Why do employers...

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

darkamulets

Senior member
Feb 21, 2002
784
0
76
Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Why do employers have coffee and tea free, but charge $1 for a 20 oz bottle of soda? Why not plop up a soda fountain next to the coffee machine?

We have a little soda machine, that uses 3 syrup boxes and a gas canister to get us Sprite, Diet Coca Cola & Classic Coca Cola.
 

SophalotJack

Banned
Jan 6, 2006
1,252
0
0
Originally posted by: pclstyle
heh, went by a few companies during a tour of fall river last week that offer their employees basically a free continental breakfast every morning. small operations, but they have eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee/tea/orange juice - the works.

someone in management mentioned to me that it was a tried and true method of reducing tardiness - they only offer the breakfast in a 30 minute window prior to the start of the regular company-wide shift time, so if you want in - you better be there.


pretty cute idea, and i don't think the employees were complaining.

For some reason, I would take a job like that more seriously.
 

Juice Box

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2003
9,615
1
0
Originally posted by: SophalotJack
Originally posted by: pclstyle
heh, went by a few companies during a tour of fall river last week that offer their employees basically a free continental breakfast every morning. small operations, but they have eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee/tea/orange juice - the works.

someone in management mentioned to me that it was a tried and true method of reducing tardiness - they only offer the breakfast in a 30 minute window prior to the start of the regular company-wide shift time, so if you want in - you better be there.


pretty cute idea, and i don't think the employees were complaining.

For some reason, I would take a job like that more seriously.

exactly the point they do it....as i said earlier ^^ the place I work has little perks like that, and it is a super-successful company, especially for how small it is overall
 

Rumpltzer

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2003
4,815
33
91
I have a friend who works as an animator at a large gaming company. They get a huge variety of snacks and drinks, breakfast and lunch. If they're on crunch time, they even get order-out dinner delivered to the office.

At my last job we got coffee and tea. At my present job, we have a water cooler... bring your own cup/bottle.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,758
602
126
Originally posted by: JackRyan
Someone here has taken it upon himself to buy soda's at Costco and sell them for 50 cents in the kitchen area. (There are 4 vending machines within a 20 second walk) .

I extended the ridiculousness by printing out "Paper towel 10 cents", "Water 75 cents", etc and posting them all over the kitchen.

I assume the soda machines are charging 75 cents. Sounds like he's just undercutting the competition to me. Plus the machine might eat your money.
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
At the group within IBM where I may work, apparently all the Coke machines are $0.25. For 20 oz bottles
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: Juice Box
Same where I work, they have some sort of breakfast every morning for the employees to enjoy before the workday starts. They also pay for every employees' lunch every day. They order in a bunch of food daily, or if you go out, you can expense report it for up to $8....its a great benefit and keeps the employees super-happy!
That is a neat idea
 

PlatinumGold

Lifer
Aug 11, 2000
23,168
0
71
Originally posted by: pclstyle
heh, went by a few companies during a tour of fall river last week that offer their employees basically a free continental breakfast every morning. small operations, but they have eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee/tea/orange juice - the works.

someone in management mentioned to me that it was a tried and true method of reducing tardiness - they only offer the breakfast in a 30 minute window prior to the start of the regular company-wide shift time, so if you want in - you better be there.


pretty cute idea, and i don't think the employees were complaining.

a friend of mine that has a small business offers this AND he buys lunch and has it delivered every day. he says it saves him more than that in reduced tardiness (people going away for lunch and not getting back on time etc. plus it's a write off.

 

gsellis

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2003
6,061
0
0
Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Why do employers have coffee and tea free, but charge $1 for a 20 oz bottle of soda? Why not plop up a soda fountain next to the coffee machine?
Reason: Demon-Xanth + sugar + caffeine = TROUBLE!
:p

as noted, cost and comfort level. We get coffee and 5g bottled water. We still make our own coffee as 100% Hawaiian >> Maxwell House

 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Originally posted by: Platypus
Nothing is free where I work except the water fountain.

Same here. Soda is up to 90 cents for a 12 ounce can, too, so I've resorted to bringing in my own sodas to drink at this point :|
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,923
3,901
136
Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Originally posted by: pclstyle
heh, went by a few companies during a tour of fall river last week that offer their employees basically a free continental breakfast every morning. small operations, but they have eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee/tea/orange juice - the works.

someone in management mentioned to me that it was a tried and true method of reducing tardiness - they only offer the breakfast in a 30 minute window prior to the start of the regular company-wide shift time, so if you want in - you better be there.


pretty cute idea, and i don't think the employees were complaining.

Well, I've noticed that you can pay someone $80k/year and not be able to get them to come to the meetings where they are needed. But a $0.50 donut will get them into the door every time.

Punch and pie!!!111!1
 

eakers

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
12,169
2
0
i knew I was in trouble when the company I worked for made us pay for our coffee
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
i don't get that either, coffee isn't really cheap anymore, and not as many people drink it as in the olden days

so to save $, i would just can the whole thing, if i was the boss
 

thirtythree

Diamond Member
Aug 7, 2001
8,680
3
0
Originally posted by: FoBoT
i don't get that either, coffee isn't really cheap anymore, and not as many people drink it as in the olden days

so to save $, i would just can the whole thing, if i was the boss
Canned coffee? Ingenious!
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
I guess we are like where I work having a cafeteria which offers free refills on fountain drinks. They close by 2pm so you either fill up then or you are left with vending machines. Personally I drink water and free up about 800 calories a day.
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
we have a free snapple machine :)

but for the rest of you... coffee and tea are hella cheap, while installing a soda fountain would be pretty expensive for such a minimal benefit. it's a lot easier to just contact a vending machine dealer and let them put in one of their soda/snack machines.
 

2Dead

Senior member
Feb 19, 2005
886
1
81
My old building had a soda machine, a juice machine, as well as coffee and tea and all that stuff. My new building only has coffee and tea for free. Soda and juice are available from the vending machines. I guess 35c isn't expensive for a can of soda but 35c costs more than nothing. All the jucies and 20 oz bottles are $1 so still cheaper or equal to buying them from somewhere else so I guess its not that bad.
 

FreshPrince

Diamond Member
Dec 6, 2001
8,361
1
0
depends on the size of the company...

coffee for 20 people ain't nothing, but becomes pretty expensive for 1000+

our office is close to banning drinks any where other than break rooms and kitchen because spilled drinks cost $$ as well.