Employer taking away staff meals - what can I do?

Ash_Pole

At work we have a staff canteen and our employment contracts state that we're entitled to a meal there once a day. For "business reasons" they have now decided to close this, and have said that there will be no compensation (e.g. no pay rise). They've said that if we don't agree to this change, they will give notice on our contracts and then re-employ us on new contracts that don't have the meal provision.

The meal is a great benefit, especially for the lower paid, but not enough to make this a resigning matter. Is there anything we can do about this, or is it just tough?

Takeaway_Addict

does it actually say 'free' meal?

Regardless, if they change it and produce the new contracts you would have to go through a tribunal and that cna cost upto £1200 and even then you might not win if the business reasons stack up.

Personally I think you just have to suck it up but if ur a union member check with them.

Tiddlywinks

That free meal perk should have been declared to HMRC as a taxable benefit anyway... so there should be a saving there.

Realistically, companies are having to make choices about operating costs... would you rather keep your free lunch at the expense of some being made redundant?

Let's be reasonable.

Ash_Pole

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

That free meal perk should have been declared to HMRC as a taxable benefit anyway... so there should be a saving there.

A staff canteen that has free meals available to all employees is not a taxable benefit.