WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat • Hacker News Board

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#71

Post by koala_man » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:47 PM UTC

kyledrake wrote: post #42

I can't eat a lot of types of food due to allergies. Meat is one of the few things I still can eat without issue. Yes, there are actually people out there (hi, me!) that actually cannot eliminate certain foods from our diets without getting sick. This policy would prevent me from being able to work at that company, for recognized medical health reasons, because I would not be able to do legitimate expenses of food re…

>Forcing your employees to only eat certain kinds of food is an intensely terrible thing to do.

I absolutely agree. Fortunately, no one is doing that. WeWork employees can eat as much meat as they want. It's just that WeWork won't pay for it.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#72

Post by pkaye » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:48 PM UTC

> co-founder Miguel McKelvey said the firm’s upcoming internal “Summer Camp” retreat would offer no meat options for attendees.

Maybe if they care about the environment perhaps they should skip the summer camp retreat and donate the money to charity? It certainly is not an essential thing to be doing.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#73

Post by downandout » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

kyledrake wrote: post #42

I can't eat a lot of types of food due to allergies. Meat is one of the few things I still can eat without issue. Yes, there are actually people out there (hi, me!) that actually cannot eliminate certain foods from our diets without getting sick. This policy would prevent me from being able to work at that company, for recognized medical health reasons, because I would not be able to do legitimate expenses of food re…

Not only is it terrible from a dietary standpoint, it reveals an intolerant workplace culture that I certainly wouldn't want any part of. Most of the world, and likely most of their employees, eat meat. It shows a serious lack of connection with the real world, and a willingness on the part of management to forcefully impose extreme views on a whim.

Sounds like an unhealthy place to work, even if they all become vegetarians.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#74

Post by curo » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

kyledrake wrote: post #42

I can't eat a lot of types of food due to allergies. Meat is one of the few things I still can eat without issue. Yes, there are actually people out there (hi, me!) that actually cannot eliminate certain foods from our diets without getting sick. This policy would prevent me from being able to work at that company, for recognized medical health reasons, because I would not be able to do legitimate expenses of food re…

a) force WeWork owners to pay for something they're morally opposed to paying for b) force staff to do what exactly? Pay for their own meat?

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#75

Post by ahelwer » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

wu-ikkyu wrote: post #56

ahelwer wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The annoyance is fascinating to me, because I grew up eating meat and also felt such annoyance. It's an interesting thread to pull if you're into knowing thyself - why do I feel especially aggravated on this topic? Might lead you somewhere.

>why do I feel especially aggravated on this topic? Might lead you somewhere. For the same reason a homosexual is annoyed by other people preaching to them that their actions are immoral and against nature.

I don't find this equivalence very compelling. Anti-gay arguments are based on either religious or extreme-naturalism grounds. This seems much different than arguments based around not harming sentient creatures, which I think many people intuitively identify with to some degree.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#76

Post by poulsbohemian » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

meowface wrote: post #5

exabrial wrote: post #2

Ok, they're a private company, they can do what they want. If you don't like it, don't work there. But, really......

Like it or not, this is the side of history that will eventually win out. In 50-100 years from now, expect this kind of arrangement to be very common with American companies.

When I was a traveling consultant, meal and lodging budgets were generally so bad that it really only made sense to eat a single meal per day anyway. While WeWork might be on a moral kick about this, I can only see it becoming common if companies can use it as some kind of cost cutting loophole, in much the same way many have a no-alcohol policy. Yes meat will continue to be a rare and expensive thing, but humans have been eating it for a few millennia now, I have a hard time seeing that go away in the 100 year picture.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#77

Post by juancn » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

jlarocco wrote: post #63

kyledrake wrote: post #42

I can't eat a lot of types of food due to allergies. Meat is one of the few things I still can eat without issue. Yes, there are actually people out there (hi, me!) that actually cannot eliminate certain foods from our diets without getting sick. This policy would prevent me from being able to work at that company, for recognized medical health reasons, because I would not be able to do legitimate expenses of food re…

I guess I missed how anybody being "forced" to do anything. Their employees are still free to buy all the meat they want.

They're forced for example in the context of a business trip.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#78

Post by nkrisc » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

nodesocket wrote: post #52

> that staff will not be able to expense any meals that include poultry, pork or red meat That is absurd. Imagine the opposite (a company only allowed expensing meat meals) and the amount of blowback, PR nightmare, and internet outrage. The hypocrisy continues.

What exactly is the hypocrisy? Eating only meat is a very restricted and strange diet while excluding only meat can be a perfectly healthy diet. You're trying to make these equal opposites but they're not.

Sort of like how not serving alcohol is acceptable but serving only alcohol (not even water) would be outrageous.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#79

Post by watwut » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:50 PM UTC

user5994461 wrote: post #66

It's obvious they are trying to save money, with the weirdest excuse they could find. Meat is the most expensive part of any meal.

Eating vegetarian is more expensive if you want to feel full and satiated in the end.

Re: WeWork Will No Longer Let Employees Expense Any Kind of Meat

#80

Post by temp54679680544 » Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 9:51 PM UTC

curo wrote: post #74

kyledrake wrote: post #42

I can't eat a lot of types of food due to allergies. Meat is one of the few things I still can eat without issue. Yes, there are actually people out there (hi, me!) that actually cannot eliminate certain foods from our diets without getting sick. This policy would prevent me from being able to work at that company, for recognized medical health reasons, because I would not be able to do legitimate expenses of food re…

a) force WeWork owners to pay for something they're morally opposed to paying for b) force staff to do what exactly? Pay for their own meat?

I'm pro-choice.

The exact same argument is used for requiring companies and insurance plans to pay for abortion.