[mejarc]

One thing I liked about my time as "dog-collar labor" is that all my co-workers had interesting non-work pursuits, and there was no penalty for leaving work behind to engage in them. None of us mistook our stints as cashiers, food servers, or book store clerks for our passions, nor did our employers.

There was refreshing frankness that the whole thing was just business, nothing personal: no, we weren't enticed with company-paid meals, but we also weren't required to work limitless overtime.

[coldtea]

>no, we weren't enticed with company-paid meals, but we also weren't required to work limitless overtime.

I.e exchange your little precious time in this world for some token BS "handout", that's pre-calculated in your pay expenses anyway.

[pmcg]

I prefer company meals since it saves my time. I don't have to go out and get food or bring my own. This is assuming the food is good and healthy, which it happens to be.

[kelnos]

Being served lunch at the office is certainly convenient, and takes less time, but I wouldn't say it saves me time.

We have catered lunches 2-3 times per week. On those days, I will usually take about 30 minutes for lunch, and get right back to work. On other days, I'll take 45-90 minutes for lunch, and I'll get to take a walk, go outside, possibly see some of my non-work friends, and have different food.

The bottom line is that I'm going to leave the office at the end of the day at roughly the same time, regardless of the length of my lunch. That's almost certainly not the case for everyone, but, as a data point, it is for me. Lunch at the office only "saves" me time to get more work done that day. Don't get my wrong: I love my job, but I also love being outside and seeing friends too.