I am surprised that I am in the minority here...I'd be salty about it. At least buy a good store bought dessert.

No more potlucks. Seriously. Either people babe to cook, or their partners do. Noone owes corporate people free labor and food. Spring for some pizza, ice cream etc if you want a bonding time. Oh and spring for $ to pay people to attend these as noone needs to stay late to make their hours because the boss decided to have a bonding activity meeting.
I say this as a female manager. Ive been here many years (but only a few as manager) and yes there were awesome potlucks but back then it was all "my wife made this for you all" and thats just not ok anymore. And all the single guys bought cookies and potato salad. We dont do potlucks on my watch.

Anonymous wrote:Not tacky. What’s tacky is the work potluck. Start there.

+1

They won't spring for some pizza? Jeez.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does this really upset you enough to post about? I would be highly annoyed if I were asked to bring anything for a pot luck at work. Luckily, my employer isn’t cheap and pay to cater events.

+100, this! Post COVID no employer should allow employees to host potlucks.

+1

Potlucks, and those stupid "bonding" activities. I just want to work, not pretend we are buddies.

Anonymous wrote:And brings 2 packs of those butter/ shortbread ring cookies that usually sell for 2 for $3 in grocery stores. Is that tacky?

This is fine - get off your high horse!

Anonymous wrote:Can't the company afford to pay for some food? Also less liability as it's not stuff made in peoples' homes.

+1

All of those parties at work have crap food IMO. There's never anything special or worth eating. Store-bought muffins, bagels with a variety of fake cream cheese options, just gross stuff. The cookies seem on par. Do you bake something nice?

No. Having pot lucks at work all the time is tacky, unless you work for the federal government, which doesn't offer many extras.

I've never brought bagged cookies, but I have called in sick to get out of the potluck. It's an extra hassle and expense most of us don't want to take on right now.

The cheap cookie coworker seems to have a good solution.

Anonymous wrote:Not tacky. What’s tacky is the work potluck. Start there.

This. I hate work potlucks.

I hate potlucks. I sign up to bring red solo cups or forks or girl scout cookies.

Anonymous wrote:Not tacky. What’s tacky is the work potluck. Start there.

+100000

Potlucks are super tacky. MOST people don't even want to come so they feel obligated and do the bare minimum. That is what you're seeing people who don't care to come.

Anonymous wrote:Not tacky. What’s tacky is the work potluck. Start there.

LOL AMEN. I frigging hate potlucks.

Anonymous wrote:Does this really upset you enough to post about? I would be highly annoyed if I were asked to bring anything for a pot luck at work. Luckily, my employer isn’t cheap and pay to cater events.

+100, this! Post COVID no employer should allow employees to host potlucks.

Why are you having all these work potlucks?? That sounds kind of awful.

Anonymous wrote:I mean, I wouldn’t necessarily care what this coworker did unless it meant I couldn’t sign up to bring desert and I wanted to bring dessert. Can’t you just say “oh wonderful, we’ll have shortbread as always because Joanne has signed up, I see! But I’ve been trying chocolate cake recipes a lot recently, so I’ll bring one of the best of those, so people will have a choice of dessert.”

I’m glad we don’t work together. Nobody talks like you. You sound like an old lady lol.