Posted By ash01 Hi, I'm new to this site but was hoping for some help. Basically our company is getting rid of our staffroom and have given us a table in the office to eat. However, they have said that we cannot have any hot food anymore, just cold food. Can they do this? Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

Posted By ash01 We do already have a microwave in the staffroom that we could bring to our office?

Posted By joolz040770 I'm afraid your company can place a ban on hot foods within the office. I would suggest taking this forward with a union rep or your HR Department to reach a suitable compromise.

Posted By Andy Barr The Workplace Regs ACoP requires means for heating food if workers "work during hours or at places where hot food cannot be obtained in, or reasonably near to the workplace" - so a microwave or oven needs to be provided. However, nothing is specified for day shift or if there are any facilities open nearby for you to get hot food from. In this case it's implicit in the Regulation that hot food can be eaten in the workplace as "suitable facilities shall be provided....to eat meals where meals are regularly eaten in the workplace" - this doesn't differentiate between hot and cold food - and it doesn't necessarily mean the food has to be heated up/cooked on the premises, just eaten. They may not want you eating hot food due to smells pervading the rest of the workplace and they may not necessarily have to provide you with the means to heat it but they have to provide you with suitable facilities to eat it if you buy it in. This is where H&S crosses over into HR territory.