Since moving buildings, we are no longer supposed to store food in the fridges (milk and medicines only), with the suggestion being that we use the restaurant (not subsidised, too expensive for the majority of staff to use every day). Several of us have had, we believe, cases of food poisoning since moving, and have started to use the fridge facilities for storing food. We've now been told that anything in the fridges will be removed at random checks. Is our employer allowed to dispose of our personal good? We work for a local Council, and this policy is not in place in other of our buildings.

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Originally Posted by elainedraper

Since moving buildings, we are no longer supposed to store food in the fridges (milk and medicines only), with the suggestion being that we use the restaurant (not subsidised, too expensive for the majority of staff to use every day). Several of us have had, we believe, cases of food poisoning since moving, and have started to use the fridge facilities for storing food. We've now been told that anything in the fridges will be removed at random checks. Is our employer allowed to dispose of our personal good? We work for a local Council, and this policy is not in place in other of our buildings.

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I'm assuming this is in the UK?

Yes, sorry (should have mentioned that!)

I'm not familiar with UK law on this. But unless the law or your employment contract requires them to supply food storage for brown baggers, then they can remove any food placed in area that are off limits to employees. As long as the policy is published and applied to all.

An employee putting food in the fridge is breaking company rules and not only can the food be destroyed, since you are told not to do it, but other punishment for breaking company rules can be done also. What is the rule for portable ice chest ?

Damn, was hoping there might be some element of discrimination in there somewhere. The policy only applies to people in one building; we have several others where this is not the case. We'll have to remain being off sick then!

There may be reasons that building is off limits. But if the rules apply to everyone in that building its not discrimination.

I'm not buying this argument that food poisoning is going to be the result of not having a fridge at your disposal each day. You bring in a lunch that you can consume that day, about 4 hours after arriving. I spent most of my life in schools and businesses that had no fridges (til high school we didn't even have a cafeteria; we ate what we brought at our desks).
Discriminating among buildings is another matter, but I doubt that you have any recourse there either.
Doing sick outs is just going to get you all fired, I suspect.

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Originally Posted by joypulv

I'm not buying this argument that food poisoning is going to be the result of not having a fridge at your disposal each day.

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I don't really buy it either, unless the building is very warm, even then...

My office has a countertop fridge, mostly for milk for coffee. So I bring lunch in a cooler with an ice pak. Never had a problem.