Privacy on my break at work

Blimey - slightly worrying that as someone who ‘leads’ an HR department you’re THIS unsupportive! Let’s hope there are no disability at work type disputes for you to sort out.

Wrong! The fact that YOU don't recall means that you are probably one of those people who expect others to be constantly gagging to talk to you and cannot notice or respect the choices of others.

Why can't you leave the building? I would go out for a walk if people kept bothering me.

Who supports people where you work, who perhaps need extra support then? Say an autistic person who needs reasonable adjustments made?

Wouldn't it be HR to do that?

Its not unreasonable but not difficult either, just tell them nicely that you come to the quiet zone because you need some quiet time.

Can you speak to the canteen manager and ask them to implement a quiet table? Ask them to put a sign on it.

I find this thread extraordinary.

So many posts finding roundabout ways to avoid the colleagues, lying about being in a work meeting ( EVERY lunch time?) and so on. When the obvious solution is to simply say to colleagues, ' 'Sorry, this is the only time of day I have a bit of down time to be by myself and read a book or catch up on personal admin. I really just want to be by myself and get on with my own things. If you see me at lunchtime, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't sit next to me.'

Definitely get someone to put up ‘quiet/no talking area’ signage and then also ask the canteen/HR is they can install tables for 1 - only 1 chair etc.
This would deter people i think.
Or ask HR to make a ‘sensory hub’ for people who want absolutely no noise and want to self regulate during their breaks. Then ask that a newsletter email type thing is sent to everyone, explaining that the sensory hub/quiet canteen area is purely for those who want to be alone at break times.

Totally feel for you. I’ve worked in similar places and occasionally resorted to sitting in a big cupboard for the odd five minutes of peace. Headphones and being honest sound like a good option.

Totally get you!

I get 20 minutes break per day. I work in education, so am talked at and touched constantly in my work hours. The kids take over every thought and I NEED that time with no school noise in my head... Other staff disagree.

As the staffroom is completely unable to facilitate this and I don't have a classroom (and that's fair. I need silence, but other's need to vent), I bought a very water proof coat. I have a coffee at extreme speed, quick wee and then hide by a near by motorway for my break. If I stand right, my own body keeps my phone dry from rain so I can read if I want to.

Is there anywhere you could hide? I bet there's somewhere... My back up for unbelievably bad weather is hiding in a large cupboard. I've even got a cushion in there. Find a good hidey-hole!

This.

You just need to tell them. They are interacting with you based on their standards and expectations which are different from yours, but they don't know that as you have not talked to them about it.

Tell them what you are up to and you are choosing to be alone at lunch. They are not psychic. You need to actually communicate.

I do feel for you OP. The relentless grind of bollocks talked by those you have to work with. If you want to be left alone you’re accused of being miserable. No, you’re just clinging on by your finger tips x

Noise cancelling over ear headphones. When they come over point to them, smile and say you are listening to an audiobook or something. Also great for public transport. You can just have some gentle white noise/flowing brooks, that sort of thing if you don’t want to listen to music or a book. Get some decent ones, they are worth every penny you spend.

I think bringing a non-messy packed lunch and trying to find another area of your work that doesn't get used much around lunchtime is probably your best bet if you don't have a car.

You wonder why everyone isn’t the same as you? Ok then. 🤔

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this OP. Some people really don't understand why others aren't wired as they are and it can make life more uncomfortable than it has to be. Using your lunch breaks to catch up on life admin, read and recharge is entirely legitimate - it's your time to use how you like. PPs have offered some good advice; an idea I'd suggest is that if you're reading, a fat (physical) book might be more of a buffer than an ebook on a tiny device. As someone who loves my Kindle, I don't like to say it, but I'm not sure ereaders and ebooks are taken as seriously. The more determinedly obtuse won't be deterred even if you've got a brick-sized copy of War and Peace in front of you, but it might work on those with some social awareness.

Perhaps you can ask someone in HR or whichever department is responsible if there can be reminders sent out that the quiet area in the canteen is meant to be quiet and that means no videos, conversations on speaker phones and respecting people's wish to have some time out away from others. If people want to chat they should use the larger area of the canteen.

I would put headphones on and say I was on a group call / listening to a message / doing an online course / whatever and move away ‘as you can’t hear’.

I sit in my car. A couple of others do it too x

I would put headphones on, big obvious headphones.

Could you wear headphones and then when the person comes and sits down just point to the headphones and then mouth ‘sorry, can’t hear I’m a bit busy’ and ignore them the whole time? If you do this a couple of times instead of engaging with them they’ll soon get bored, the reason they keep sitting with you is they think you don’t mind because you obviously don’t give any indication you do and because you let them chat to you.