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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that I should be able to eat at work?

394 replies

GlassyPinkP · 17/07/2018 11:04

I work in an office, am not public facing, and sit behind a computer all day. 6 months pregnant and feel hungry throughout the day, but heartburn means I can't eat big meals. I've been eating at my desk (not huge or smelly meals, usually a bowl of cereal, sandwich, fruit etc) throughout the day. It doesn't impact on my work and it makes me feel a whole heap less hungry throughout the day compared to when I eat a tiny breakfast and a tiny lunch in between!

My manager has raised with me that one of my colleagues is not happy that I am eating a lot at my desk (I'm within my calories, it's not a huge amount it's just more spread out). Apparently I should go in to the kitchen area and eat out there. Everyone eats their lunch at their desks but their screens are turned off so it's an official lunch break.

AIBU to think I should be allowed to have a 30 min lunch break to eat my sandwiches and if I want to eat fruit or the odd bowl of cereal 2/3 times a day this shouldn't be an issue?

I'm finding pregnancy really hard and have nausea constantly as well as heartburn and gallbladder problems. Food helps! I don't want to be banished to standing in the kitchen every time I want to eat an orange...

Opinions?

OP posts:
CaffeineAndCrochet · 18/07/2018 20:03

MN threads about food or snacking always take a weird turn.

crunchymint · 18/07/2018 20:38

In normal offices people are allowed to eat at their desks and you should be able to OP.
But some people have very weird ideas about food.

Dilligaf81 · 18/07/2018 21:02

dancinfeet you knew you couldn't eat on the shop floor and you shouldn't have had to take an unpaid break to have regular snacks if this was due to pregnancy issues.

Op isn't asking for special treatment, everyone eats at their desks the complaint is she eats more than once. I don't think the op is being unreasonable but dancinfeet you are with your I didn't get it so why should anyone else.

pteradactyl · 18/07/2018 21:10

We all snack at work. I definitely snack more and am now wondering if my colleagues think I'm a lazy, noisy shirker

pteradactyl · 18/07/2018 21:10

A fat one at that

SunShades · 18/07/2018 21:28

You'd be out the door within the week at the office I manage @pteradactyl.

pteradactyl · 18/07/2018 21:37

Oh dear. I have never worked somewhere that snacking isn't allowed. Eating only certain things definitely, but not banned

SmellyNelly2018 · 18/07/2018 21:44

It’s a difficult one if you were just eating a rich tea or a water biscuit (which used to help me from feeling sick) it’s fine but obviously fruit is healthier.
When I work at one site a manager in the same office spends over 2 hours seriously 2 hours munching through an enormous salad whilst working at her desk and not taking a lunch break it’s never ending and is really annoying.
Another colleague didn’t want a lunch break and as she had disabilities so it was agreed she could start late and finished early and not have a lunch yet while the rest of us mugs were forced to take an hours lunch to provide cover 9-5. However, around lunch time the said colleague often got up to heat some soup to wander around talking to ex colleagues in another office for extended periods of time when hervline manager wasn’t around and stinking the office out with stinky soup, stinky reheated leftovers or the dreaded egg sandwiches then happily flounced off for her early finishes and swanned in on her late starts.
So maybe if you are a noisy eater or peeling an orange 🍊 they may find you annoying.
You are supposed to have regular screen breaks so maybe go to the kitchen and eat then?

NoWordForFluffy · 18/07/2018 21:45

It's amazing SunShades has any staff left in their imaginary workplace, what with the huge list of wrongdoings they get sacked for. It must be tricky to get to one month's service.

SunShades · 18/07/2018 21:48

@NoWordForFluffy

We actually don't have to remove many people from the organisation. Our staff are well aware both when they join and throughout their time with us of the rules and policies we have(and the consequences for breaking them), so they aren't often broken.

They're also reinforced regularly by myself and the rest of the senior management team both during morning staff briefings and our patrols of the office.

MuttsNutts · 18/07/2018 21:51

GlassyPinkP - If I were your employer I would have no issue with you eating the amount you say you do at your desk. It sounds like the colleague who reported you either has issues or doesn’t like you and is just being a dick.

I would however, as your employer or colleague, not be impressed that you were on MN throughout the working day yesterday.

distantstars · 18/07/2018 21:58

This is quite ridiculous. I feel your pain OP in early pregnancy I grazed all day on TUC biscuits and was constantly swigging from gaviscon.
I find it very strange that people are allowed to eat lunch at their desks but nothing else.... you telling me no one else has a biscuit with a cup of tea at their desk whilst working? Cakes are brought in on birthdays for people to eat at their desks?
Unless their is a complete ban on food at desks they are being unreasonable!

At my office, we have free cereal and fruit and a biscuit supply and everyone eats through out the day at their desks, no one would bat an eyelid.

I'd either say you need to eat little and often and I have no doubt you'd be able to find back up for this on line to suggest it's better for pregnant women OR you get signed off sick!

ontheearth · 18/07/2018 22:27

Omg. I've never encountered the senior management fanfic writer before. Hilarious Grin (except the comments on threads about minor discipline issues in schools, which are pretty disturbing)

flowergrrl77 · 18/07/2018 22:31

Well, thankfully your manager saw sense and already said to ignore the complaint.

IMHO. YANBU.

Being able to eat little and often for ME meant the difference between being at work or throwing up too much to be at work.

That was with all 3 of mine, for most of the pregnancies. I had morning sickness (all day sickness) till almost the 3rd trimester and after that, heartburn sickness. Yes with vomiting if I ate a whole meal in one go!

Good luck!

Strongmummy · 18/07/2018 22:39

@sunshades - when you say you “manage an office”, do you mean you are a warden in a prison? You are being ridiculous. I work for a successful multinational and you can eat at your desk. If someone suggested otherwise they’d be laughed at

BakedBeans47 · 18/07/2018 22:48

God every place I have ever worked people graze at their desks whenever they feel like it. There can’t be much else going on if that justifies a complaint :/

Is sunshades the same poster who has bragged in the past about locking people in her imaginary office? Grin

kateandme · 18/07/2018 22:49

id go to your manager and explain why.with the pregnancy and only able to manage smaller meals and so your not infact just eating more and more meals. so then he knows and can ward off any panicky collegues that might be so cruel as to take issue with it.
I still cant understand some human being and how nasty we are becoming over the small things in life that really take nothing to tolerate.or actually no there isn't an issue with eating more times than someone else.it pathetic to complain over such a NON thing.
but just so your manager isn't getting ear wormed by people tell him and then he knows your as professional as ever just adapting to pregnancy.
and eat your food Cadbury flake advert style in front of the idiot who complained.

echt · 18/07/2018 22:54

SunShade's use of the word "patrol" says it all.

This what I Imagine her/his probably fictional workplace is like:

RoseWhiteTips · 18/07/2018 22:56

NoWordForFluffy

It's amazing SunShades has any staff left in their imaginary workplace, what with the huge list of wrongdoings they get sacked for. It must be tricky to get to one month's service.

What’s with the imaginary workplace remark. How the hell would you know?
Some people here think that by using that deeply stupid tactic, they somehow diminish the poster.

RoseWhiteTips · 18/07/2018 22:57

Daleks? How old are you?

RoseWhiteTips · 18/07/2018 23:00

Eating at your desk is clearly only done in small fry places. You probably wear slippers at work which you keep under your desk for years. Delightful.

Rapunzel15 · 18/07/2018 23:01

Id had a dickhead colleague when i was pregnant who insisted that she wanted the later lunch breaks which meant i was left with an 11 30 to 12 30 lunch. I didnt finish working until 6 30 so it was a long time between meals. Thankfully my manager was super nice and gave me a break to get something to eat again 3 30. This obviously absolutely infuriated by this but he insisted i went every day

Strongmummy · 18/07/2018 23:03

@Rose, are you actually the other office manager in Sunshades imaginary office? 🤣

ontheearth · 18/07/2018 23:06

Ah here, the other crank's stepped it up in fear of being outdone. This thread is amazing Grin

echt · 18/07/2018 23:07

What’s with the imaginary workplace remark. How the hell would you know? Some people here think that by using that deeply stupid tactic, they somehow diminish the poster

Sunshades revels in illegal workplace practices, i.e., locking workers in, so actually serves all s/he gets.

Daleks? How old are you?

63 actually, but not sure how that's relevant......
Try looking at the implications of the word "patrol" and you'll get it....or is metaphor too a steep gradient?

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