To take my meal allowance home?

[bigfatsliceofcake]

I have a job where I get one of the products we sell as a meal allowance for my break. It's portable food, so think sandwiches/wraps etc rather than stuff from a canteen.

The food isn't bad but it's quite calorific/unhealthy and I'm desperately trying to lose weight. I'm also vegetarian so the range I can have is quite limited and a bit repetitive and boring after a while.

Wibu and really cheeky to take my meal allowance home and bring in my own lunch? Dp works a job where he travels a lot and needs 'portable' food so it seems a shame that I would have to essentially waste my meal allowance when he could make use of it instead. Wouldn't be every day, just occasionally.

My theory is that if I'm allowed to eat X item, does it matter if I have it at work or at home? Would I get into trouble for this?

Yeah I think that's awful. I would never work anywhere like that and I've worked in retail years ago. They should trust their staff.

Is it Pret? If so, you are not allowed the take your lunch home according to the policy. But nobody checks.

And this right here is why you shouldn’t listen to all the people blithely telling you will be fine based on absolutely no facts.

I would check with your boss. I understand your logic but the meal allowance is often meant to feed you on your break/after your shift not to feed someone else.

Meta fired 30 people for doing this in the US recently. So definitely check with your company.

Yes, but not usually for this purpose.
I get luncheon vouchers. I can spend them on any meal, even on alcohol, although the point is to spend them on lunch while at work.

Open item, pretend to eat some. Re-wrap and put in your lunchbox, for later.

@Gwenhwyfar I didn't know luncheon vouchers still existed. Is it on contactless card these days?

It's not allowed where I work. For the reasons ElectronBlue22 explained.
A lot of people in the company got disciplined for it so our place got really strict about it because some people were taking it home for their partners or their kids teas.

Just say to your boss "Our stuff's obviously lovely but I don't always feel like eating that much mid-shift, am I OK to sometimes bag mine up and have it at the end of the day instead?"

Not allowed where my DH works either, even though there's piles of it left out.

I'd just not eat it, and take in my own food instead.

Very common in retail. It’s for everyone’s protection - previously worked in Lux retail in a corporate role & store visits i’d have bag checks on departure. It’s the only way they can ensure product doesn’t grow legs.

I volunteer for a couple of ALBs (not an employee of either in any capacity). No payment but they reimburse expenses. One of them allows £10 for the evening meal, and the other £20. (Both subject to stringent away from home requirements. And the allowance cannot be offset against alcohol. Don't ask how they think I could buy dinner and a water for those allowances, never mind alcohol, especially in London.) I can't buy food from a supermarket and claim it (I used to buy a deli salad, some fruit and a yoghurt to eat in the hotel). But now they insist that I need an itemised bill from an eating place.

Even when you don't work for organisations, some of them are looking for any HMRC-plausible reason to remove meal allowances.

So, yes, I'd absolutely listen to ElectronBlue and doublecheck any policies.

Speak to your manager. Say you have started a fasting diet and your eating window is after your shift.

Ask if you can take it home but say it’s for you not your DH.

standard practice in retail. alot of places now provide you a clear plastic handbag for bringing your lunch and personal belongings into work with you and that's all your allowed

Yes I’m a bit like that but I get a whole £7.50. They much prefer a cafe receipt/ eat in somewhere so can demonstrate not taking it home. A pot of tea and a cheese scone is about as far as it goes.

God that's awful. And people still choose to work there?! Whatever happened to trust.

I’ve worked in kitchens before and I suspect that’s not allowed.

I was asked to carry a small array of cosmetics around on a glass tray at a department store years ago. Decades ago.
I was a teen, 17.
At the end of the day, we all left through the back door towards the lot and a line formed - they were checking everybody’s bags.
I was shocked because stealing never occurred to me - I was so excited just to be there.
I guess people steal from work or something.

I know, but as per usual its the odd few that have ruined it for people. same applies to everything.

I'd ask personally OP! Our work brings in way too much fruit, bread and milk. People often take stuff home because it would be left over and spoil otherwise. But in our case it's not so much a meal allowance as just staples to have in the canteen so I would heed the advice of those above and double check.

If you got nothing to hide whats the big deal. They don't root through it,it's like half a second glance

I agree with others that you really need to check the rules on this, but as a general thought what is the limit on the food you have access to? If it's literally a sandwich, then you need to check the rules but the company may be less stressed if you say you'll eat it later.

My comment is because years ago I worked in a factory that made pies for sale in fish and chip shops, and during breaks and lunch we had unlimited access to pies and pasties etc in the staff canteen. Eat your fill while there was totally fine, but nothing was to be taken home, which is totally reasonable. Otherwise people could have been walking home with a huge amount of food in their bags and fed their entire street, never mind their family.

I had a job where you had to carry your stuff in a clear bag, didn't bother me at all, it was a quite high end store and of course they need to make sure the staff aren't nicking the stock, it wasnt personal to me