Bring cake to the office? You're a killer!
Discussion
Bringing cake into the office should be seen as harmful to your colleagues in the same way as passive smoking, the chairwoman of Britain’s top food watchdog has said.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-health-co...
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-health-co...
The occasional cake/donuts on someone's birthday is okay, but I regularly walked past teams in our office where there was constantly cakes, donuts, biscuits etc lying on top of one of the empty desks, every day. I'd be happy with a workplace rule that said special occasions only, if you want your donuts outside of that go and eat them outside the fire exit. 
I can see it (although I don't agree with her that it should be stopped - and definitely isn't equivalent to passive smoking)
I used to work at a place that was "cakes on your birthday"- what it meant was that there were cakes available every day, sometimes from multiple people. The building held about 500 people and had 8 little kitchen areas so if people were hungry, all they had to do was try a couple of kitchens and there'd be bags full of donuts etc.
I realised pretty early on to not partake in the cake thing and almost never gave in and tasted the jammy goodness...
I used to work at a place that was "cakes on your birthday"- what it meant was that there were cakes available every day, sometimes from multiple people. The building held about 500 people and had 8 little kitchen areas so if people were hungry, all they had to do was try a couple of kitchens and there'd be bags full of donuts etc.
I realised pretty early on to not partake in the cake thing and almost never gave in and tasted the jammy goodness...
Biggy Stardust said:
She presumes that people are incapable of exercising choice as to whether they eat the cake.
Some people aren't, probably a lot of people, fact is if the cake wasn't there only a handful of people would be going out to buy some cake to eat. if you're trying to discipline your eating, the majority of the battle is just not buying the food in the first place; if someone puts it right in front of you you're most of the way towards eating it.I'm not saying it's a massive problem, there just should be some consideration for it, there are plenty of other threads to justifiably have a froth-w
k over.ScotHill said:
Some people aren't, probably a lot of people, fact is if the cake wasn't there only a handful of people would be going out to buy some cake to eat. if you're trying to discipline your eating, the majority of the battle is just not buying the food in the first place; if someone puts it right in front of you you're most of the way towards eating it.
I'm not saying it's a massive problem, there just should be some consideration for it, there are plenty of other threads to justifiably have a froth-wk over.
The thread was created tongue-in-cheek, however conflating cake with passive smoking is quite the leap.I'm not saying it's a massive problem, there just should be some consideration for it, there are plenty of other threads to justifiably have a froth-w
k over.fat80b said:
I can see it (although I don't agree with her that it should be stopped - and definitely isn't equivalent to passive smoking)
I used to work at a place that was "cakes on your birthday"- what it meant was that there were cakes available every day, sometimes from multiple people. The building held about 500 people and had 8 little kitchen areas so if people were hungry, all they had to do was try a couple of kitchens and there'd be bags full of donuts etc.
I realised pretty early on to not partake in the cake thing and almost never gave in and tasted the jammy goodness...
Ironic username,was it Greggs?I used to work at a place that was "cakes on your birthday"- what it meant was that there were cakes available every day, sometimes from multiple people. The building held about 500 people and had 8 little kitchen areas so if people were hungry, all they had to do was try a couple of kitchens and there'd be bags full of donuts etc.
I realised pretty early on to not partake in the cake thing and almost never gave in and tasted the jammy goodness...
I was jokingly threatened a woman with a trip to HR.
She brought in loads of cakes and biscuits because it was her birthday, for everyone to share.
Nothing for the vegans, gluten and nut adverse, and dieters (me)
I told her that she was going against the business policy and culture of celebrating diversity.
Plus I personally felt that she was participating in work place bullying, because she knew I was on a diet, and had no will power, and this was making me feel belittled.
Unfortunately she burst into tears. Some people have no sense of irony.
3 months later I bought in a basket of fruit for my birthday. She complained bitterly that there were no cakes. All 18 fking stone of her.
She brought in loads of cakes and biscuits because it was her birthday, for everyone to share.
Nothing for the vegans, gluten and nut adverse, and dieters (me)
I told her that she was going against the business policy and culture of celebrating diversity.
Plus I personally felt that she was participating in work place bullying, because she knew I was on a diet, and had no will power, and this was making me feel belittled.
Unfortunately she burst into tears. Some people have no sense of irony.
3 months later I bought in a basket of fruit for my birthday. She complained bitterly that there were no cakes. All 18 f
king stone of her. Edited by Pit Pony on Wednesday 18th January 12:40
Eating cake in the office is a choice. Me paying taxes that supprt a significant part of NHS funding that treats issues linked to obesity isn't.
Not saying the cake/passive smoking comparison holds true but we cant always say its up to peope what they eat, as in their actions (whether we think they're stupid, uneducated or just plain fat/lazy) have zero effect elsewhere.
Not saying the cake/passive smoking comparison holds true but we cant always say its up to peope what they eat, as in their actions (whether we think they're stupid, uneducated or just plain fat/lazy) have zero effect elsewhere.
tim0409 said:
Sometimes it’s unavoidable in an office environment; what are you meant to do when someone holds a bun to your head?
That's what the God-given right to bear cakes gives you protection against. If I'm in that environment and I see a bun being used in a threatening manner then I'd be straight out with my concealed-carry frosted finger roll and the perpetrator gets a double-bap in the cranium.Biggy Stardust said:
She presumes that people are incapable of exercising choice as to whether they eat the cake.
I was once a student (38 years ago) And skint. Free food, is a particular problem I've noticed with my weight. Workplace buffet lunch meetings, cakes, pizza for the "team", samosas brought in by the 100s
Despite my age, and knowing that I don't need empty calories, I find it goes against my inner student and I find myself taking more than I should
ScotHill said:
The occasional cake/donuts on someone's birthday is okay, but I regularly walked past teams in our office where there was constantly cakes, donuts, biscuits etc lying on top of one of the empty desks, every day. I'd be happy with a workplace rule that said special occasions only, if you want your donuts outside of that go and eat them outside the fire exit.
I agree that occasional is fine, but some places just can't help themselves. As a consultant, I once worked in Scotland for a housing provider just outside Edinburgh for 6 months, and the team/office I was sitting in were absolutely horrendous for junk food. They took it in turns on a daily basis to come in with bags full of doughnuts, muffins, sausage rolls, cakes, boxes of biscuits, and loads of savoury stuff and pies from the local butchers/bakers.
The worst thing they used to buy, but they saw it as a real treat, was 'scotch pie rolls'. A butchers scotch pie in pastry, placed in a very large white bread bun, with lashings of butter and ketchup. Yep, you read that right, a pie inside a buttered bun.
Needless to say out of the 8 of them in the team, probably 5 of them were easily described as fat. I think they actually took offence to me saying "No thank you" to their daily offers of 'treats'.
Mammasaid said:
Bringing cake into the office should be seen as harmful to your colleagues in the same way as passive smoking, the chairwoman of Britain’s top food watchdog has said.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-health-co...
Excellent news. I never did understand this. It’s your birthday they buy you cake not you buy everyone else cake. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-health-co...
Lord Marylebone said:
I agree that occasional is fine, but some places just can't help themselves.
As a consultant, I once worked in Scotland for a housing provider just outside Edinburgh for 6 months, and the team/office I was sitting in were absolutely horrendous for junk food. They took it in turns on a daily basis to come in with bags full of doughnuts, muffins, sausage rolls, cakes, boxes of biscuits, and loads of savoury stuff and pies from the local butchers/bakers.
The worst thing they used to buy, but they saw it as a real treat, was 'scotch pie rolls'. A butchers scotch pie in pastry, placed in a very large white bread bun, with lashings of butter and ketchup. Yep, you read that right, a pie inside a buttered bun.
Needless to say out of the 8 of them in the team, probably 5 of them were easily described as fat. I think they actually took offence to me saying "No thank you" to their daily offers of 'treats'.
As a consultant, I once worked in Scotland for a housing provider just outside Edinburgh for 6 months, and the team/office I was sitting in were absolutely horrendous for junk food. They took it in turns on a daily basis to come in with bags full of doughnuts, muffins, sausage rolls, cakes, boxes of biscuits, and loads of savoury stuff and pies from the local butchers/bakers.
The worst thing they used to buy, but they saw it as a real treat, was 'scotch pie rolls'. A butchers scotch pie in pastry, placed in a very large white bread bun, with lashings of butter and ketchup. Yep, you read that right, a pie inside a buttered bun.
Needless to say out of the 8 of them in the team, probably 5 of them were easily described as fat. I think they actually took offence to me saying "No thank you" to their daily offers of 'treats'.
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