SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,739
Jun 25, 2014 19:55:12 GMT
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Nov 4, 2016 14:42:11 GMT
Yeah, I don't see that happening on $60 a week. Can you get a vending machine in there then supplement those offerings using the $60/week?
For what it's worth, I work in the financial services industry and our company provides coffee/tea, that's it. I know the floors with the higher executives and the portfolio managers are provided EVERYTHING. But then again, I'm not working 48 hours straight. I'll put in long hours but I'll go home to do it.
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loco coco
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,662
Jun 26, 2014 16:15:45 GMT
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Post by loco coco on Nov 4, 2016 14:48:28 GMT
thats hard, maybe splurge once at the beginning of the month and buy supplies to make zip loc bags full of trail mix (use knock of m&ms and things like that)
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Post by mimi3566 on Nov 4, 2016 14:49:24 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? No....at least not any company I've ever worked for. We do get free coffee, tea and hot cocoa...basically whatever can be made in a Keurig, but that's it! WE do have the occasional pizza or breakfast like muffins or donuts, etc... brought in for the entire office if there is something special like a big announcement about a merger or new asset or something like that but we do not get day to day snacks provided.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 4, 2016 14:50:50 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? I have never worked at a company that did this. But, I have always worked for non-profits. Personally, it seems a little wasteful. IMO, people are going to eat more if it's free rather than if they need to provide their own food. I could see having a few things around but providing all of their meals and snacks? No. My brothers both work for a tech company in Portland and they get a lot of perks with their jobs. But I do know that they all go out to eat for lunch (on their own dime) most days.
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Post by KB on Nov 4, 2016 15:02:59 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? It's not typical at all, but in start ups especially tech ones, it's very common. The culture of those companies is very different from the stick in the butt cheapass companies that started years ago. It's a much nicer environment to work in. One company I know has beer in the office on Fridays. It's pretty cool. And it makes all other companies look positively Scroogely, outdated and out of touch. As for the OP's question, that's your soft drink budget. Not a food budget. I'd definitely go back and request a larger budget. Maybe present some costed out options to back up your request. Grinningcat is explaining it better than I can. Tech start ups are just different. These people work long and hard hours, it is not unusual for them to stay up for a day or two working on a code. In fact, it is expected. It isn't for everyone, but guess what? They are the people that made things like this forum we are using right now happen. Don't forget all the other applications you use today that would not exsist if an engineer didn't make it happen. Thanks again, all I'll encourage a larger budget today.
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Post by cmpeter on Nov 4, 2016 15:20:23 GMT
I agree that it's very common to have snacks and meal like options for tech companies...at least here in Seattle. My husband's offices have always been fully stocked and does Friday beers. Microsoft has amazing options for their employees.
I work for a NY based finance company. We have junky snacks in our offices and do Friday happy hours (company paid) frequently.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 28, 2024 22:40:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 16:10:45 GMT
Are you willing to make homemade things?
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Post by lisacharlotte on Nov 4, 2016 16:11:48 GMT
My company provides food free of charge. We used to get a full hot meal, but the economy tanked and that was a cost cutting measure. We are provided a soup/salad bar, various breads, cold cereal, oatmeal, coffee, tea, fountain drink dispenser, fruit juice dispenser, Milk (2% & chocolate) fresh fruit, all condiments. We also have a grill so we can grill sandwiches, toasters, microwaves, plates/utensils. On top of all that we also have Company Kitchen vending if we want variety and are willing to pay for it. We have food outlets (buffet, quick serve grill, and a high end steakhouse) on property for guests that we get an employee discount if we use. All that free stuff and employees still bitch about the variety offered FOR FREE!!!
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Post by gillyp on Nov 4, 2016 16:12:38 GMT
thats hard, maybe splurge once at the beginning of the month and buy supplies to make zip loc bags full of trail mix (use knock of m&ms and things like that) Knock off means stolen here!
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Post by ~summer~ on Nov 4, 2016 16:15:51 GMT
My husbands company in SF has a fully stocked break room, fridge full of drinks etc.
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Nov 4, 2016 16:17:58 GMT
You're gonna have to bump that $60 up to $225 in order to stock at the same level as you did with the other tech company. Can your company afford $900 a month for this? It's a write off which should help...but...
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 28, 2024 22:40:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 16:32:29 GMT
Make chili and freeze it in potions.
If they run out of food they will just order pizza.
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Post by padresfan619 on Nov 4, 2016 16:50:58 GMT
We have snacks brought in once a month at my company. There are 17 of us. Before it started we started a list of what we wanted and then took a vote on the top 5 most wanted. We get granola, goldfish crackers, two different kinds of beef jerky, and fruit snacks. Once a month we get a delivery from Amazon and once the snacks are gone, they are gone until the next month. In the beginning people went a little overboard and the snacks only lasted about a week. Now about 6 months later the stuff lasts about 3 weeks. The fruit snacks are always the first to go, but we usually have leftover goldfish crackers and granola each month.
Anyway, we aren't really supposed to eat four to five snacks a day unless we don't want any left at the end of one week. I still bring my breakfast and lunch every day. I would rather get a bigger paycheck than have every single meal provided by my company.
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Post by anxiousmom on Nov 4, 2016 17:00:01 GMT
I've always worked for the state. That means that you get vending machines and endless emails shaming people into paying their $2 for coffee that month with not so gentle reminders to not drink the damn coffee if you aren't going to pay for it. lol
Free snacks and drinks would cause a riot. lol
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Post by compwalla on Nov 4, 2016 17:00:45 GMT
Why does the company need to Provide snacks for everyone? I think that if they want snacks, they bring them. You can provide some on that budget, but probably not 4-5 snacks a day, which sounds unreasonable to me anyway. Because that is the industry standard. They want people to stay at the office longer, to work longer. When you make the workplace homelike then people stay. And stay and stay. It's an expense they feel is worth it to get code written and out on time. Our modest break room had cocoa, granola bars, a variety of tea, coffee service, and things like yogurt, fruit cups, pudding cups, popsicles, and endless boxes of microwave popcorn.
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Peamac
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea # 418
Posts: 4,229
Jun 26, 2014 0:09:18 GMT
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Post by Peamac on Nov 4, 2016 17:09:12 GMT
I admit that the healthy choices part is me, I'm old and they all seem so young! But the healthy choices will help their brains work better and they will be more productive, so that's better for the company. I read recently somewhere about how unhealthy Ramen is, especially for the brain. And I promise, I am far from a health nut! I love sweets and junk food much more than healthy food. You definitely need a bigger budget for feeding 12 guys!
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iluvpink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,370
Location: Michigan
Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on Nov 4, 2016 17:10:45 GMT
I can't imagine you can do that on $60.00.
I can understand why it's done but it's hard for me, working in a college library to imagine all that. We are thrilled that they provide a meal with our holiday party and maybe a pizza party once a year! We do often have snacks but that's just because someone feels like baking and brings something in or someone will buy a box of donuts on the way in etc. Out of their own pocket.
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Post by *KAS* on Nov 4, 2016 17:19:19 GMT
I should add OP - I think it's great that you want to include healthy choices. But if it's the typical young start up crowd, you're going to need some junk in there to keep them happy. I'm in an office full of millennials, and while one guy will wipe out the candy jar in 5 minutes, they almost all eat amazingly healthy. They will eat pizza if we order it, but daily lunches are often organic and they don't really snack much. It's pretty interesting!
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 4, 2016 17:26:26 GMT
Here is a small idea... At my last job we had an old pop machine (it was ours and we filled it ourselves)... There was a company that delivered pop (so you wouldn't have to).. anyways, we only charged 25 cents, then that money went to ordering pizza or whatever. But it added up fast for a small office. So there is a little bit of extra funds.
What about everyone pitching in a little bit? Like $5 week? or $10? Or let them just offer a donation. Maybe that money could go towards meals to be delivered once and awhile?
Since they are young, I would assume a potluck once a month would be out??
And if they are young, I wouldn't rule out junk food. My son who is 21, lives off junk food. He throws in healthy stuff, but in reality he would just skip a lot of 'healthy' and go for other stuff. And he is skinny as a rail.. like so many boys that age.
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Post by annabella on Nov 4, 2016 17:44:34 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? Yes when I worked for a 30 person office, we had fresh fruit and trader Joe's nuts and bars delivered every Monday by our HR person.
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,561
Jul 24, 2014 19:51:57 GMT
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Post by MerryMom on Nov 4, 2016 18:36:46 GMT
THANK YOU! Maybe I just needed to throw it out there and see how silly that is! I tend to get stuck on "I can make this work!" When I really need to re-evaluate The company is very reasonable, I think what I'll do is a cost analysis and show how much money we actually need to spend. They are just a new start up and the culture of a tech start up is very different than something like a Fortune 500. It is very interesting and the reason I love working in this type of environment. Especially when they sell Only put out a certain amount each day so that it lasts throughout the week. The more you put out there, the more that will be eaten. A budget amount for food and snacks at work is a total surprise to me. I work for children services agency and I have never gotten free food here at work. We are not allowed to use government monies for food. NEVER. And I have worked long long days where we had removals and also had to get up in the early hours and remove kids and place in foster homes. On occasion, if we have a grant for a specific program, we may be able to have some bagels and coffee to offer foster parents, but never more than $10 max. In fact, we have a federal review going on now, and the snacks and coffee and bottled water and even the paper napkins in the room with the reviewers are there because the staff volunteered to bring in those items and paid for it themselves.
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Post by mrst on Nov 4, 2016 19:14:44 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? Just not necessary!! They should bring their own if they really can't go all all day without snacks, it's up to them to bring them. Working long hours is not an excuse.
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Post by elaine on Nov 4, 2016 19:26:30 GMT
For those unclear about it, providing a stocked snack room is an expected benefit in this particular industry. Just like health insurance, or vacation days, are expected by salaried workers in other industries.
The coding guys/programmers, who've worked other places, will expect it. They wouldn't look kindly on being expected to pony up money weekly to buy the snacks for themselves.
And since good programmers are in demand, they can walk from one job to another if they aren't happy where they are working.
It may not be the norm where you work, so it might seem like an extravagance they should be happy without, but it is the norm in that industry. And a start-up really needs to hold onto their employees, since the hiring process is costly and will slow down finishing projects.
Would you stay at a job that suddenly decided that salaried workers no longer accrued vacation or sick days?
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kibblesandbits
Pearl Clutcher
At the corner of Awesome and Bombdiggity
Posts: 3,305
Aug 13, 2016 13:47:39 GMT
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Post by kibblesandbits on Nov 4, 2016 22:34:35 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? Just not necessary!! They should bring their own if they really can't go all all day without snacks, it's up to them to bring them. Working long hours is not an excuse. You're not reading all the comments. This is a tech-based start up and they work excruciating hours. A well stocked break room, abundant coffee, drinks, and various teas is pretty much a given. Employees may very well bring some of their own food, but that's not what this discussion is about. OP - $60 just simply won't cut it. You should put together a specific "menu" of options and prices then present to the people in charge. Let them pick and choose what they'd like to provide. My guess is, they'll go for what is necessary is you present them with a realistic menu and budget. They certainly don't want to lose their coders . . . and food/drink on site, as well as areas to blow off steam and relax are required. Good luck! What a fun job! SaveSave
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Post by Clair on Nov 5, 2016 0:20:10 GMT
My oldest works at a tech firm that provides everything...
My 6' 170 pound 24 year old told me he eats...
Breakfast Lunch Dinner 1 - 2 red bulls 1 - 2 sodas 2 drinks from the barista
If he's there late.....add sandwich or salad, snacks and more drinks
Beer too.
He didn't eat that much when he lived at home!
$60 won't get you far.
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Post by mikewozowski on Nov 5, 2016 0:46:25 GMT
the only answer is to up the budget. you may be able to save some by portioning out things like trail mix yourself (or putting it in a canister for people to portion themselves. nuts (not prepackaged) at costco are half the price of anyplace else. idk about the portioned ones. aldi has some fruits and veg on sale each week that is a steal. they also have milk and eggs really cheap. sodas can be had for about 25 cents each when you get them for $3 per 12 pack. bagels are half price at einstein's on monday. or you can get them at costco for the same price (fewer vatieties, though). you can also make cheese bagels or pizza bagels for a change of pace. idk if anyone needs donuts twice a week. load up on candy on the day after a holiday. i would take a survey of what they would prefer and go from there. sounds like you could use an employee to take care of this and make some crockpot type meals.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Nov 5, 2016 0:53:44 GMT
Yeah, so... $1 a day, or 20 cents a snack. As far as I know, just about the only thing that fits that budget is Ramen. Lots and lots of ramen. Bananas are 19 cents each at Trader Joe's Fair enough, but if I ate 4-5 bananas a day, my digestive tract would come to a full stop.
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smginaz Suzy
Pearl Clutcher
Je suis desole.
Posts: 2,606
Jun 26, 2014 17:27:30 GMT
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Post by smginaz Suzy on Nov 5, 2016 1:27:22 GMT
At Twitter, the cafeteria is enormous and serves all three meals, with San Francisco-foodie-level cooking and many different stations and options. Everything is free for employees and guests. As the OP explained, it is part of the tech culture because of the incredible hours that employees work. It is much less about getting people to pitch in or bring their own as it is the tech culture where the work can be demanding and this is one way to keep people supplied with some level of nourishment so when they get on a roll, they don't have to leave the premises to go buy a roll. If you are not familiar with the culture, it is kind of weird to think the employer would be paying for food on a regular basis.
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Post by KB on Nov 5, 2016 1:56:06 GMT
For those unclear about it, providing a stocked snack room is an expected benefit in this particular industry. Just like health insurance, or vacation days, are expected by salaried workers in other industries. The coding guys/programmers, who've worked other places, will expect it. They wouldn't look kindly on being expected to pony up money weekly to buy the snacks for themselves. And since good programmers are in demand, they can walk from one job to another if they aren't happy where they are working. It may not be the norm where you work, so it might seem like an extravagance they should be happy without, but it is the norm in that industry. And a start-up really needs to hold onto their employees, since the hiring process is costly and will slow down finishing projects. Would you stay at a job that suddenly decided that salaried workers no longer accrued vacation or sick days? THANK YOU for explaining so clearly what this tired start up girl simply didn't do well!
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Post by lucyg on Nov 5, 2016 2:02:53 GMT
Just read your update. Hilarious. Two pages of us getting all up in arms for nothing. Oh well, it was good exercise.
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