

What else could you need?