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Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

businessinsider.com

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Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#261

Post by remarkEon »

vl wrote: post #255
nostrademons wrote: post #158

Lotta hate for Mountain View in the comments here, which is ironic because with this ordnance Mountain View is trying to fix a problem that tech companies get a lot of hate on HN for. I've got mixed feelings about this, so I'll try and explain both sides: The problem MV's fixing is the perception that highly-paid tech workers have become a class of their own, isolated from the larger communities in which they live an…

Another possible consequence is that food prices in vicinity of new FB office will go up and price everyone else out.

This is absolutely what will happen. In an attempt to force tech workers to "interact" with the community, what will happen is that the restaurants will become playgrounds for tech workers and the community members will go elsewhere.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#262

Post by null000 »

rpearl wrote: post #260

All the ripple effects of this are so poorly thought out. There'd be environmental effects--all that takeout is going to come in disposable containers instead of reusable plates. There'd be delivery congestion--personal delivery and catering increases. There's the fact that you're just putting tech kitchen workers out of a steady, consistent job (not to mention, those workers don't rely on tips!). And then at the end…

> putting tech kitchen workers out of a steady, consistent job

From what I understand, pretty much 100% of the work is fulfilled by contractors. While I could be wrong, that's not what I would call a "steady, consistent job"

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#263

Post by null000 »

augbog wrote: post #259

I want to say this is the least rude way but I'll just say it -- this really seems like an oversight of local restaurants being unable to adapt to the market they have. It's similar to how certain stores who failed to realize online retail failed. Right now, with tech it's heavily favored toward catered food which local restaurants don't necessarily specialize in. At my start up we have a generic catering company tha…

> this really seems like an oversight of local restaurants being unable to adapt to the market they have

I mean, how are you supposed to compete against cafeterias that get to literally embed themselves in a campus?

> At my start up we have a generic catering company that will have a rotating meal each day

FWIU that would still be allowed under the rules everyone's complaining about.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#264

Post by null000 »

remarkEon wrote: post #261
vl wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another possible consequence is that food prices in vicinity of new FB office will go up and price everyone else out.

This is absolutely what will happen. In an attempt to force tech workers to "interact" with the community, what will happen is that the restaurants will become playgrounds for tech workers and the community members will go elsewhere.

Seems a little early to say this with certainty, no? The thing hasn't even finished being built AFAIU

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#265

Post by null000 »

jackconnor wrote: post #197
nostrademons wrote: post #158

Lotta hate for Mountain View in the comments here, which is ironic because with this ordnance Mountain View is trying to fix a problem that tech companies get a lot of hate on HN for. I've got mixed feelings about this, so I'll try and explain both sides: The problem MV's fixing is the perception that highly-paid tech workers have become a class of their own, isolated from the larger communities in which they live an…

I feel what you're saying, and that definitely is something that happens. Especially for people who move for the job, it's very easy to keep oneself separate from the community. But making it illegal to feed your employees is a very stupid, very authoritarian way of dealing with it that feels like a terrible idea. I don't want to be told where to shop, ever, for any reason, and I dislike that these local governments…

I see these types of comments, and I have a really hard time viewing them as anything but pretty entitled.

I mean, yeah, it's unfortunate for those who won't get free lunches anymore (I'm currently part of the group that does, although I'm not in the bay area) but it's not like you deserve free food as a perk any more than any other random worker. If it were my company inflicting the decision on me after a record earnings call, yeah, I'd probably be pretty pissed off. But a city trying to make sure a corporation in a public, mixed use space doesn't insulate itself too much from the surrounding economy? There are pretty obviously people who benefit and people who are harmed, but it's not like this is the end of the world, those employees just aren't getting a benefit 99% of other employees in the world don't get either.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#266

Post by null000 »

nostrademons wrote: post #231
_8huj wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This situation sucks. On one hand, it might lead to higher wages being offered if you can't sell "free food" as a perk of employment. On the other hand, this makes me feel very libertarian and enraged that a local gov is trying to limit where I can get food. Currently I work in IT, and my employer has occasionally made food available with enough regularity that I stay onsite. I don't like having to hike back to my re…

Agreed that the situation sucks. I loved the free food in the Googleplex. As for other solutions - personally I'd love to see some form of vouchers + electronic ordering system where employees at local businesses could go online, select from the menu, have their employer pick up the tab (perhaps with some quota or auditing so you aren't always eating gourmet on the employers dime), and your phone beeps when your food…

My fiance worked at a company that had pretty much literally this system, just without the "free" part of it.

Go online, pick food from one or two places, get a text when the food arrives for the office. My understanding was that it worked decently well, just was a bit expensive compared to bringing lunch from home (obviously) and sometimes the food got repetitive.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#267

Post by toomanybeersies »

ardit33 wrote: post #165
nostrademons wrote: post #158

Lotta hate for Mountain View in the comments here, which is ironic because with this ordnance Mountain View is trying to fix a problem that tech companies get a lot of hate on HN for. I've got mixed feelings about this, so I'll try and explain both sides: The problem MV's fixing is the perception that highly-paid tech workers have become a class of their own, isolated from the larger communities in which they live an…

Yeah, the Communist party in Albania had a great way to deal with 'community involvment' Every first Sunday of the month (Sundays were the only days people had off, as Saturdays were actually work day), people were required to get out, and help clean out the neighborhood in 'cleaning actions'. If you didn't do it, you'd be reprimanded, and if you didn't comply you'd be sent into re-education class, on how community i…

This isn't the government having a say in what a person does in their private time.

To fit the allegory of Communist Albania that you gave, the government would be have to be forcing tech workers to eat a minimum quantity of food at local restaurants every week.

That's not what they are doing. You are still free to bring sandwiches from home, or order Soylent online and get it sent direct to your office, bypassing the local economy entirely.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#268

Post by toomanybeersies »

sverige wrote: post #217
gnicholas wrote: post #170

This was covered by the local news [1] and the city council member who was interviewed said: > “We felt the employees who work there should be able to patronize the businesses—the smaller businesses—in this shopping center” Employees already have the ability to patronize these businesses. This law is about compelling patronage. 1: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/New-Facebook-Offices-M...

Yes, compelling people to buy things that ought to be a personal and private decision is a very popular policy position for governments to take in recent years.

The government isn't compelling you to go to the local shopping centre. You can still order off Amazon.

Re: Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at tech companies

#269

Post by scarejunba »

selectodude wrote: post #257
anonytrary wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It could easily break a tie. If I can save an hour everyday because I don't have to figure out lunch/dinner, then that's more time for me.

People in literally every where else in the world live for that hour of lunchtime away from work, so I think (hope?) you're in the minority.

Yeah, but their coworkers suck. I like mine.
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