# Help me feed hungry new hires at work **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341 "2017-02-20T19:19:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/41 "2017-02-21T14:50:52Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I agree with other posters that if the OP wants to do this (and it’s a very nice gesture IMHO), it will work better as an individually targeted “welcome-gift goody bag” than as a general “here’s the food we leave around, help yourself”. > > Probably the way to set it up so that it comes across as more collegial “welcome goody bag for new hire” than “handout of groceries for pitiable starving poor person” or “unlimited free food for everybody” is to include a couple gift certificates to local places, maybe some homemade/garden stuff and/or local specialties. Then you could have some handy lunch staples in brown bags labeled “Monday”, “Tuesday”, etc. I’m feeling cynical at the moment so here is a thought from that perspective. People talk. If the OP and co-worker leave, “we used to have goody bags for new hires” and now the new people don’t get them and it’s not fair. I’d vote for making sure they know about local food pantries, or ask management about the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/42 "2017-02-21T14:54:21Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > IMO giving food to coworkers is a bad idea. At first they will be very appreciative. And then a few days later they will feel entitled to it. > > These people are adults. They need to _act_ like adults. Part of being an adult is figuring out how to provide food for yourself. It is not difficult to do. Any adult claiming they “don’t have enough money for food” is either lying or has extremely screwed up priorities. I totally agree with this. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/43 "2017-02-21T15:15:20Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > IMO giving food to coworkers is a bad idea. At first they will be very appreciative. And then a few days later they will feel entitled to it. > > These people are adults. They need to _act_ like adults. Part of being an adult is figuring out how to provide food for yourself. It is not difficult to do. Any adult claiming they “don’t have enough money for food” is either lying or has extremely screwed up priorities. have you ever been in their position? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/44 "2017-02-21T15:22:14Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > These people are adults. They need to _act_ like adults. Part of being an adult is figuring out how to provide food for yourself. Yeah, these guys should get a job. Maybe something with a low barrier to entry, like production line work. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/45 "2017-02-21T15:27:57Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You should talk to a specialist as you might be opening up a huge can of worms both legally and tax-wise. I think they should be all right if he just puts a bunch of snacks in the breakroom. > [@jz8817](#): > > have you ever been in their position? What position is that? Being young and having to decide whether to use their paycheck to buy food or beer? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/46 "2017-02-21T15:55:18Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > What position is that? Being young and having to decide whether to use their paycheck to buy food or beer? more like “food, or gas?” ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/47 "2017-02-21T16:05:36Z")
I guess none of them have friends or family so it somehow becomes the strangers at work’s responsibility to provide for these people? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/48 "2017-02-21T16:16:24Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > more like “food, or gas?” More like “when I get my first paycheck, I’ll need to decide between food or gas. But then I’ll actually get one or the other.” Usually, when you are holding out for that first paycheck, the beer money went long ago. Once that first paycheck comes, then the decision might be hard, but there isn’t a decision to make at the 'chupwich stage of employment. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/49 "2017-02-21T16:17:07Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > I guess none of them have friends or family so it somehow becomes the strangers at work’s responsibility to provide for these people? You’re missing the point. The OP sees a need and wants to help. _Thousand points of light and shit._ He’s not asking for opinions on whether or not he’s obligated, or someone else is. Sure all that’s debatable, but he’s asking for thoughts on how to help, not whether he should or not. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/50 "2017-02-21T16:32:02Z")
No, I get the point. They’re asking for help, I get it. I also think it’s a Really Bad Idea. Doing it for an individual on a one-off basis is one thing. Setting it up _at work_ for needy new hires is something totally different. Who judges the validity of the need? Why is it limited to new hires? There are probably liability and fairness issues that will come into play, as well as entitlement feelings. At work, if you make it available for one, you need to make it available to all. The solution is to keep it private, between the OP and the new hire, and don’t involve the company at all. That’s how you help. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/51 "2017-02-21T16:41:54Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > No, I get the point. They’re asking for help, I get it. I also think it’s a Really Bad Idea. Doing it for an individual on a one-off basis is one thing. Setting it up _at work_ for needy new hires is something totally different. Who judges the validity of the need? Why is it limited to new hires? There are probably liability and fairness issues that will come into play, as well as entitlement feelings. At work, if you make it available for one, you need to make it available to all. The solution is to keep it private, between the OP and the new hire, and don’t involve the company at all. That’s how you help. And here we have the divide between conservatives and liberals, summed up in one post about break room food. :rolleyes: For the OP: I think something like plain oatmeal packets and/or a jar of jam and a loaf of bread are enough to help without being enticing enough that those who aren’t in need are going to pig out on them. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/52 "2017-02-21T17:41:17Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > No, I get the point. They’re asking for help, I get it. I also think it’s a Really Bad Idea. Doing it for an individual on a one-off basis is one thing. Setting it up _at work_ for needy new hires is something totally different. Who judges the validity of the need? Why is it limited to new hires? There are probably liability and fairness issues that will come into play, as well as entitlement feelings. At work, if you make it available for one, you need to make it available to all. The solution is to keep it private, between the OP and the new hire, and don’t involve the company at all. That’s how you help. Where does OP say anyone’s “asking for help?” Please point it out. I’m guessing these people have been out of work for a bit, burned through what they had, and they want to _do something nice for these folks._ Why is doing something nice for other people such a contentious issue? Isn’t there a book out there where some guy says we should do that? something something New Testament? **CoastalMaineiac** , if it was me given the lack of refrigeration I’d stick to non-perishable stuff. Maybe hit up Costco or Sam’s (if available) and get some of those 8-packs of different kinds of soups. they usually have 2 or 3 soups, one or two assorted packs, and one or two chilis. and some paper plates/bowls. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/53 "2017-02-21T17:51:57Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > don’t involve the company at all. I must have missed the part where he was involving the company…c’est la vie ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/54 "2017-02-21T18:04:31Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > I guess none of them have friends or family so it somehow becomes the strangers at work’s responsibility to provide for these people? Some of us don’t have much family left. I’m pretty much down to my sister and my spouse, and the spouse currently has stage four metastatic cancer. If I didn’t have friends and generous strangers in my life at this point I don’t know where we’d be, other than a hell of a lot worse off than we currently are. Funny, though - every day at work I have people coming through my checkout line who are making large purchases of various items specifically for donation to the needy every single day. Some of them even ask that I pack the stuff ready-to-go in bags to hand out. If some “strangers at work” wish to help the needy what is it to you? Some people take pleasure from helping others even if you don’t. Seriously - would you rather see “those people” starve to death or sleeping on park benches? How does that benefit anyone? No, not everyone has family. Not everyone has friends who are _able_ to help out because, as a general rule, poor people don’t move in social circles with well off people. You can apply for food stamps any time but you don’t get them immediately (barring truly catastrophic circumstances I wouldn’t wish on anyone) and not everyone can get food stamps. Yes, people really can be responsible adults with good budgeting skills and STILL wind up with more week than paycheck given the right conjunction of circumstances. Sure, there are soup kitchens - but they frequently have hours incompatible with work hours. My god, how selfish, petty, and mean do you have to be to look at someone who hasn’t eaten anything but leftover ketchup packets for days, or picking through other peoples’ leftovers in a break room, and say “gee, you should have better life planning skills” rather than, say, offering them a bag of chips or a banana from your lunch? If someone wants to help someone else what is that to you? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/55 "2017-02-21T18:04:35Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > Where does OP say anyone’s “asking for help?” Please point it out. “They” being the OP. The help being “[What kinds of items should we get](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20014167&postcount=1)?”. Clearly, I’m of the minority opinion on this topic, but I’m okay with that. :shrug: Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/56 "2017-02-21T18:06:27Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > “They” being the OP. The help being “[What kinds of items should we get](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20014167&postcount=1)?”. Clearly, I’m of the minority opinion on this topic, but I’m okay with that. :shrug: Carry on. ok, _mea culpa._ I thought you were referring to OP’s co-workers. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/57 "2017-02-21T18:12:44Z")
I think the PB&J ingredients are a great idea – cheap, filling, shelf-stable, filling, and fitting in with most dietary restrictions (I think). ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/58 "2017-02-21T18:23:50Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think the PB&J ingredients are a great idea – cheap, filling, shelf-stable, filling, and fitting in with most dietary restrictions (I think). jelly/jam has to be refrigerated once opened, no? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/59 "2017-02-21T19:01:49Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > And here we have the divide between conservatives and liberals, summed up in one post about break room food. :rolleyes: I’m as liberal as they come on social programs and giving to those who need it. I think it’s a wonderful idea to see a need and want to help. I still think it can be complicated to set this kind of precedent in the workplace. Maybe there are new hires that are perfectly fine and don’t need a goody bag, and maybe some do need it but don’t want to be singled out as a charity case. Leaving food out for anyone can lead to the OP resenting freeloaders who don’t need the food at all. As far as the OP just asking for food advice and not other advice, sorry but if folks see possible issues it’s worth saying something. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341/60 "2017-02-21T19:03:17Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > jelly/jam has to be refrigerated once opened, no? For long term storage, yes, but if it’s in a breakroom, it’s not going to last very long and should be OK. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-feed-hungry-new-hires-at-work/780341.md?page=4)