One type of event I seldom attend is the Brown Bag Lunch. Where I work, there use to be a rare brown bag lunch as part of the mentoring program or to impart information from the Health Unit. Recently, though, my workplace has taken to having presentations on work related topics during lunch hours. I am not amused. If a topic is work related, then there should be a forum during business hours to accommodate it. I put in my share of extra time for my job without a second thought, but I prefer to have my lunch hour as my own. Besides, I am distinctly uncomfortable eating lunch out of my lap in a room full of co-workers. Maybe it is just me.
You may want to let the economist know there is no free lunch.
Plus, I would think the union would rightfully have an issue with this especially if they don’t allow you to lunch on regular basis. Besides,it just brings down the moral of the staff. It is not a good management practice. Trust me, government seldom has such urgency except in like a life safety issue. The Unitied States will remain a perfect union if you take lunch.
Good Luck
Kathy,
Hi. I agree with you. As an option it is not bad. I prefer topics that are not work related. The less work related the better. Why? it gives me a new tool. At first Twitter and Yammer where not work related and I would like to have seen them. GovLoop is not work related but does help. All of these are new tools.
If a work related presentation is given then all they are doing is re-enforcing a tool, idea or program I already know about. Yes that is work, yes it should be part of my eight hours, not my lunch time.
On my lunch time I get to “de-compress” and relax so I come back to work a bit refreshed. If there is a work related topic I have no or little choice in attending then it is work and I will not be as refreshed and ready for the afternoon.
Just my thoughts
Allen
Kathy, I could not agree with you more. Lunch break is a time for this person to regroup so that at times the rest of the day can go smoothly and/or on task…If the union was aware of the practice of presentations during one’s lunch hour (break), issues would come to the front of the line…
Thank you for your comments, Diana, Genio, Allen,a nd Diana. Lunch is my time to regroup. Special topics such as health maintenance or how to maximize my retirement funds would fall into the brown bag lunch category I should think.