4 ms·

Company-provided lunch provides an opportunity to build relationship among the coworkers. Most people do not says "no" to free lunch, especially if it's good.

Company-provided lunch provides an opportunity to build relationship among the coworkers. Most people do not says "no" to free lunch, especially if it's good. So, they naturally sit down together to eat. When I worked at a company that offered free lunch, the company used it to help build rapport and camaraderie among the coworkers. It's one time during the day when the entire team can sit down and eat lunch together and get to know about each other, which is not possible through Slack nor via meetings. Just hanging out with everyone on the team, talking about the latest Marvel movie or Star wars, etc. It was also about convenience as well as reducing stress and decisions on an already-busy day. If the team still wants to do lunch together everyday at an outside restaurant, it would not be easy, especially the logistics, which would be a nightmare -- getting everyone to agree on one place where everyone likes their food, finding a place that can seat the entire group at a single table, finding transportation / assigning driver/riders if it's beyond walking distance, and having to divide the check afterward (or Venmo), etc. Just for a meal that lasts no more than an hour, top.

gmueckl 8y ago
It gets easier when the routine settles in. Eventually you will find a kind of schedule that suits everyone. Then it is mostly a matter of a few quick questions and maybe a call ahead with preorders. I have it seen working well with very different teams.
scarface74 8y ago
When I worked at a company that offered free lunch, the company used it to help build rapport and camaraderie among the coworkers. It's one time during the day when the entire team can sit down and eat lunch together and get to know about each other, which is not possible through Slack nor via meetings. I stopped bringing my lunch to work and go out to eat specifically to get a break from my coworkers. Not that there is anything wrong with my coworkers, but I really enjoy the alone time in the middle of the day where I can just sit back and read.
- EchoAce 8y ago
  And that’s great if that’s what you want. OP was just saying that free, internal lunch promotes team bonding for those who do desire it.
  - irq11 8y ago
    I work at a company that doesn’t provide lunch, and we still manage to go out together and “bond”. Miracles do happen.
    - always_good 8y ago
      Why were you under the impression that nobody here knew that was a possibility and needed an exceptional anecdote? The upstream comment even said free lunch "promoted" camaraderie, not "is the only way it can happen."
      - irq11 8y ago
        The original comment regarding “bonding” was equally anecdotal - you just agree with it, and therefore perceive it to be an argument. Rationally, there’s no inherent reason that free lunches promote “bonding”, and no inherent reason that teams that go out to lunch won’t bond. It’s just cargo culting and post hoc rationalization for people liking free food. Intellectual rigor is alive and well on HN.
        therealdrag0 8y ago
        I absolutely brushed shoulders with more coworkers when I worked at a company that had a cafeteria (this wasn't even free to us). My current teammates eat together sometimes, but unless it's an 'event' it's just 2-3 people, and always someone who wont go due to diet or financial reasons.
watwut 8y ago
I dont care about this policy one way or the other, but following is not true: "If the team still wants to do lunch together everyday at an outside restaurant, it would not be easy, especially the logistics, which would be a nightmare" It is not nightmare, it is pretty easy thing to do and friends groups in work do it almost daily without any problem.
- lozenge 8y ago
  I think they meant taking out the entire company, say 30+ people, rather than just having lunch among your friend group, which is probably very overlapping with your team, and therefore encourages "silos", which the company already has enough of.
egman_ekki 8y ago
Going out for lunch with colleagues is quite common in some countries, e.g. Czech republic. You split into groups of five to ten people and go with the group that decided to go to the place where you like the food for the day... Usually there are several groups at different times, at 11, 12, etc. It worked fine most of the time and you don't eat with the same ppl every day, so you get to know colleagues from neighboring teams as well...

gmueckl 8y ago

It gets easier when the routine settles in. Eventually you will find a kind of schedule that suits everyone. Then it is mostly a matter of a few quick questions and maybe a call ahead with preorders. I have it seen working well with very different teams.

scarface74 8y ago

When I worked at a company that offered free lunch, the company used it to help build rapport and camaraderie among the coworkers. It's one time during the day when the entire team can sit down and eat lunch together and get to know about each other, which is not possible through Slack nor via meetings. I stopped bringing my lunch to work and go out to eat specifically to get a break from my coworkers. Not that there is anything wrong with my coworkers, but I really enjoy the alone time in the middle of the day where I can just sit back and read.

EchoAce 8y ago
And that’s great if that’s what you want. OP was just saying that free, internal lunch promotes team bonding for those who do desire it.
- irq11 8y ago
  I work at a company that doesn’t provide lunch, and we still manage to go out together and “bond”. Miracles do happen.
  - always_good 8y ago
    Why were you under the impression that nobody here knew that was a possibility and needed an exceptional anecdote? The upstream comment even said free lunch "promoted" camaraderie, not "is the only way it can happen."
    - irq11 8y ago
      The original comment regarding “bonding” was equally anecdotal - you just agree with it, and therefore perceive it to be an argument. Rationally, there’s no inherent reason that free lunches promote “bonding”, and no inherent reason that teams that go out to lunch won’t bond. It’s just cargo culting and post hoc rationalization for people liking free food. Intellectual rigor is alive and well on HN.
      - therealdrag0 8y ago
        I absolutely brushed shoulders with more coworkers when I worked at a company that had a cafeteria (this wasn't even free to us). My current teammates eat together sometimes, but unless it's an 'event' it's just 2-3 people, and always someone who wont go due to diet or financial reasons.

watwut 8y ago

I dont care about this policy one way or the other, but following is not true: "If the team still wants to do lunch together everyday at an outside restaurant, it would not be easy, especially the logistics, which would be a nightmare" It is not nightmare, it is pretty easy thing to do and friends groups in work do it almost daily without any problem.

lozenge 8y ago
I think they meant taking out the entire company, say 30+ people, rather than just having lunch among your friend group, which is probably very overlapping with your team, and therefore encourages "silos", which the company already has enough of.

egman_ekki 8y ago

Going out for lunch with colleagues is quite common in some countries, e.g. Czech republic. You split into groups of five to ten people and go with the group that decided to go to the place where you like the food for the day... Usually there are several groups at different times, at 11, 12, etc. It worked fine most of the time and you don't eat with the same ppl every day, so you get to know colleagues from neighboring teams as well...