The break room. That ever-so-popular room with the vending machines with candy and pop, a fridge or two, a sink, and the holy grail of break room lore - the coffee machine.
When we first moved into this new building last December, the coffee machine was actually nice. There were at least four different kinds of flavored coffees, a decaf selection, and a dozen varieties of Bigelow tea. I probably drank 2-3 cups of tea every day for a few months... and most people know I'm not the biggest tea drinker.
Then the cuts came.
During the summer they announced (read: put a small sign above the mahcine) that they would be 'slimming' down the break room ammenities. There would no longer be multiple flavors of coffee - only one. You like decaf? Bring your own, 'cause they ain't buying it anymore. Tea? Umm... we have Lipton.
So this is how it's been. Bad coffee that only true junkies drink and one kind of tea that needs doctoring by 5 sugar packets. But it's free.
Until today.
Signs posted to the cabinets in the room announce that there will no longer be free coffee or tea in the break room. Instead they're putting new vending machines on the odd floors. Considering that I work on an even floor, this really bunches my knickers. When companies start taking away a basic amenity such as plain ol' coffee, they've crossed an invisible line that just shouldn't be crossed.
I know this is an incredibly long post about something pretty benign, and I don't even drink the coffee 'cause it's so bad, but it's just a sad day when your CEO makes a few million dollars, yet you can't afford coffee for the masses.
Posted by Austin at December 18, 2003 10:02 AMI don't think that is a small issue. That's ridiculous. Coffee is relatively cheap and keeps everyone working. That was a bad move.
Posted by: Shawn on December 18, 2003 01:37 PMHere's another example of how cheap the company is becoming around the holidays. Employees within the Semiconductor sector they're trying to sell have been told they need to take a mandatory 2 week vacation without pay.
Cheap!
Posted by: Austin on December 18, 2003 04:42 PMSuck-o. Now you apparently have the same foot flavored coffee we've had for years. The mandatory vacation stinks as well, but I guess it beats cutting the executive's paycheck. If CEOs don't make 500 times the average worker, they get cranky.
Posted by: EdgeWise on December 19, 2003 02:19 PMMy company had beverages, petit-fours, lox canapes, shrimp, candy, and veggies today. No lie!
Posted by: Janine on December 19, 2003 04:40 PMI don't know what three of those things are! We just had beer today. Lots and lots of free beer. Good enough for me!
Posted by: Shawn on December 20, 2003 12:17 AM