insideKENT Magazine Issue 48 - March 2016 | Page 141
BUSINESSNEWS
LUNCH THAT PACKS A PUNCH: WATCH WHAT YOU EAT AT WORK
What you choose to eat at your desk could
make or break your relationship with colleagues,
according to new research released in February.
An online office brokerage has revealed that
nearly 80% of workers think eating smelly lunches
at a desk is unprofessional and that 40% think
a burger and fries is the worst offending smelly
food.
The survey, conducted by
www.officebroker.com, delved into the minds
and lunchboxes of 1,250 UK office workers to
discover what bothers them the most about
smelly lunches – and which foods are causing
the most discomfort in the workplace.
Nearly 80% of office-based workers said
they strongly believed eating a smelly lunch at
your desk is unprofessional, and 68% say it’s
just downright annoying and it’s your female
coworkers who are more likely to be judging
your lunch choices than the males. When it
comes to the crunch however, only just over
half the people surveyed say they would back
a stinky food ban.
It seems burgers with fries cause the most
bother, with 40% of people saying it’s not a
happy meal when they get a whiff of greasy fast
food in their workspace. Curry comes in a close
second and soup spills into third place with 22
and 12 percent of votes respectively. Fast food
chicken and fries, Chinese food and strong
smelling meat sandwiches are also among the
top foods causing office angst.
While 42% of Brits say they are solely irritated
by the smell of the food, another third admit it
actually makes them feel hungry. 18% say they
are put off their own lunch when they smell their
co-workers lunches and a surprising 8% say a
colleague’s lunch can make them feel sick.
CEO of OfficeBroker.com, Chris Meredith
said: “The results clearly show that the majority
of Brits don’t like people munching on stinky
meals in the workplace.” The solution, he says,
is to think before you eat. “Unless you want to
be labelled a lunchbox culprit, certain foods may
require open-air consumption or possibly a
canteen setting.”
KENT BIG HOSPITALITY CONVERSATION CREATES
430 JOB OPPORTUNITIES
More than 430 job opportunities, apprenticeships
and work placements for 16 to 24 year olds were
pledged by over 100 Kent businesses at the
recent Big Hospitality Conversation. The event,
organised by the British Hospitality Association
(BHA) and sponsored by Visit Kent, took place
at Ashford International Q Hotel in January and
welcomed more than 350 young Kent jobseekers
to its conference and careers marketplace.
The nationwide campaign aims to tackle
youth unemployment and to encourage the
creation of career paths, jobs, apprenticeships,
and structured work placements for under 25s
in the tourism and hospitality industry. Industry
experts shared advice with delegates on how to
the get the best out of job placements, and Visit
Kent co-hosted a panel discussion on the benefits
of offering work experience placements.
Chairman of Visit Kent and CEO of Shepherd
Neame Jonathan Neame described the UK’s
hospitality and tourism industry as ‘world class’,
giving his top reasons as to why young people
should choose it as a career. He said: “It was a
delight to be part of the Big Hospitality
Conversation, and to see so many keen and
determined young people receive strong job
opportunities by the end of the day. I was also
pleased to see so many business offering work
experience and apprenticeships to young people.
“Our industry offers excellent prospects for
young people and we can guarantee that - in
return for hard work, energy and a willingness
141
to learn – a great career and a bright future
awaits you.”
The event was sponsored by Visit Kent, Q
Hotels and Southeastern Railway, which donated
250 rail passes to jobseekers for the event. It is
also supported by national campaign partners
Springboard, Department for Works and
Pensions, National Apprenticeship Service and
Jobcentre Plus.
Accounting for 10% of the national workforce,
the tourism and hospitality sector offers significant
career opportunities to people of all ages, skill
levels and qualifications. It is the UK’s 4th largest
employment sector, and one of its fastest growing,
hence the need for recruitment and retention in
the industry is vital to the UK economy. In Kent
alone, the industry supports 67,000 jobs and
contributes £3.4bn to the economy.
To join the next Big Hospitality Conversation,
or to make a pledge please contact the
BHA [email protected] or
020 74047744.
For more information about Kent, please
visit www.visitkent.co.uk.