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Perfect excuse to try out Intermediate Fasting. Just have one (massive) meal a day in the evening.
Either that or start foraging for your lunch. Are you anywhere near Battersea?
footflaps - we aint even allowed off the truck between camp and the base in nigeria.
OK Nigeria is very different to Ghana / Cameroon security wise!
Ah you sure they don't mean you can only claim for lunch if a [i]free[/i] (to you) meal isn't available from some on site catering?
Obviously this is a first world issue but then I expect that most of the people pointing that out have plenty of their own FWIs that they complain about too.
yep mines currently that the poppyseeds off my cheap sandwich are scattered on my desk can mol confirm if expensive pret sarnies do this also ?
Maybe we could do a molgrips lunch telethon.
We could get a load of famous people off of the seventies to answer the phone.
Won't work iolo - phones aren't allowed in jail.
yep mines currently that the poppyseeds off my cheap sandwich are scattered on my desk can mol confirm if expensive pret sarnies do this also ?
Just tested it and I can confirm that they don't. This should mean that they are a legitimate expense as they are avoiding a signifiant potential EHS issue in the workplace (poppy seeds getting into keyboards/mice!)
Damn
Anyone know what Bob Geldof if doing?
Maybe he can help
Just called. He said he was busy trying to sort out TheStabiliser's disaster at Bletherbarrow. Priorities and all that.
Aparently he's putting on an Opera-thon for it...
Perhaps there is on site catering but by the time molgrips gets there everything has gone?
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Do they have these in the smoke Molls? For those who find Greggs needlessly indulgent , and a bit pricey
actually binners - come to think of it i wonder what was in the pies we used to buy from the bakery near my secondary .... we used to get hot mince pies for 40 pence ...... and that was only in 2005 - not 1964 or anything.
Did you ever see any stray dogs? 😉
Feeling overly self entitled at all Mr Mol Gripes?
Well no. I'm a home-based worker, so they should pick up the tab when I'm sent away. This is normal, and they do it - except for this one quirk. Which, as previously mentioned, costs a non-trivial amount of money.
As for having an expensive bike habit - those days are way behind me!
yep mines currently that the poppyseeds off my cheap sandwich are scattered on my desk can mol confirm if expensive pret sarnies do this also ?
No joking matter...
Didn't someone get arrested on drug smuggling charges entering Dubai for having poppy seeds off his in flight meal roll, found in his clothes?
Back in 02 we had a dinner bed & breakfast rate of £60 at that point a night in a travel lodge was 59. That was tight. To get around lunchtime we used to get the B&b to up the rate and make us a packed lunch or just have double breakfast and make sarnies with it.
Had the discussion recently with my boss who thought it was ridiculous to claim lunch when I'm away, told him where to stick it especially as we are billing back to clients who are happy to fly people business class.
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The superfood salads from Pret are VERY nice though
OP. considering the amount of 'work' time you spend on here, you're lucky they don't invoice you. just stump up and stop your grizzling.
🙂
What a lot of waaahhh over a complete non issue.
[img] http://db.tt/RezFqWsc [/img]
Though in true STW fashion I am sat drinking leffe while on expenses and I will be claiming for lunch but not this beer which is a personal luxury. It's a shame the Belgian bar is opposite the hotel I could get to like Perth
So, lets get this straight. The OP is complaining that the food he buys [b]IS[/b] subsidised, unless there is a works canteen, which then it's not. So when there is a canteen, the issue is the difference between the cost of making sandwiches ('pence') and the cost of food on site.
This on the face of it, sounds like quite a small problem, but in the normal fashion, he's going to make a mountain out of a molehill*.
I suggest joining a union and then striking.
* quite proud of that one actually.
He's normally not one to create a fuss.
I do however recall he had a slight car problem that was fixed after a few responses.
It does sound like he's quite bored at work.
Maybe he could cook a steak for his lunch.
Was it fixed?
Who cares
Meanwhile, somewhere in Leeds, cheesecake is being consumed.
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The thread was actually asking for knowledge and/or experience, but don't let that stop you having a good time 🙂
Bearnecessities,
Was it you or work who paid for it?
Well no. I'm a home-based worker, so they should pick up the tab when I'm sent away. This is normal, and they do it - except for this one quirk. Which, as previously mentioned, costs a non-trivial amount of money.
You have failed to answer all the posts mentioning that you get meals paid for while away, that you would have to pay for at home.
So in fact you are better off when away, not worse off as you seem to think.
God help him and every other bugger who happens across him should he ever get to actually attempt GDR. No bitch is going to provide a packed lunch there, either 🙂
🙂 @ stabiliser - as I said, not picking you out, just making the case that we all have issues that are meaningless in the greater scheme of things.
So in fact you are better off when away, not worse off as you seem to think.
Do I spend £5/day on dinner and breakfast?
In answer to the actual question. It's just your work being arsey.
There's nothing in the meal allowance on HMRC about "on site catering" there are 4 allowable expenses £5 for early start/ breakfast £5 for one meal £10 for two meal or £15 for evening/late
Take it up with your HR if it really bothers you
bruneep - Member
Was it fixed?
Don't be silly! Moly's been a bit tied up issuing his ITT for panniers preparing for next years Great Divide.... 🙂
You are good value Moly. Ace and no. 1 troll. 🙂
Do I spend £5/day on dinner and breakfast?
Probably.
But it was £8/week you reckoned you were down wasn't it ?
Make your mind up. Is it £25 a week or £8 a week you are talking about ?
£12.50/week then. Loaf of bread and some cheese = £4.50.
£12.50 - £4.50 = £8 out of pocket
Either way, you aren't out of pocket
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
But it was £8/week you reckoned you were down wasn't it ?
No, that was in response to someone who claimed I could eat for 2.50 a day and not be out of pocket.
So is it not possible to make sandwiches in a hotel room?
And do all sandwiches in London cost £6?
No, that was in response to someone who claimed I could eat for 2.50 a day and not be out of pocket.
So what you are saying is, you make breakfast and dinner every day for less than £2.50 each.
But it's not possible to get lunch for £2.50 ?
Do I spend £5/day on dinner and breakfast?
I've no idea. That's only £35 a week, so possibly.
Anyway this is a side issue. What's weird is the discrepancy.
Back in '03-'06 I worked in a place for a while (shop) that was so busy on weekends they'd give us £5 for lunch on each day of the weekend and 15 min break to go buy it, rather than a full hour off.
I would have my whole weeks basic grocery shopping if I was in both days of the weekend!
veg, fruit (2 a day!), beans, rice, tin of corned beef (mm mm), chicken thighs, couple tins rice pudding.
easy
🙂
I've found the previous 4 pages quite interesting though. My wife's just been away on a 2 week residential course and they'd pay for lunches, drinks all day long during course hours but not breakfast and dinner, so pretty much the inverse of Molegrips.
And ... she had to stay there over the weekend for 'concentrated homework and group preparation' They didn't cover any of the meals on the weekend. My wife's defense/excuse for her employer was ..[i] "but it's an amazing opportunity"[/i]. I did query her employers decisions on that one but didn't think any more of it till now.
FYI my lunches are £1-2 fresh soups (i.e. depends what's on offer pricing, but covent garden or supermarket own brand) that I buy and microwave daily. usually between 2-4 of your 5 a day if you go for vegetable based ones.
I assume thats on the presumption that works canteens are free.
Which in the real world, they rarely are. Presumably this is a piece of outdated policy from about 1972.
I'm with molgrips on this one, as someone who has to work away a lot. If the company wants you to be staying away, with limited access to fridge/food cupboard and often nearby shops, they should pay for three reasonably priced meals a day.
molgrips is either a massive troll or a nuclear grade teabagger,I know which way I'm leaning
Anyway this is a side issue ....
Funny how things turn into "side issues" when they fall apart at the seams eh ? 😉
I've just finished doing 4 days a week at another office, dinner bed and breakfast paid for. No paid lunch (pretty much the only thing they didn't pay for tbh) as it's a company location, it doesn't have a canteen, but neither does my base office. Suits me fine, saved a ton not paying for brekkie and tea!
Molgrips, please answer the one question on everyone's lips (well mine anyhow), before you left for the big smoke that it London what did you agree as your terms and conditions in relation to meals?
Is it any different now?
What seems to be the problem?
molgrips is either a massive troll
I'M a troll??!
So answer the bloody questions instead of acting the fool.
molgrips is either a massive troll
or hes going to become a much slimmer one
The questions are not relevant.
I didn't check expense policy before I took the job. As far as I know it's always been the same. It's been the same every time I checked.
So what?
I'm with molgrips on this one, as someone who has to work away a lot. If the company wants you to be staying away, with limited access to fridge/food cupboard and often nearby shops, they should pay for three reasonably priced meals a day.
+1
I have never heard of this before tbh. Seems very strange.
I'm with molgrips on this one, as someone who has to work away a lot. If the company wants you to be staying away, with limited access to fridge/food cupboard and often nearby shops, they should pay for three reasonably priced meals a day.
I suppose its better than the companies real thought process or policy of "think yourself lucky you have/can get a ****ing job"
I didn't check the expense policy before I took the job
Hihiihihihihihi
Congratulations,
You are the stupidest person I have ever communicated with.
You have a responsible job?
Really?
You're actually 12 aren't you.
I'm so stupid, you'll have to explain yourself.
Which part would you care me to clarify?
The part where you failed to check how much money you were getting?
Then the part when you came on heretofore cry about it?
That's a bit nasty and uncalled for. Bad iolo.
So have we established what 'on-site catering' means yet?
LOL at not answering the "wrong" questions!
Anyway, this expenses policy, does it have pictures? Presumably yes, otherwise how would you know what you're getting? So my advice is to look at the pictures.
Iolo. If you were out of work, and someone offered you a job, would you ask to see the expense policy first and possibly reject the job if it didn't suit?
So have we established what 'on-site catering' means yet?
No, iolo is busy flexing his muscles.
I cant be arsed to make sarnies and always buy food out from the bacon butty van ! or Tesco express etc
Not having read all the way through this modern tale of woe, I'd like to point out that I get 2 20 minute breaks for each 12 hour shift, and I have to buy my own dinner and tea.
As you were.
I'm not flexing any muscles. I am merely explaining that you must always ensure that you are happy with whatever is offered before you sign for a job. If you wanted lunch you should have stipulated this was in your contract. If its not there and you've signed then its too late. That is all.
I am merely explaining that you must always ensure that you are happy with whatever is offered before you sign for a job.
I'm willing to bet no-one else goes into that level of detail. Except perhaps your awesomeness.
The original post was about a possible misleading wording of the policy. Not a complaint about my contract of employment.
It's not "misleading" at all from what you have said.
If there is no "on site catering" you can claim for lunch.
If there is, you can't.
That's pretty straightforward I would say.
A definition of "on site catering" would be if there was "catering facilities", and they were "on site"
I presume that there are, otherwise you wouldn't be moaning about it ?
There's no legal obligation for them to make sure I'm not out of pocket, is there?
Correct.
There isn't.
Sorry but that is exactly what everyone does. I'm really not trying to be awesome.
You only work to get paid. You don't do it for fun.
You need to know exactly (to the penny) what you get.
This way you can pay your bills and know what you have left.
Then, and only then can you decide what to save and what to spend on bikes.
That's pretty straightforward I would say.
But at that reading, it makes no sense at all. Why would it be reimbursable if the money was spent outside, but not if it was spent inside?
The effect on my pocket is the same. That's what I don't understand. Why would the policy be like that? There's a possibility it's been mis-worded.
Sorry but that is exactly what everyone does.
I don't believe that, and I don't believe you know what everyone does.
People look at the salary and benefits. The expense policy isn't even an external document so you can't see it if you're not an employee.
I'm not flexing any muscles. I am merely explaining that you must always ensure that you are happy with whatever is offered before you sign for a job. If you wanted lunch you should have stipulated this was in your contract. If its not there and you've signed then its too late. That is all.
Your being a tool. That is all.
Do really people examine the lunchtime expenses policy before they take a role? It's totally reasonable to not be out of pocket when working away from base.
But at that reading, it makes no sense at all. Why would it be reimbursable if the money was spent outside, but not if it was spent inside?
You said it was misleading, it isn't.
It's actually really easy to understand.
You can argue that you don't think it's logical or that you don't think its a good policy, but that's a different point entirely.
It's totally reasonable to not be out of pocket when working away from base.
Be that as it may, molgrips isn't out of pocket. If he'd answered any of the "wrong" questions about the impact of his free breakfasts and dinners vs paid for lunches on his bottom line that would be (even more) clear.
I don't know how much money I spend on food at home, if that answers your question? So it is possible that overall I am not out of pocket, but I don't expect I am.
SO HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU'RE OUT OF POCKET?!
Edit: Nice ninja edit
But the benefits will show what's included ? Or not?
The presence of a canteen puts me out of pocket, according to this rule. That's the point.
But the benefits will show what's included ? Or not?
No, they relate to pensions, health etc. Expenses are not a benefit.
Aagggrrrrhhhhh! Or it puts you less [i]in[/i] pocket, or it doesn't make a blind bit of difference. The policy is what it is and you don't even know if you're up or down because of it. I'm out.
I feel your pain.
When I work at home, I tend to just lounge around in my pants, but if I go to the office they expect me to wear trousers, but they don't give me a trouser allowance!
Bastards.
The irony being I'm out of pocket to get pockets.