What's that in your mouth?

What are you eating? is a common phrase you'd hear at lunchtime in a school cafeteria. A similar comment can be heard in an office break room. Nothing to it really right? Until you start getting complaints about smells and look of the food that you bring at work. Then discussions on discrimination and transgressions outside of whatever is perceived to be "normal" food come to play. May not always be a fun exercise in policy making for HR folks but it is something to be considered especially in highly multicultural and multigenerational workplaces.

Does that lead to more people eating at their desks for fear of reprisals? Or eating out and ending up spending more money because of shame for the food they can potentially bring to work? Your policies when it comes can make or break someone's daily allowance. If your organisation values its people and thinks of itself to be the employer of choice, do make sure to include a check on your food policies.

photo by robin

TAGS: Break Room, Cafeteria, Food, Hr Policies, Multicultural, Multigenerational

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