How many free treats is it socially acceptable to nab in the breakroom? Given the chance to voice their opinions on this topic, healthcare workers had a lot to say.
In a humorous study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ, investigators surveyed 1,874 British healthcare workers and academics over a four-week period.
Study subjects were asked how many free hot drinks and snack-size cookie packets could be taken on visits to a hospital library before their consumption entered the “excessive” zone. The inspiration for the study was signage suggesting that healthcare library patrons rein in their appetites in order to ensure continued access to the free goodies.
Respondents reported that taking more than an average of 2.25 free cookie packets in a single visit would be too much, with doctors having a slightly higher threshold for excessive cookie consumption than non-doctors (2.35 versus 2.14 packets).
Those who had been in their roles longer appeared to set greater limits on cookie enjoyment, at an average of 2.16 cookie packets for those employed more than eight years versus nearly 3 packets for workers with less than two years on the job.
May I have some more (hot drinks)?
When it came to free library drinks versus self-supplied drinks, healthcare workers gave themselves a pass. With coffee the preference of slightly over half of respondents, an average of 3.32 hot drinks per visit was considered reasonable. Notably, when they supplied the drinks themselves, the number considered excessive was lower, averaging 3.04.
Type of beverage played a role in these decisions. Tea drinkers, for example, had a lower threshold for excessive consumption than coffee drinkers.
In addition, the department of work or clinical specialty also appeared to impact drink limit-setting. General practitioners said they would consume more free hot drinks than emergency department staff (an average of 3.67 versus 3.22).
Texted comments
The anonymous survey also allowed respondents to freely text their thoughts about the study subject. Strong opinions about snack breaks were expressed, such as:
“Access to high quality, fully caffeinated coffee should be considered essential to the maintenance of full cognitive function for clinicians in all clinical settings.”
“Employers should provide hot drinks for their staff (I’m an employer and I do this).”
“Biscuit (cookie) consumption is directly proportional to how badly the day is going.”
“I think it’s excessive if lots of biscuits are taken in one hit. It’s not excessive in my opinion if it’s spread over the course of 8 hours.”
“Depends how visible the stash of snacks is … I’d choose many more biscuits from a hidden cupboard as opposed to a table out in the open department.”
To each his own
The study, titled “Taking the biscuit: defining excessive quantities of free refreshments in a healthcare library,” even assessed whether free treats are a good investment for healthcare employers.
An informal evaluation, calculated on the back of a cookie wrapper, suggested that providing free hot drinks and cookies “could be a worthy and cost effective expense” toward improving morale and productivity, the investigators wrote.
But employers should “leave these grateful recipients to judge for themselves what constitutes reasonable consumption,” they concluded.
