You be the judge: should my colleague stop bringing cakes into the office?

9 hours ago 2

The prosecution: Amina

I’m not saying we should have no cakes ever, I just think we should stop assuming cake is always welcome

I know how this sounds: I am the miserable cake police. But this isn’t about being joyless, it’s about creating a healthy working environment. There are 20 of us in the office, and there’s sugar everywhere. We have free biscuits and a constant rotation of cakes, doughnuts and baked goods that descend on us without warning. It’s so normalised, and if you politely decline, people ask if you’re on a diet.

Ruby takes the lead in guilt-tripping. If you say no thanks, she will look at you in disbelief. If you insist on not having a cake for your birthday, she will cajole you until you give in. Ruby loves to bake and she’s always making something, even when there’s no cause for celebration. It’s lovely, but it encourages a constant habit of eating sugar. I also think it puts pressure on everyone else to bring something in.

Not everyone can or wants to eat sugar. I have a condition that means it doesn’t agree with me. Some people are recovering from eating disorders. And then there are allergies – I don’t want someone collapsing at work because they didn’t know there were hazelnuts in the ganache.

I’m not saying we should have no cakes ever, I just think we should stop assuming cake is always welcome. A coffee, a card, time off, or just being acknowledged in a meeting is more meaningful than supermarket eclairs.

I joined this company three years ago, a year after Ruby. She is the office baker and I accepted a sponge cake in my first year. But for the last two, I’ve requested no sweet treats and Ruby has listened. But I can tell that not baking me something is killing her. For everyone else, she takes orders.

It’s lovely, and I think Ruby brings light into our office, but we should also let people enjoy their workplace without being backed into a corner by baked goods. If someone wants cake? Great, let’s make a spreadsheet with dietary requirements and requests. Homemade is obviously better than shop-bought. But we shouldn’t assume everyone wants a cake. The office shouldn’t be a minefield of sugar.

The defence: Ruby

Bringing cakes in shows we care and adds a little joy to the office. I’m not force-feeding anyone

Cake makes everything better and that’s why I love giving it to people at work, or for birthdays, for my kids at home … Just everywhere.

I’ve always loved baking and when I see the look on someone’s face after I make them a lemon drizzle or red velvet, it makes the slaving away in the kitchen worthwhile. Homemade, shop-bought, gluten-free, it doesn’t matter. It’s not just about the sugar, it’s the gesture. Someone took the time to make something, or stop by the shop to pick something up. Giving and baking are ways of showing that we care.

I also just like to bake. It brings people together. I’ve had colleagues open up about their lives over a slice of banana bread. It would be criminal to ban that kind of magic. I totally get that not everyone wants sugar, and that’s fine, but no one’s force-feeding anyone and we’ve all learned how to cater to different diets: we bring gluten-free options and label allergens. I never force cake on anyone, I just express disappointment if they don’t have some.

Banning cake altogether feels joyless. Amina says I bring light into the office, and I always try. When I first made her a Victoria sponge years ago, she loved it. She ate loads and thanked me profusely. But then she changed her mind and said there’s too much temptation and it’s making us all unhealthy.

I hate a sugar crash as much as the next person, so you’ve got to pace it – we do have a lot of sweet treats around us. But that’s no reason to stop making cakes altogether. For the last two years I’ve respected Amina’s right not to eat cake, but I do think baked goods are important to mark moments like birthdays, farewells and tiny personal wins. A slice of Colin the Caterpillar is not just a sugar rush, it’s a signal that we care for each other.

Of course we should be mindful of different needs – but banning cake completely? That feels like punishing everyone for the desires of a few. Life’s hard enough. Amina shouldn’t try to take cake away from the rest of us.

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The jury of Guardian readers

Should Ruby bake off?
Yes, Ruby should lay off the guilt-tripping, but Amina really needs to lighten up! Anyone who doesn’t want cake can be a grown-up and just say no, leaving everyone else free to enjoy themselves!
Mark, 49

I sympathise with Amina, but there are solutions that don’t need to go as far as making the office a cake-free zone. Amina could ask Ruby to reduce the amount of times she brings them in; for example, only on birthdays. A little bit of sugar goes a long way.
Rebecca, 31

People often say they’re excited about the prospect of cake but then take only a very thin slice when it’s offered. So at the end of the working day, there’s still loads left. People are now more cautious about sugary, fatty treats, so I’m sorry to say that I’m with Amina on this one.
Derek, 59

I agree with Ruby that Amina’s anti-cake stance “joyless”, as no one is force feeding her. But while I support Ruby’s right to continue making cakes for grateful colleagues, she should accept with grace others’ right to say no, rather than looking “disappointed”.
Victoria, 39

It’s hard enough without the constant temptation of sweet treats. That said, Amina’s a grownup and needs to take responsibility for her own choices. On balance I’m with Ruby, but she needs to take on board that “expressing disappointment” is not OK.
Monique, 27