Working away from home

[rollonnovember]

As part of my job I have to work away from home a couple of times a year for a week or so.
My employer has rented an apartment for me not far from where I will be working. Travelled there in company car with fuel paid for by the company and have a company phone. Employer has also paid for the apartment in advance so no expense claims needed for any of the above.

One of the other girls I work with has suggested that the employer should also be giving us a food allowance whilst we are away from home. Is this correct? The apartment has a kitchen and all necessary utensils so I just presumed I would buy my own food as I would at home. Money is tight at the moment so if they were to contribute to food it would be appreciated but definitely not expected as I would need to feed myself if I was at home anyway.

My old company would pay for food so we’d not be out of pocket at all.

So as not to drip feed my job is a mobile position anyway and not office based so spend my days driving to and from different locations, sometimes multiples, per day. And is not a 9-5 position. It's reactive so we could be out at any time/day. Whilst working away however it is on one site for a set shift per day.

If they have provided you with the means to cook I wouldn’t have thought there was an obligation to contribute to food. That would be where you were staying in a hotel and buying food in the hotel would leave you out of pocket. If you would cook and shop at home and you can cook and shop here I don’t see how you can justify being compensated.

From someone whose OH stays away four nights a week and has worked away for at least a night a week for decades.

@HaggieMaggie that was my thoughts aswell.