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?

I hate grazing with a passion. I had a co-worker who spent all day eating and listening to her umming and ahhing about what to have next, smacking her lips and all the mmmm nomnomnom noises drove me mad!! Then her having to stop working to eat (can't answer the phone or type with food in your hands/mouth) and scraping the bottom of her bowl/porridge pot...ahhh!!!!
So pleased I don't work with her anymore

Glad you got is sorted I'll hope you won't be munching cereal all day at your desk though when it's very obviously distracting for your colleagues.

Oh for goodness sake I've never eaten breakfast at my desk 'all day' - possibly twice a week at 7am before most people are in! I used to work in a prison and had to deal with being assaulted, abused, 16 hour shifts, etc etc, if I complained about the noise someone makes when they eat cereal I would've been laughed out the door! I swear some people who have never had to do a job that involves having dangerous physical and mental shit thrown at you all the time (sometimes literally) become so blinkered to what is a real problem and what is simply just part of being an adult. I don't think I could ever bring myself to be upset at someone eating an orange or a bowl of cereal!

It might only seem like 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there, but what you're doing is stealing hundreds of hours from your employer over the year.

Oh puh-leeeese!

It IS possible to keep working AND consume a biscuit!

Who's your CEO SunShades? General Woundwort?

LOL

I'm glad you got it sorted, OP.

SunShades and her 'senior management' team are very recognisable from previous posts / threads about workplace rules. I'd hate to work somewhere that felt such strict rules were necessary. We're treated like adults where I work!

I was thinking that @NoWordForFluffy. I seem to remember the doors being locked during working hours and staff having to request by email to leave the office if there was an emergency.

Oranges smell.

That's the one, @PinkSparklyPussyCat. I'm not sure I'd last too long if I was unfortunate enough to find myself working there!

Roses really? Never knew that!

So do tuna and eggs and other things the OP's colleagues are eating, @RoseWhiteTips, so what's your point?

Just think she's letting us know in case we hadn't noticed 😁

I'm working late and have just had to go and get a bowl of cereal....

grease hope you ate it in the kitchen!

I don't like oranges as they're bastards to peel. Love satsumas etc though. I often have a couple at my desk in the afternoon. Shoot me now!

NoWord but, the smell!!!

I know, right?! 😂

^You are quite right that I have no idea of the layout of OP workplace, although she has mentioned that she didn't want to sit in the kitchen.
So their is room for a chair.^

Your deduction doesn't follow, especially not when she has described it as cramped and tiny.

I'm not familiar with the cramped surroundings that you describe. Our staff always had sufficient time and facilities to have a proper break.
Eating at ones desk would is not something I would want to do.

Well, now you are. Hopefully that'll stop you from making any more guesses about the layout of the place. Also if you'd seen the small kitchen I mentioned, believe me you'd have preferred your desk. I was very glad it was a temp gig!

SunShades, remember you blew your beans a bit too early on the school sports day thread. Let's not make that mistake again, eh? For maximum impact you probably need a few more posts to draw people in before getting all Stasi. Just a friendly tip.

Oranges do smell. Nice. They smell nice. Pretty much everything organic has an aroma. Orange is nice.

That's why we have regular patrols at my place by senior management. It helps ensure there's no thefts like this taking place. All they do is build resentment amongst the other staff.

All that senior management seem to do at SunShades' office is patrol checking up on the staff. If they're not checking on whether people are eating or taking breaks, they're checking that they're not packing up a second too early at the end of the day, and checking that they're back from the lunch break at the right time. I suspect that someone stands at the door with a clipboard noting the times employees arrive in the morning, and one of these oh-so-important management types patrols the loos and times everyone in there.

Actually, I tell a lie. At least one of them has the important task of considering emailed requests to be allowed to leave the building for emergencies. It takes them around 30 minutes every time to ponder this difficult decision and reply: some people might think that it's not difficult to decide whether to allow, say, an employee to leave due to their child's serious illness, but those people would be very, very wrong.

Management? Who's got time for management with all these onerous patrolling responsibilities?

I want to know OP’s orange peeling technique given that she can pull ne in 10 secs!

Do you know which colleugue complained OP? You know just in case she wants a favour/shift swop in ..............five months time over the Christmas period?

You can then enjoy saying...................NO.

Or save it up for another time if you are going to be on maternity leave.

GameOfMinges

Well, now you are. Hopefully that'll stop you from making any more guesses about the layout of the place. Also if you'd seen the small kitchen I mentioned, believe me you'd have preferred your desk. I was very glad it was a temp gig

I wasn't guessing though, OP said that there was room for a chair.

RubiksQueen
Melonscoffer then aren't you lucky you've never worked anywhere with inadequate facilities

I've never had to use the facilities provided for our staff. I do however need them to be happy.

RubiksQueen
Melonscoffer then aren't you lucky you've never worked anywhere with inadequate facilities

I've never had to use the facilities provided for our staff. I do however need them to be happy.