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Original poster

Is this normal - bring & make at work

103 replies

Ceci03 · 22/12/2023 00:29

So yesterday at work an event was Organised - just for our office. I'd say about 30 people altogether. Everyone was asked to bring in some food some savoury some sweet. I had the idea we were to make something but bought some dips and breadsticks in the end. Anyway it was to start at 1 and run til 230. At about 1230 the 2 girls from reception started laying out all the food on a table in the corner of the office. Pretty large open plan office. Everyone was sat at their computers. Eventually around 110 my colleague beside me said he was going up to get some food. A little queue formed. I wandered over to a girl I'm friendly with and said shall we get some food but she said she was busy. So I went up by myself and got a few bits on my plate. I hovered round my friends desk but she was still
Busy so I went back to my desk. Everyone did that. Got their food and went back to their desks and continued working on their computers. It just felt really weird . I thought we would chat and pull some chairs over . But no. I thought it a bit miserable. And my 2 managers worked from home. After saying we all had to come in for this event. Am raging and trying not to be.

OP posts:
Funderthighs · 22/12/2023 08:00

That sounds pants and a bit pointless.

SgtJuneAckland · 22/12/2023 08:03

It's not how it works at my office we put some Christmas music on everyone had a chat, but people did have to duck in and out because our line of work isn't easily paused. Our proper Christmas do was in the evening (self funded) .

I think rage is a bit much though, you didn't exactly spend the evening slaving over a hot stove, you picked up some bread sticks and dip

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 22/12/2023 08:05

Sounds pretty normal where we work.

WickDittington · 22/12/2023 08:48

Rage????

autienotnaughty · 22/12/2023 08:58

Would you have wfh if there wasn't this event. ? It sounds badly planned and managed. Management should have been there to set the tone of take a break. There should have also been a clear message to staff to book the time in your calendar. When I've worked in council offices we would use a meeting room so everyone leaves their desk.

LucyInTheParkWithDragons · 22/12/2023 09:00

That does sound miserable. I’d be a bit miffed.

margotrose · 22/12/2023 09:02

It sounds normal to me - most workplaces can't just stop for hours while people eat a buffet and chat Grin

SiliconHeaven · 22/12/2023 09:03

We used to bring food into the office for a few days before Christmas. However that was pre-Covid when we all had our own desks, sat in team groups and came in every day.
Now we WFH mostly and hot-desk when we do bother going in it would be a bit pointless.

CavalierApproach · 22/12/2023 09:03

Surely rage is a bit strong

curlycat · 22/12/2023 09:04

We do a full on buffet with slow cookers and everything. Set up long tables and all sit together and eat. Maybe only lasts an hour but it's nice to get away from your desk for a bit

hskdnek572 · 22/12/2023 09:06

We did this but like you said, sat around and chatted/ate for 40 mins before going back to work. I would think it odd but not enough to feel rage (although would be more annoyed if I had been told we had to come in but manager didn't come in).

LargestMiscarriageOfJustice · 22/12/2023 09:06

I worked in offices where this happened. It was a 'working' treat to have a buffet/fuddle on the go while we continued working.

But I agree, it's not exactly a party, so I did wonder what the point of it was. But I've always worked in places where you can't just stop working to party! So I suppose this was the next best thing.

If I could've wfh, I wouldn't have come into the office just for this type of 'event' though.

Now you know for the future!

10HailMarys · 22/12/2023 09:06

Sounds a bit disappointing, but really not something to ‘rage’ about.

Finlesswonder · 22/12/2023 09:07

Sounds sad as fuck I'm so glad to not work in an office

ClottedCreamScone · 22/12/2023 09:07

YANBU, that’s totally shit - your managers should absolutely have been there and it should have been an opportunity for a chat, or not bothered with at all.

DutchCowgirl · 22/12/2023 09:10

We had a christmas breakfast -buffet style and combined it with a speech from the manager with the highlights of the last year. Only 2 people with health issues attended online, rest of the team was in the office.

It depends on the team if people really want to socialize together. I’ve organized a christmas-lunch for a team once and nobody said a word, they’re all shy and quiet people. A lunch was just too akward for them.

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 22/12/2023 09:11

Sounds like moral is seriously low in your organisation tbh.

Zonder · 22/12/2023 09:12

So nobody actually stopped for a lunch break? Everyone just ate party food and kept working? That's a bit Scrooge.

Zonder · 22/12/2023 09:12

margotrose · 22/12/2023 09:02

It sounds normal to me - most workplaces can't just stop for hours while people eat a buffet and chat Grin

Wouldn't most places expect staff to stop working for a lunch break?

Didimum · 22/12/2023 09:16

@10HailMarys @WickDittington @CavalierApproach

I assume the ‘rage’ was because her managers made them all come in that day especially for it rather than WFH, while the managers themselves got to WFH. Who’s got time for that a few days before Christmas?

Fibromum247 · 22/12/2023 09:18

Just write it off as one of those things.
It seems like you had much higher expectations than they did.
I would have been quietly disappointed, but would have let it go.

Paddington98 · 22/12/2023 09:20

Sounds disappointing but unsurprising. Lots of people just want to be at work to work and not to participate in forced fun. That’s why it is quite mad for companies to force people in for this type of thing. Not everyone enjoys it!

Iamthatgenius · 22/12/2023 09:21

That is absolutely bizarre. If they suggest it next year I'd give them the feedback that it feels pointless as nobody stopped. Surely it was meant to be a social occasion over lunch?

Iamthatgenius · 22/12/2023 09:22

And my 2 managers worked from home. After saying we all had to come in for this event. Am raging and trying not to be

Yeah this would give me absolute rage

TwinklingLightsEverywhere · 22/12/2023 09:27

We do this but book a meeting room and people stand up and graze and wander around chatting.

Sounds like enforced fun without being fun! Some manager somewhere has ticked the box to say they did an event for their team.

I dont much like these things unless everyone knows each other. I hate networking events!