Cake banned at Poole business over health and safety fears

A company has banned staff from sharing birthday cakes at work due to health and safety concerns.

Workers at Poole, Dorset-based exhibition stand designers Quadrant2Design have been told the long-standing office tradition must end due to risks linked to allergies and food safety.

The company said the move was made due to “increased legal, insurance and compliance risks” associated with sharing foods of unknown origin.

One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, criticized the decision as an example of “the increasing overreach of modern employment regulations”.

“What makes this striking is that the company is still able to provide food to customers and visitors, which raises questions about the consistency and enforceability of the rules businesses are expected to follow,” the Daily Express newspaper quoted him as saying.

Employees were also warned not to bring children into the workplace due to safety concerns, the staff added.

They said: “These measures paint a picture of a workplace where long-standing social traditions, such as bringing a cake for a colleague’s birthday, have been swept away for fear of legal exposure.

“This raises a broader question: Are current employment and integration expectations going too far?”

But company founder Alan Jenkins defended the policy, insisting it was based on real risks rather than excessive regulation.

He explained that food shared between staff is often brought back from holidays abroad, labeling standards can vary and ingredients such as nuts are not always clearly identified.

Mr Jenkins said: “Our experience shows that an increasing number of people have allergies that are sometimes not disclosed to the company or colleagues.

“Allowing adulterated food items from unknown sources, countries or labels is a risk we are not prepared to accept.

“Regulatory overreach is not a factor in our policy. This is a measured response to clearly identified risks.”