About breakfast at work

[WishingILivedOnAnIsland]

Every day without fail one of our senior administrators comes in on time, gets herself settled, then spends 10 minutes in the kitchen constructing a complicated bowlful of breakfast. She takes the bowl to her desk and slowly eats in the open plan office until around 9:30am. She then signals the start of her work day by returning her bowl to the kitchen. Anyone who approaches her regarding work prior to The Bowl’s Return is met with a withering look and an ‘excuse me I am eating my breakfast’ as though they’ve walked into her own kitchen out of hours and demanded a favour.

I’m her manager and I’m starting to get complaints. Both about her commandeering an additional 30 odd minutes break, and also about the tart rebuke she gives anyone who dares interrupt her morning ritual.

Here’s the thing- I don’t really care that she does this as in every other way she is a sensational employee. She is a proud set-in-her-ways kind of person and wont respond well to negative feedback. It would be a disaster if she quit and we had to replace her with a mediocre employee whose only advantage is that they eat their breakfast at home.

So AIBU to let this breakfast nonsense play on? My colleagues seem to think so and are salty with me for my inaction thus far.

StreetwiseHercules

“She is eating her breakfast not brokering some million dollar deal which can’t be interrupted! ”

But is the interruption really necessary? Probably not.

Oh sorry didn’t realise you worked in the same office

“I could easily imagine a situation where all the other staff went up to her every couple of minutes, to let her know her power play has been rumbled. The manager might support her rudeness, but her colleagues don’t have to.”

I’d be much more irritated by people who would behave like that than I would Brenda.

“Oh sorry didn’t realise you worked in the same office”
Apology accepted.

Thanks Breakfast Brenda

Me too @Streetwise. They’d be getting more than a withering look from me as their manager if they behaved so childishly.

@Gwenhwyfar I was an emergency call handler and now I'm in a tiny tiny contact centre (12 or so of us)
I can use my phone whenever or go online or chat but I just can't leave my desk unless I'm on a break or making a brew
I love it, it's the lowest stress, most relaxed job I've ever had

Oh and I couldn't change as nothing pays better than what I currently do, and I need the money!

OP, a good manager doesn't play favourites with their team. Someone refusing to do any work in time they are PAID to work is taking the piss out of you and her colleagues.

Not if they’re doing twice the work in half the time.

Love how some people are creating their own work of fiction here and assuming that the rest of the workforce are all incompetent and asking unnecessary questions

Love how some people are creating their own work of fiction here and assuming that the rest of the workforce are all incompetent and asking unnecessary questions

Any different to the people suggesting that Breakfast-eater is hindering the whole office by not answering a question that HAS to be answered between 9 and 9.30?

I said in one of my very first posts I would be interested to know whether the questions were time sensitive - and I think that point still stands.

I’m going by what the OP says which is that this woman gives withering looks and behaves obstructively.
No place for that in the 21st century workplace.
Surprised she doesn’t ask for flexi time if it’s important she eats an undisturbed breakfast for half an hour at a specific time every day.

“OP, a good manager doesn't play favourites with their team. Someone refusing to do any work in time they are PAID to work is taking the piss out of you and her colleagues.”

Yes and no. No to playing favourites, but you set the tone in terms of culture. I couldn’t care less if my entire team were eating eggs benedict at their desks and stopping for afternoon teas with little trays as long as the work is done and done well.

I detest people who see others making choices they aren’t making and then make a big deal, sowing discord by being petty.

Who honestly gives a fuck? If someone needs peace to eat their breakfast at their desk and they are great at the job, I take a dim view of anyone taking an issue with it.

I’m going by what the OP says which is that this woman gives withering looks and behaves obstructively

That still doesn’t give any indication of the motives of the people approaching her though.

JaquesHammer inevitably some questions could legitimately wait because not everyone gets it right all the time - but to assume they ALL could is to make that fallacious assumption some of us are pointing out: that Breakfast Brenda is the only person who can adequately prioritise and that no one else in the entire office can. I prefer to believe that most people are basically competent and mostly able to judge whether something needs an immediate response or can wait (which ironically I’d think is more in line with the “treat people like adults and they behave like adults” mindset being advocated by many of those defending BB) but as it stands, the people who legitimately need a prompt response are being just as disadvantaged (more so, in fact, as their need is more pressing) than those who could have waited 30-40 minutes or sent an email instead. And why is that acceptable just so BB can scoff her breakfast undisturbed?

but to assume they ALL could is to make that fallacious assumption some of us are pointing out

Quite. Which is why assumptions about the motives/necessity of the questions are foolish, no?

I guess if this carries on the people you manage will go over your head.

quite frankly none of us know the motives of the people working in the office so it’s a pointless argument to assume we know anything other than the facts the OP states

And OP says she’s not bothered. If she’s a good manager, her manager won’t be either. And, if the complainers go over her head, their cards will be well and truly marked.

“And OP says she’s not bothered. If she’s a good manager, her manager won’t be either. And, if the complainers go over her head, their cards will be well and truly marked.”

Quite.

OP also mentions that Breakfast Brenda doesn’t take negative feedback well. Clearly she’s not as wonderful as the OP is suggesting if she’s had to be given negative feedback in the past. And it’s not a sign of a great employee to not handle feedback professionally either

So if complainers see a colleague getting half an hour extra breakfast break a day and go to a senior person because the OP is turning a blind eye their cards will be marked? Right.

How the hell would you manage the 30 minute male shitter everyday Monielove. What on earth could you say [shocked] I'd be inclined to make him take a shorter lunch break.

As for the breakfast eater WTF I wouldn't have got away with any of that crap in any job I've ever had and neither should she.

There should NEVER be somebody irreplaceable, you will eventually have to replace her. I have seen this so many times and it's a disaster.

Everyone should be trained up to that standard.