Eating in office way before and after lunch time is antisocial

[DyslexicScientist]

A few people in the office eat about 11am and 3pm. I wouldn't mind so much but the food is smelly andthey are noisey eaters (cutlery on a plate like they are playing a drum).

Aibu to think eating at your desk should just be limited to around lunch?

YABU. Some people have meetings through the traditional lunch hours so eat before or after.

If people are allowed to eat at their desks, then sometimes food will smell unfortunately.

The problem with enforcing 'no smelly food' rule is that it's subjective.

I don't agree, for example, with the poster who says tuna smells bad. Or anything hot with meat in it. But who's right and who's wrong?

There are break rooms for this.

Really? Where? (goes to look).

Umm. Do you want me to eat in the toilet? (yuck). Or maybe outside in the rain?

In my workplace, we are banned from eating hot food at desk at any time of day because we have visiting clients all the time. We are only allowed sandwiches and other similar food. If we require hot food, we need to either go out or go to the office canteen. I generally think that eating hot meals at desk does create an unprofessional environment. In my previous job, I sat opposite a small kitchen with a microwave. Everyone was eating whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. The whole place stunk of shephard's pies, curries, fish cakes and God knows what else. People also stored their food in the office fridge, never bothered to clean it out, sink was always overflowing with dirty plates and cutlery. The whole environment was disgusting.

At home, I don't let my son eat full meals anywhere but the kitchen. No food upstairs either. Call me mad or regimented but I don't fancy my whole house stinking of whatever we are eating. Workplace is a professional environment, and I think everyone should make at least some effort to keep it that way.

ceebie, I'm wondering that too. It was said with such authority; even though I've worked at my current place for about eight years I kind of feel that I must have been just failing to see the 'break rooms' all along.

Workplaces have break rooms, except all the ones that don't. Break rooms are always big enough to accommodate everyone wanting to eat around lunchtime, except the ones that aren't. And really OP, what do you expect people working in jobs that are busiest around lunchtime to do?

YABU and apparently pretty sheltered! I prefer not to eat at my desk, for the record.

:o at bowels of muesli

And the way people nurse their bowels of muesli for twenty minutes, clink clink clink, completely oblivious

I want to stab them. Plastic cuttlery or bamboo should be in forced.

Was about to post exactly the same thing Stealth (Can believe it too, as some brands resemble bark chippings with the occasional raisin).

The problem with enforcing 'no smelly food' rule is that it's subjective.

coffee stinks. To high heaven. That needs banning first & foremost.

Isn't there a legal requirement for a breakout room?

We had one, actually... until about 18 months ago. It was double booked for meetings sometimes, and then admin bots moved in there permanently. Near the toilets so not very nice for meals, imho, b/c you can hear the men's urinals regularly flushing thru...

Could go eat in the corridors if you like... oh wait, most the corridors have desks with workers in them, too!!

'Plastic cuttlery or bamboo should be in forced.'

Now THAT sounds very violent!

I think eating anything other than a sandwich or other cold food at your desk in a shared office is pretty gross. Not important what time you eat at.

I would quite like to eat elsewhete but the staff canteen is so fucking noisy I come away more stressed than I went in. My office also has the main switchboard for the building so if I am on my own I have to faff on finding someone to come sit while I go away for half hour.

I much prefer to eat at my desk, and dont mind if someone comes in to eat theirs at the same time, we keep each other company and whoever doesnt have a mouthful of food picks up the phone.

We often start at 7am so lunch is usually 11.30. Then everyone has brews and a snack mid afternoon

At my last place of work I had no option but to eat my lunch at a desk as there was a kitchenette with a microwave and fridge but no actual facilities to sit down and eat lunch. I had to wait until someone had left their desk and nab theirs to eat my lunch at. (I worked on a reception desk and couldn't exactly eat my soup whilst dealing with attendees to the department).

That said, it used to really piss me off when a certain member of staff used to waltz in 15 minutes late only to then make a breakfast of toast and cereal and eat it at her desk. I got to work 30 minutes before my start time, after making 4 packed lunches, getting breakfasts ready and getting two children up, showered and dressed, all before I left the house at 7.15. If you live 2 miles from work and have no children, why is it so flipping hard to a) get to work on time and b) manage a breakfast before you get to work?!

coffee stinks. To high heaven. That needs banning first & foremost.

Proves my point. To me, coffee is the smell of Paradise.

We have no cafeteria or break room so unless I want to sit outside in the rain I have to eat at my desk.

I am 31 weeks pregnant and constantly hungry, so I'll snack if I want to.

Why are you so bothered by other people eating? Get over yourself.

Boogers, I eat breakfast at work (yes, at my desk, shoot me). I am sometimes a few minutes late (shoot me again).

As I eat I am going through emails, making notes for myself etc. It's not down time for me, it's work time.

Why do you get to work 30 minutes early?

Tbh I've never really noticed any issues with food in my office. Probably because it's small (10 employees), and half the time half or more will be out and about working as its not a particular sit down at one desk 9-5 type of work.

Also we all have a door on each individual office we can close

We don't have a staff room, or a car park. If you wanted to sit in your car you'd have to traipse through town to the multi storey, or go home or wherever else you have left your car.

I don't really like sandwiches, smelly leftovers are MUCH nicer and cheaper :)

Also we all have a door on each individual office we can close

Oh God, I dream of having an office to myself with a closable door.

I have an office to myself. It is nice I must say.

Boogers Just because you do things your way, and are apparently proud/exhausted about it, does not mean that we have the same priorities or aspirations as you. Thank god.

How does one eat in the car when you walk or cycle to work?
I suppose I could try to squeeze into the bike shed...

Yabu re the time (you eat when you hungry). but yanbu about eating at the desk. Ive never eaten in my clinic room. Theres a staffroom cupboard for a reason. No windows. Two chairs. Image the bacteria if you eat at your desk on the keyboard, phone....yuk.