London - Think the colleague who keeps bringing in homemade cake is simply a generous fan of the Great British Bake Off? Think again.
They probably want to get promoted, a poll claims.
A quarter of us admit to baking sweet treats in an attempt to make friends in high places at the office, the research found.
Where once workers would bring in a cake on their birthday, now a quarter say they bake for their colleagues at least once a month.
Even those who don’t bake get in on the act. A fifth said they had brought in shop-bought cakes and passed them off as their own – although one in ten had been caught out over it.
And the lucky recipients are more than happy to play along. Half of us admit to having lied about a colleague’s baking skills to curry favour with them. A quarter of men did so specifically to advance their careers, compared with 15 percent of women.
But promotion isn’t the only motive for the office’s amateur bakers.
One in ten of those over the age of 45 admitted to baking cakes in an attempt to find a romantic partner.
The survey, of 2 000 people, was carried out by sugar brand Whitworths.
The firm’s baking expert, Kate Moore, said: “With the nation fully in the grips of the baking hype, it is not surprising to see that workplaces are now embracing all things baked and holding their own competitive bake offs.
“Baking is a great way to bring a bit of light relief into the workplace and, of course, to identify the most competitive colleagues!” - Daily Mail