Don't Feed the Animals!
Today a big meeting was taking place at my company. As I entered the building this morning I saw an above normal amount of suit wearing fat guys (board members) entering the building. My boss and the other executives were also decked out in their suits. However the tell tale sign of a big meeting is the catered lunch. My company is cheap in every way, except when it comes to our executives and the board members. The spread of food is fit for kings with various dishes, salads, and desserts. The executives and board members number around 20 people, but the spread looks like it could feed three times as many.
After all the executives and board members have gorged themselves, the department assistants of the executives converge like vultures, feasting on the luncheon leftovers. After they are finished stuffing their guts, the President’s secretary walks through the departments announcing that there is food available in the executive lunch room. By the time all the executives, board members, and department assistants have gotten done feasting on the luncheon food there are only a few scraps left, plus the food has been sitting out for almost 2 hours. Wow, how lucky are we?
As unappetizing as the luncheon leftovers are, the company luncheon is even more disgusting. My company about once a year decides to offer a company luncheon for all employees. It usually occurs in the summer and is significantly less appetizing than the big shot luncheons. Instead of filet mignon and tiramisu that is served at the executive luncheon we get generic brand boiled hot dogs, generic brand soda along with dry sheet cakes for dessert. Don’t you wish you were so lucky? I begin to salivate just thinking of the pale boiled hot dogs.
The catered executive luncheon compared to the employee luncheon is another example of how the highly compensated get all the perks, while the rest of the lowly office personnel get cheated and mistreated. All of our big shot leaders get paid six figure salaries and take all expense paid business trips (with their wives). Does our company really have to pamper them more with high priced catered luncheons? Maybe at the next big shot luncheon I’ll post a “Don’t feed the animals” sign outside my cubicle, since executives at my company must think we are animals only worthy of feeding on their scraps.
I always am amazed at how many of my coworkers go crazy over hours-old leftovers as if they are being offered manna from heaven. Do they not worry about food poisining after it sits out forever, is picked over, breathed on, etc.?!
Anonymous said... May 14, 2007 at 9:35 AM
Today we had another executive luncheon. The call for leftover feasting went out around 1:45pm and a stampede followed. People had no problem chowing down on old veggies and hard bread. LOL
Thanks for your comment!! Feel free to drop a comment anytime!!
Turtle King
The Turtle King said... May 14, 2007 at 3:32 PM
Here's one for you...An Employee Appreciation Lunch whereby the employees bring all the dishes and drinks and the company brings the hot dogs. Oh how lucky are we!? The sad part, this is a 24/7 operation so only the day shift could participate.The appreciation luncheon was held 11:00-11:30, AND you must clock out for lunch!
Anonymous said... September 28, 2007 at 8:01 AM
That's a classic!! The same thing happens at my work. My company pitches in with generic brand hot dogs and soda. Can you say "big spenders"...LOL.
Thanks for your story...just shows how bad it is out there. Not too many companies with a clue.
Turtle King
The Turtle King said... September 28, 2007 at 6:35 PM
Same thing here except worse...
The company, a quick ip Print co in Kissimmee, FL, buys soda only! Every single Holiday event is employee sponsored. We bring in our own delicous home-cooked meals,(and warmers, decor, plates. etc) and the owners come over and make a speech about what a great company they are, allowing us to spend lots of our own money to keep up our own morale!(our own money, which comes from below industry rates, very small paychecks) We like to make nice foods for each others, NOT the cheap lying OWNERS. "Remember to punch out for lunch while we eat your food!" "Wow, they said, this is better than the chef makes on our yacht!" Cheap Ba****ds"!! we only get off mandatory goverment enforced holidays, no extra days for day after thanksgivig, x-mas eve, new years eve and NO SICK DAYS. Doesn't that make you feel so much better?
Anonymous said... November 16, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Last Friday we had our annual employee Christmas potluck. The company provides plates, napkins, plastic silverware, and also springs for paper tablecloths for the three tables in our lunchroom. There is no place for anyone to sit, so we all take food back to our desks. The feast starts as soon as people get in at 8:30 and goes all day. For about three weeks before, one employee starts counting down the days to "her favorite day of the year - Christmas potluck!" "Just two more days to potluck! Yay!" she would say. Nauseating!! I was always amazed at how excited everyone would get over food! Am I the oddball? Does anyone else think like me?!! Around 3:30 in the afternoon, the food is picked over and stale, but there are still vultures in the kitchen, gobbling up rotted fruit salad and warm meatballs that are probably rancid.
Oh - we have a Board Meeting once a month, too, and the leftovers get put in the kitchen after the meeting. It is amazing how many people eat the sweating cheese and stale horsdouvres. I wonder if anyone ever gets sick?!! There are several in the office that go absolutely crazy over any leftovers, free food, etc., no matter how old it is. It is like they are starving Ethiopians, and not middle class people living in New England. It is just craziness.
Anonymous said... December 25, 2007 at 11:30 AM
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