18th February 2020
ETIQUETTE EXPERTS DEBRETT’S UNVEIL FIRST EVER GUIDE TO OFFICE MICROWAVE DECORUM
- Research shows 62% of workers get annoyed over the office microwave, Baxters demands change.
It’s the hub of all office activity, causes more arguments than Trump’s latest tweet and is an essential component of every office workers lunchtime routine – but why is the office microwave still such a touchy subject?
A new online study from Baxters reveals that 62% of office workers with access to a microwave get annoyed by the communal office microwave, with half getting annoyed at people not cleaning up their food spillages.
The study, commissioned by Baxters in collaboration with YouGov, surveyed 700 office workers across the UK following the launch of its new Super-licious Soup Pots range.
The new microwaveable pots may add to the ongoing office kitchen nightmares, however to combat the simmering workplace woes, Baxters has partnered with Debrett’s, the renowned authority on modern etiquette, to develop the first formal guide of its kind – A Guide to Office MicroManagement.
The guide offers top tips on microwave management, from how to avoid messy microwaves, the right to queue jump and when to put a lid on it, to suggestions for the awkward souperficial small talk when you’re searching for the right thing to say as you wait for the microwave to ping.
Lorraine Rothwell, European Marketing Director at Baxters Food Group, said: "If you work in a shared office space you will know that keeping up with the kitchen politics is a job in itself.
"When we launched our Superlicious Soup-Pots we knew they were the perfect lunchtime meal option, but we also knew it could cause some tension whilst people were in the kitchen, especially after our research showed us that 36% of workers feel the need to make conversation with people they don't know when using the microwave.
"As a result, we decided to work with Debretts to create a guide, filled with top tips, that will hopefully help people overcome those kitchen woes traditionallyassociated with communal microwaves and allow office workers to keep on top of their micro-management and enjoy their Super Licious soup pots argument free.”
Katherine Lewis, expert tutor at Debrett’s, said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Baxters on this definitive guide to office microwave etiquette. We know that the shared office microwave can cause friction between co-workers, and we hope this guide clears up any confusion surrounding the dos and don’ts of microwave management - from kitchen queue etiquette to the ultimate no-no: reheating last night’s leftover fish pie.”
The Soup Pots come in four vibrant flavours including Thai Chicken and Coconut with Fiery Ginger, Creamy Tomato with Tomato Chunks, Minestrone and Smoked Bacon with Orzo Pasta and Pumpkin and Sweet Potato with Warming Spices and are available in Waitrose, Co-Op and Spar stores across the country.
You can download the guide here.