Lunch

[Saint Kepler]

My coworkers have (what I think is) a weird aversion to going out to lunch with coworkers/vendors. For some of these people it is like pulling teeth to get them to have a team or vendor lunch. Is this common in other work places?

[glassjaws]

You work with actuaries... they're not social. I used to try getting people from my office to pay more than $4 for lunch, failed miserably and quit trying. No wonder I do my own thing more often than not.

[Extreme Extremist]

Lunch is for wimps.

[MathMan48]

This has been the case everywhere I have worked.

[Saint Kepler]

You work with actuaries...

Actually I don't. I work in a corporate HR department.

[DudeMan]

You work with actuaries... they're not social. I used to try getting people from my office to pay more than $4 for lunch, failed miserably and quit trying. No wonder I do my own thing more often than not.

same here. Every single person in my department does their own thing for lunch. I quit trying after a week.

[Anitha Desai]

Well, for me, lunch break is the only time I have to workout. So, if someone asks me to go to lunch with them, they need to be able to justify skipping my workout AND eating more calories than I usually pack in my lunch box.

[QMO]

My coworkers have (what I think is) a weird aversion to going out to lunch with coworkers/vendors. For some of these people it is like pulling teeth to get them to have a team or vendor lunch. Is this common in other work places?Maybe you need vendor reps that have expense accounts. You just have to make sure that ALL your potential vendors buy you lunch, so you won't be prejudiced when you make your purchasing decisions.

[persephone_ashes]

In my company 60-70% of the people (there are 15 or so of us and only 3 aren't actuaries) all eat around a table in the breakroom most of the time. Sometimes the table does not quite comfortably fit us all, so its a squeeze, but we normally have a lot of fun making fun of celebrities, talking sports, or making jokes at each other's expense.

of course, we're consultants, so we all have pretty outgoing personalities.

And depending on who visits, they normally get subjected to the same treatment :)

[Saint Kepler]

Maybe you need vendor reps that have expense accounts. You just have to make sure that ALL your potential vendors buy you lunch, so you won't be prejudiced when you make your purchasing decisions.

All the vendors do pay when we go to lunch with them.

[Sean Archer]

People who don't do lunch are lame.

[Saint Kepler]

same here. Every single person in my department does their own thing for lunch. I quit trying after a week.

This is the first office environment I have worked in. Prior to this I was a teacher and eventhough we didn't have time time to go out to lunch we would have dinner together once and a while.

Dinner is even worse than lunch with my coworkers. Asking a group of people to have dinner with coworkers and vendors is like asking them if they want open heart surgery.

[Saint Kepler]

Well, for me, lunch break is the only time I have to workout. So, if someone asks me to go to lunch with them, they need to be able to justify skipping my workout AND eating more calories than I usually pack in my lunch box.

That's understandable. We do a couple people that do that here.

[glassjaws]

Actually I don't. I work in a corporate HR department.

All right then. They have no excuses.

"HACK THE BONE! HACK THE BONE!"

[Maine-iac]

Depends. Are you speaking about regularly not eating together, or not even wanting to get together for special group lunches, vendor lunches, etc.?

I do prefer to eat alone for my regular lunches. It gives me a chance to run errands when I need to, and when I don't, it's a chance to sit somewhere quietly, read, relax and re-charge. That's not that odd. Some folks relax via solitude, and some folks relax by being with others, and it just depends on the mix your department happens to be.

But if we have consultants or vendors around, or the department wants to get together for lunch to celebrate something, no problem. I'll join right in and enjoy it. Not wanting to do that from time to time smacks of being REALLY anti-social and does seem weird.

[MathMan48]

That's understandable. We do a couple people that do that here.

must have some loose HR policies there...

[The Drunken Actuary]

All the vendors do pay when we go to lunch with them.

Vendor lunches get old, fast. Yeah, you're buying my lunch at a fancier place than I might normally eat at for lunch, but I have to deal with your shop talk for at least part of the time. You're not a friend and I'm with a bunch of coworkers and have to act professional. Plus these lunches take a long time and that keeps me away from the AO work I have to do. As for lunches with just coworkers and no vendor, I have a few friends I go out with one or twice a week but it's only two or three of us. Most people bore/annoy me and I really don't care about their kids or their vacations or their mom's feet problems. It's bad enough having to talk to you during working hours, can't you leave me alone during my lunch break?

[ShebaPoe]

Usually I go with co-workers. Sometimes I meet other friends in the area. Once in a while I go by myself.

I never bring lunch and never eat in. Lunch time is IMO intended to get out of the building.

[knowles]

Lunch is for wimps.

This sat for an hour without a RN?

[dressed up like the Cure]

Usually I go with co-workers. Sometimes I meet other friends in the area. Once in a while I go by myself.

I never bring lunch and never eat in. Lunch time is IMO intended to get out of the building.

what he said

[Anitha Desai]

Depends. Are you speaking about regularly not eating together, or not even wanting to get together for special group lunches, vendor lunches, etc.?

I do prefer to eat alone for my regular lunches. It gives me a chance to run errands when I need to, and when I don't, it's a chance to sit somewhere quietly, read, relax and re-charge. That's not that odd. Some folks relax via solitude, and some folks relax by being with others, and it just depends on the mix your department happens to be.

But if we have consultants or vendors around, or the department wants to get together for lunch to celebrate something, no problem. I'll join right in and enjoy it. Not wanting to do that from time to time smacks of being REALLY anti-social and does seem weird.

I should add that while I work out at lunch time most days, I do go on special event lunches with coworkers or when a consultant is in the office. I would LOVE to take a lunch break everyday to just catch up with coworkers (I'm one of those people that relax with other people), I have to set priorities since my time is limited.

[Anitha Desai]

I never bring lunch and never eat in. Lunch time is IMO intended to get out of the building.
This gives the economy a boost, for sure!

[QMO]

All the vendors do pay when we go to lunch with them.And your coworkers don't like free lunch? Wow!

[Person Man]

what he said
Worst new alt of 2009.

[Guest]

Worst new alt of 2009.

Funny...I was thinking just the opposite!

[Saint Kepler]

Depends. Are you speaking about regularly not eating together, or not even wanting to get together for special group lunches, vendor lunches, etc.?

I do prefer to eat alone for my regular lunches. It gives me a chance to run errands when I need to, and when I don't, it's a chance to sit somewhere quietly, read, relax and re-charge. That's not that odd. Some folks relax via solitude, and some folks relax by being with others, and it just depends on the mix your department happens to be.

But if we have consultants or vendors around, or the department wants to get together for lunch to celebrate something, no problem. I'll join right in and enjoy it. Not wanting to do that from time to time smacks of being REALLY anti-social and does seem weird.

The last paragraph is what I am talking about. I am talking about 5-6 lunches a year when someone else is paying.

[Saint Kepler]

And your coworkers don't like free lunch? Wow!

Nope.

[Saint Kepler]

Vendor lunches get old, fast. Yeah, you're buying my lunch at a fancier place than I might normally eat at for lunch, but I have to deal with your shop talk for at least part of the time. You're not a friend and I'm with a bunch of coworkers and have to act professional. Plus these lunches take a long time and that keeps me away from the AO work I have to do. As for lunches with just coworkers and no vendor, I have a few friends I go out with one or twice a week but it's only two or three of us. Most people bore/annoy me and I really don't care about their kids or their vacations or their mom's feet problems. It's bad enough having to talk to you during working hours, can't you leave me alone during my lunch break?

You would fit in well here. :)

[Saint Kepler]

must have some loose HR policies there...

:oops:

There are a few I would like to do though, but 2 of them report to me and that wouldn't be right (and the wife may have a problem with it).

[Patrick Bauer]

- Vendor lunches are fine once a month at most but that's about it.
- I don't like eating lunch with coworkers everyday because I like my free time. Eating lunch together about once a month is painless bonding time with your coworkers.
- I avoid post work events unless they are work related such as a dinner meeting or something. I'm not taking those box seats to a ball game unless I am by my self without coworkers or we treat it as a business meeting. I am very strict about separating my personal life from my work life.
- I like to have a standing lunch every couple of weeks with friends work or otherwise just so I can try out different places to eat.

So, 1 vendor, 1 coworker, 2 friends a month is about 20% of my lunches I spend with others. The rest are mine to do as I please.

[Patrick Bauer]

:oops:

There are a few I would like to do though, but 2 of them report to me and that wouldn't be right (and the wife may have a problem with it).

When I was a manager I found it difficult to go to lunch with direct reports at times. It seems some people don't like to go to lunch with their (*******?) manager.

[proof by exhaustion]

The sign on my whiteboard says "Lunch does not currently exist."

[Maine-iac]

The last paragraph is what I am talking about. I am talking about 5-6 lunches a year when someone else is paying.


OK. Got it. Your co-workers are weird. For HR types, who are supposed to be "people persons", VERY weird. :)

[IHateExams]

...Lunch time is IMO intended to go pick up women.

IFYP

[DudeMan]

Lunch time is IMO intended to get out of the building some @$$.

no IFHP

[Beaker]

I hate people.

[Abused Student]

I have had coworkers that would go out to lunch with their friends from work if they could but otherwise would go out of their way to avoid eating with bosses/other coworkers. Things like sneaking out, eating lunch at ridiculous times, stuff like that. Those people wouldn't even go out for the free lunches to avoid the socializing. For HR people though, I wouldn't expect this type of behavior.