Office cake culture: an exploration of its characteristics, associated behaviours and attitudes among UK office workers; implications for workplace health.

Flannery, Orla ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4669-2781 and Walker, Lou (2020) Office cake culture: an exploration of its characteristics, associated behaviours and attitudes among UK office workers; implications for workplace health. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 13 (1). pp. 95-115. ISSN 1753-8351

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Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores the characteristics of office cake (OC) consumption and the associated attitudes and behaviours among UK office workers to gain insight into the implications for workplace health. Design: A cross-sectional online questionnaire was completed by 940 respondents. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation with Chi-square tests for between-group difference. Findings: Respondents reported both positive social and negative health-related consequences of OC. OC influenced eating behaviour through increased salience and availability, and the effects of social influencing. Almost all (94.8%) reported ideal OC frequency to be once/week or less. Gender and age significantly affected attitudes and behaviour. Research limitations/implications: The questionnaire was not validated so data accuracy could have been diminished or biased. Portion size was not examined and consumption data was self-reported which could have resulted in under-reporting. Only office workers were investigated therefore results may not be applicable to other workplaces. Practical implications: OC appears to influence both the workplace eating environment and employee eating behaviour. It could therefore affect employee health and workplace health promotion programme efficacy. However the findings suggest that nudge-based initiatives could reduce OC consumption to make workplaces healthier while retaining social benefits. Originality/value: The present study provides the first data on OC culture and insights on how to address it sensitively. It also highlights that sweet treats used for celebration and employee recognition should be considered a relevant part of workplace food provision alongside canteens and vending.