Struggling to Announce a No-Food Policy at Work? How Would You Start the Memo?

Hi HR Practitioners, today, I am tasked with issuing a notice to employees regarding a new policy—a no-food policy inside the office premises. I am struggling to think of ways to start the memo. Please help.

Thank you.

Dear Sherylyn,

I am sharing a fine example of a memo I received once. I hope this will be of some help in solving your problem.

"Policy on No Food Inside the Office

Dear Team,

The policy of no food inside the office is meant to ensure hygiene and a clean environment. It is important while at work and does not disrupt business operations. No food inside is permitted whatsoever during office hours. No types of edibles are allowed and can be brought inside the office premises. All eating should be limited to the lunch hour. If required, employees need to go outside the office for their appetizing needs. This policy should be followed with high priority. All the staff working at (NAME OF THE COMPANY) are requested to cooperate in implementing this policy without any deviation. Team leaders are asked to give strict orders to their team members to follow this policy. Those who go beyond the policy should be reported to (CONCERN PERSON'S NAME).

Regards"

In my case, the management decided not to allow food merely for hygienic purposes. We have been receiving complaints about insects and rats in our office. Also, I think it is appropriate not to allow it during office hours to professionalize the culture of the company.

Each office has its own pantry area wherein employees can leave their packed lunch and snacks.

Thanks.

Regards,
Lyn

Considerations for Implementing a No-Food Policy

Hope your management has considered that employees will go out and eat if they are hungry. This will result in more time away from the work desk. I am an HR person myself, and while this policy may be decided for all practical purposes, one cannot ignore the human part of decision-making.

Nevertheless, I realize that your query is regarding issuing a mailer. That's a no-brainer. You can Google this and get numerous formats. Keep a standard format of (introduction, purpose, actual policy, concluding comments, and details in case of queries) for this mailer. It shouldn't be too tedious a task.

I am a little puzzled about this fuss regarding the No Food Policy at the office to deal with mice and insects. How about someone needing to have a bite of a biscuit once in a while for health reasons? However, I agree that the lunch hour should have a fixed time slot to prevent the office from looking like a dining hall.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
In-House HR & IR Advisor

I must agree with the logic that employees tend to leave their desks for a snack. I guess that is another problem I need to address.

Kindly do not look at it as a problem. If there's no food allowed inside, naturally, employees will go out. Remember, diabetics have to have their food intake at fixed intervals. Anyway, you may approach your management to find a way around this issue. Maybe have a designated area for food. Have a dedicated staff for keeping the pantry clean, take care of pest control, etc.

As far as problems of insects and rodents are concerned, this issue persists from homes to even five-star hotels. The only way to address that is prevention.

Memo Sample

Dear All,

With your commendable effort and discipline, we have been able to organize our organization in a very efficient way. Concerning our valuable assets (the staff), this policy of NO FOOD INSIDE OFFICE has been implemented from 8th May 2014.

An action has its profound effect. We are not aiming for perfection; rather, we are in a state to build a healthy environment with positive influence and an active lifestyle. You may dislike the concept, but the profound effect is not easy to deny:

• Maintaining Hygiene
• Reducing the Risk of Chronic Diseases
• Proper Brain Functioning
• Most importantly, Maintaining Physical Address

I hope you all will understand the insight of the subject and cooperate once again for a better and healthy environment.

Thanks.

With regards,
[Your Name]

P.S.: Waiting for feedback and one valuable suggestion: we can have a short break in between of 15 minutes.

Before implementing such a policy, management should have provided an alternative and specific place for dining. After providing the same, if the staff does not adhere to the rules, then a memo should be issued.

Regards,
Eswar

Is such a policy really required? (Wondering, not passing a judgment)

Impact of Over-Regulation on Employee Welfare

Do we, in our zeal to make the work environment better, make it so regulated and bureaucratized that instead of promoting employee welfare, we end up promoting employee dissatisfaction?

Treating Employees with Respect

Why do we need to tell the employees that they are teenage hostel boys who need to be kept on a tight leash by dictating if they can munch a biscuit at their work desk or not? How about a good round of pest control over a weekend to check for rats?

HR's Role in Workplace Perception

Do we, through our own actions, fuel the negativity people usually have for HR?

If we talk about food (lunch/heavy food), you can make this policy. However, if you are talking about munching, it could be a problem for employees who are not well enough to go out each time, for example, diabetic people, pregnant employees, differently-abled individuals, etc. This could lead to a significant loss in their productive time. Therefore, you have to be very careful to differentiate while formulating the policy.

Regards,
Ram Chauhan

Pest Control Guidelines for the Office

Off-late, we have all been experiencing a lot of pest problems at our workstations. Despite numerous rounds of pest control activity, we have not been able to completely control the problem. We looked into the matter further and observed that a few steps from us, as the owners of the workstation, need to be followed too. Here are the guidelines:

• Let us not bring evening snacks from the cafeteria to the workstations.
• Even if you would like to have some refreshments/snacks, please ensure that you clear and clean the desk. Do not leave any crumbs, even in the dustbin. Please dispose of them properly.
• Take care not to leave any snacks that you bring personally out in the open on the desk, as this would easily attract cockroaches, rodents, and other insects.
• Once you have had tea/coffee/refreshments, either dispose of the containers or leave the cups/glasses in the pantry for washing.

I am sure this small gesture by each one of us collectively would surely help us prevent this from becoming a menace in the future.

Regards,
[Username]

Designated Eating Areas in Offices

Offices should have designated areas for eating breakfast and lunch. This will prevent food droppings, which attract ants and rats. I know of cases where rats have caused short circuits and damaged computer cables because staff disposed of waste food in dustbins within the office area or cubicles. Having a bite of a biscuit or a snack need not be restricted to such an extent. However, eating heavier meals and leaving waste in office cubicles is unsafe for both pest control and avoiding bad odors from waste food, especially in fully air-conditioned offices. We need to seek cooperation from employees rather than enforcing strict rules.