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

[GlassyPinkP]

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?

Your co-workers would hate me - I munch away on and off most of the day (and I'm not even pregnant!)...I'm not overweight either. I just like to nibble whilst I work, it helps me focus!

Given that everyone eats lunch at their desk, your manager is bu. Have you had the pregnancy risk assessment for work done? You can include frequent snacking in it.

It probably looks as if you're having umpteen lunch breaks. Can you seriously continue working whilst eating a bowl of cereal?

I think that it could be due to food smells as well. Some fruit can be very strong smelling, banana's in particular make me want to heave. With 30 people in an office there's a chance that at least one of them might struggle with what you're eating.

Surely with so many in the office it’s illegal not to provide a break room?

I would hate eating at my work desk and if you only get 30 mins lunch it’s not enough time to go out and hav something to eat.

Speak to your manager and say where could I eat/sit if not at the desk.

They need to make reasonable adjustments for you if you're pregnant and need to eat more often as a result.

Either they let you eat at your desk, or give you additional snack breaks, and a chair to sit down in the kitchen.

It's ok to have food smells just at lunch but it could be distracting when it's at multiple times in the day especially you can't bear a particular smell.

Worth having a chat with your midwife to see if she can supply a letter explaining the situation OP?

If there's nowhere for you to eat during the day, then it's a bit unreasonable to complain.

Asking people not to eat at their desk at all is not a bad thing if there's a lunch area. Not everyone enjoys the smell of food at their desk, and it's irritating to try to concentrate whilst someone is noisily munching on crisps, eating a stinky sandwich or a curry for lunch. It's much easier to ban food full stop than starting a list on what is acceptable or not.

I don't mind people having breakfast in the office, the trains are such a nightmare it's easier, but in a separate room, and before their actual start time. They have their cereals in peace , the rest of us work, everybody is happy.

I think most pregnant women would rather not to have to put up with smells of food if they had a choice.

The whole eating at your desk thing is awful. People should have somewhere away from their office where they can have a proper chill for half an hour and stretch their legs a bit.

There is plenty of non-smelly/messy/noisy food to eat. I don't suppose anyone would object to someone eating the odd biscuit/granola bar etc, but cereal and fruit is rather anti-social.

Dh is currently complaining about an employee who has taken to making herself scrambled egg when she gets to work. Like the OP, she is pregnant and everyone is scared to say that smelly egg is beyond any reasonable pregnancy adjustment.

Bring a collapsible chair to work - keep it under your desk. Take it to the kitchen every time you want to have a snack.

Hopefully this will make the point that your colleague is being a bit precious!

Interestingly enough the tendency to be irritated by the sound of others eating is genetic and can be identified by DNA testing. So a bit of give and take is desirable if people with this genetic trait are to fit in socially

Ok so cereal aside (I probably have 1 or 2 bowls a week it's not all the time, but point taken!), IANBU?

Yeah if it isn't noisy or smelly food, it seems like they're being a bit petty and mean actually considering you're struggling with eating while pregnant

Have they said why this person is unhappy? It's a bit baffling really. Someone eating through the day wouldn't bother me, unless they were doing no work.

Request an extra unpaid break if necessary. I worked in retail when pregnant and was not allowed to munch on the shop floor! How do you think other pregnant women in other jobs manage?? Nothing wrong with requesting reasonable adjustment (i.e. an extra break mid morning / mid afternoon to keep blood sugar levels up), but you shouldn't be asking for special treatment.

Can you seriously continue working whilst eating a bowl of cereal?

I have my cereal at my desk and yes, I can eat and work.

Sorry but the sound of someone eating cereal would drive me to distraction - slurp, crunch, clang. Argh. I think the fact that it's been raised tells you everything you need to know - I work in an office and know it can be hard to raise these things without offending. Just because it's only just been raised/only raised by one doesn't mean it's not a wider issue.
Surely the break would do you good (screen break, stretch legs etc) and aid digestion if you need to have a snack in the kitchen?

Your management needs to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

Your colleagues have a right to expect reasonable levels of eating at desks but you sound like you're constantly snacking - yes, that wouldn't be accepted where I work.

However if you're struggling then there must be a compromise - hot desking, more kitchen area, headphones paid for by employer, breakout areas.

You have a need to snack but your colleagues are reasonable to expect work desk areas to be mostly work - not a canteen constantly.

Ya (both) reasonable.
Your employers lack of management is the problem.

Gavel

Everyone eats their lunch at their desks

Then there's no reason at all for you not to eat at your desk. Once a day or four times a day doesn't make any difference if this is the rule/culture.

Apart from your manager 'raising that a colleague is not happy', what has he/she suggested the next move is? Depending on how your relationship is and how formal you feel you want to be, I'd probably ask in writing for some clear business reasons as to why you shouldn't eat at your desk more than once a day.

Could you split your lunch into 2x30 min lunch breaks?

I hate the sound of people eating and seeing people constantly eating at their desks. I sat next to someone who CONSTANTLY snacked and it drove. me. insane. I left almost entirely because I couldn't get away from it.

So I think YABU, but I know actually IABU.

They should let you eat in the kitchen.

I worked in a place where no one was allowed to eat at their desk. But if that is the case they need to make adjustments for your pregnancy.

Either they let you eat at your desk, or give you additional snack breaks, and a chair to sit down in the kitchen.

This, with bells on!

Pregnancy is protected from discrimination. If you need to eat to keep yourself healthy and stop you from ending up signed off then they need to make a reasonable adjustment for you.

I've had colleagues moan incessantly that they want the office lights off in summer as it helps keep things cool. Only problem is the room is very gloomy (old building, tiny windows) and staring at a bright computer screen in the dark (Even with the brightness turned way down) gives me migraines and affects an eye condition I have. Some colleagues still passive aggressively turn the lights off if I so much as go to the loo, but I'm allowed full control of whether the lights are on or not as my reasonable adjustment, otherwise I go off sick. My colleagues don't end up sick if the lights are on, that's the difference.

Your colleagues aren't affected by you eating regularly if no one is affected by anyone eating on their lunch breaks, but you would be affected if you don't eat regularly, so your need trumps theirs. It sounds like a vexatious complaint - they probably think you're taking more breaks than them. If you can prove your work isn't affected you should be allowed to eat at your desk when you need to. OR you should be given extra break time to take care of yourself and ensure you're healthy. I get an extra 30 minutes I can spread over the day if I need, for things like taking migraine medication or eye drops and letting them work. I rarely take it, but if I need to I just let my manager know.