New York Times:
WeWork is no longer a safe space for carnivores.
Earlier this month, the co-working juggernaut announced that it was essentially going vegetarian. The company will no longer serve red meat, pork or poultry at company functions, and it will not reimburse employees who want to order a hamburger during a lunch meeting.
Uncomfortable as the new dietary policy may be, Mr. McKelvey said WeWork is only just getting started. The company is phasing out leather furniture, single-use plastics and is going carbon neutral. In time, he said, the company will evaluate its consumption of seafood, eggs, dairy and alcohol.
“We could have introduced a series of nudges, but then we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Mr. McKelvey said. “And awkward conversations are how we learn.”
Oh, I think we’d learn a lot from the “awkward conversation” I’d have with my boss if he told me I couldn’t eat meat at work.
“You’ll be the person eating carne asada while everyone else is eating the lettuce bowl.”
Yeah – I have no problem with that.
Good on WeWork.
Please check this out –
http://thevegancalculator.com/animal-slaughter/
Just stare at those numbers for 60 seconds and reflect upon it.
As a vegetarian, let me just say that this is totally nuts.
“In ways large and small, companies are imposing corporate values on the personal lives of their employees.”
Quite simply, one of the scourges of the modern western world.
“…it will not reimburse employees who want to order a hamburger during a lunch meeting.”
If you don’t want to serve meat, that’s your choice. I will happily bring my own. You won’t pay for the lunch that I want when it’s a work requirement? Screw you.
if you think this only applies to the western world, you need to educate yourself.
Nobody is telling anyone they can’t eat meat at work. The company has decided they will not provide meat to employees when the company provides food.
If you don’t like it and you work there and you want to eat meat, go ahead. But it won’t be provided by the company.
What if you want sushi but they only have pizza? Should the company be required to order sushi for you?
There’s a difference in scope, I think. Also, it sounds like they’ve said they will reimburse some things. So if they reimburse the lunch you choose to bring, then… yes to your question. Obviously.
As well intentioned as these types of policies are, they are rarely effective, and often just inaccurate. For one, humans are not carnivores, they are omnivores. Everyone always seems to think it’s an either/or thing. Second, it’s not really the meat that is the problem, its the method. If you look at the work Alan Savory is doing, ruminants can have a very happy animal life, and are carbon neutral if a method called rotational grazing is used. And third, all agriculture is destructive. If all you eat are carrots, then you need space to grow those carrots. Using that space to grow carrots means taking a habitat from all forms of animal life, not to mention vegetation that used to live in that space. Look for Alan Savory’s Ted Talk or check out Diana Rogers’ upcoming film: Kale vs. Cow. https://filmmakerscollab.networkforgood.com/projects/45545-filmmakers-collaborative-kale-vs-cow-the-case-for-better-meat
Meh. I’m not in the least bit uncomfortable with this policy. Comparing it to those imposed by Koch Industries and Hobby Lobby is exaggerated and sloppy reporting; the writer is trying to stir up controversy over relatively nothing. And that snarky “carne asada” quote is just another spitball from a guy who used to have to manage a company full of sheltered, asocial tech nerds.
If the company’s buying my lunch, my only requirements are that there’s more protein and greens than carbs, and that the selection tastes more interesting than raw tofu.
I did an onsite freelance gig at a NYC engineering firm a few years ago which catered their regular conference-room meetings with terrific, mostly-vegetarian salads. After each meeting, copious leftovers were made available to the rest of the staff. I was very happy with not having to venture downstairs to the chaos of the Penn Station area.
Show me proof that WeWork’s CEO is actively shaming folks who bring in meat products, and we can talk.
“carnivores”
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
om·ni·vore
ˈämnəˌvôr/Submit
noun
noun: omnivore; plural noun: omnivores
an animal or person that eats food of both plant and animal origin.
Right, but the company hasn’t told anyone they can’t eat meat at work, only that they’ll no longer be footing the bill. I’ve got no problem with that decision, especially since they outlined their reasons and since no company I’ve ever worked for bought me anything for lunch, let alone meat.
you’ve never had a company lunch or dinner? wow.
i have a nut sensitivity, can you select another word, please?
WeWork’s new policy isn’t an example of this.
Splitting hairs. Some companies have catering services with fixed menus. Some smaller companies or workgroups pull out a mutually agreed-upon takeout menu for a local restaurant.
Well, if you want to get into the weeds and take my comment literally, sure, I’ve attended the occasional company lunch or dinner, and probably had meat of some sort, although I honestly can’t recall. However, that’s not what WeWork is talking about. They supply food daily for the kitchens in their various office buildings and, given the numbers they’ve tossed out in terms of what they’ll save yearly by not serving meat, they serve a ton of it. That, sadly, is not something I’ve ever experienced. My work lunches, save the odd special occasion, were provided by myself, with or without meat.
id agree depending on the protein source used as a replacement. soy/tofu won’t cut it, especially for men due to the estrogen-like effects of heavy soy intake. protein is arguably the most important macro nutrient needed to build and preserve a healthy, strong, capable body.
From what I’ve read, that soy/estrogen fear for men isn’t supported by studies. And even if there’s some effect on, say, fertility, that doesn’t affect my child-free life in the slightest. A potential reduction in prostate cancer, on the other hand, works great for me.
True.
And equally, that tells me I’d never, ever want to work for that company, because of what it tells me about their priorities and how they think about their peons, er, employees.
I’ll be interested to hear if they continue to adjust this policy.
“Nobody is telling anyone they can’t eat meat at work.”
For the time being. But the story says, “Mr. McKelvey said WeWork is only just getting started. The company is phasing out leather furniture, single-use plastics and is going carbon neutral. In time, he said, the company will evaluate its consumption of seafood, eggs, dairy and alcohol.”
It’s certainly conceivable that, at some point in the future, the company would say, “You can’t eat meat at work”. It’s not a stretch.
I understand they’re still suppling fish, so protein should not be an issue. I’m not sure where they are on eggs, as I do believe they’re not doing chicken either.
EDIT: Still doing eggs and dairy (for now), so again I don’t think anyone will be protein starved between fish, eggs, yogurt, etc.