The workplace cake is likely one of the causes all of us trudged again into workplaces, proper? Sure, being within the workplace means we’re additional away from our fridges, comfiest blankets and lounges and nearer to our workplace enemies and shonky workplace airconditioning however there may be cake.
All types of cake! Chocolate, sponge, vanilla, purple velvet. If you’re fortunate the frosting is creamy and the cake is moist. If you’re unfortunate, your co-worker is allergic to gluten, and the cake will style like a stale loaf of bread.
I’d personally by no means dream of consuming cake at dwelling on a random Wednesday, however whether it is Debra from accounts’ birthday and there’s cake within the workplace at 11am, move me a fork.
It has at all times felt innocent and one of many few joys left in company life, however now the chair of Britain’s Food Standards Agency has gone and in contrast it to passive smoking.
Excuse me, ma’am? SBS reported that Professor Susan Jebb mentioned: “If nobody brought in cakes into the office, I would not eat cakes in the day, but because people do bring cakes in, I eat them. Now, OK, I have made a choice, but people were making a choice to go into a smoky pub.”
Did you must do this? I perceive what she is saying. Cake within the workplace is a temptation we’d all often keep away from if it wasn’t put in entrance of us. Who can say no to a bit of friendly-looking sponge cake?
I get that the purpose for all of us people must be to eat much less sugar and fat and do extra cross-fit or no matter exercise the coaches of The Biggest Losers screamed for the contestants to do.
However, I must draw the road at vetoing cake. Yes, cake has energy but it surely additionally brings individuals collectively.
The approach workplaces are likely to work is all of us sit at our little desks, with our heads in our computer systems and barely communicate to one another.
Particularly while you begin a brand new job, it might really feel overwhelmingly lonely after which a hero comes alongside, and that hero is a baked good and a girl saying, “Anna from HR is turning 30, I mean 21!” And everybody pretends to chortle.
Cake is what will get individuals out of their workplace chairs and into their celebration chat mode. You speak, you chortle, and sure, generally you gossip.
I’ve met a few of my workplace soulmates over a bit of cake and even shaped vital work connections.
There’s additionally one thing about seeing your boss brush crumbs off their shirt that makes them appear extra relatable and would possibly provide the braveness you might want to ask for a increase.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, most Australians expertise loneliness of their lifetime. 1 in 3 Australians reported feeling lonely in some unspecified time in the future between 2001 and 2009.
Basically, it isn’t far-fetched to say that individuals want methods to forge connections with others, and sure, it would even be definitely worth the sugar hit.
I’d wish to see the tip of loads of workplace traits! Why is somebody’s month-old meals at all times rotting within the fridge in a Tupperware container? Why is the airconditioning both too sizzling or too chilly? But cake! No, I’m taking a Marie Antoinette strategy. Let them eat cake!
Originally printed as Is workplace cake as unhealthy for you as second-hand smoke?
