You are perfectly right, in that this is a real thing.
Lunches are not just food intake, and being there or not will have an effect on your work life.
I personally feel it’s something that should be more explicited. It goes well along shared bathroom breaks, cigarette breaks, after hours drinking, golf on week-ends.
We all draw the line somewhere different on wether we are willing to do it or not, but it should at least be made clearer this is part of work and not some fun ride. We make it clear with our family or partners, it should be clear on the company side as well.
Note: eating with friends that happen to work at the same place is yet another matter, that’s not what I am pointing at
Lunches are not just food intake, and being there or not will have an effect on your work life.
I personally feel it’s something that should be more explicited. It goes well along shared bathroom breaks, cigarette breaks, after hours drinking, golf on week-ends.
We all draw the line somewhere different on wether we are willing to do it or not, but it should at least be made clearer this is part of work and not some fun ride. We make it clear with our family or partners, it should be clear on the company side as well.
Note: eating with friends that happen to work at the same place is yet another matter, that’s not what I am pointing at