'I know you're on your lunch but...'

[lostelephant]

I must hear this everyday in the office either said to myself or a co-worker and it annoys the hell out of me!

I dont mind so much when somebody comes over to my desk, goes to ask a question but then realises I'm on lunch and offers to come back later, but it's the people who acknowledge you are not working and still expect you to do something for them or answer their questions (which could definitely have waited half an hour!!)

Anyone else or AIBU?

All the people suggesting OP go out for lunch or to leave her desk - she doesn't want to as it's an industrial estate with a small kitchen area!

In her shoes I would want to sit at my desk and be undisturbed too.

This usee to drive me mad when I had a job. I would physically leave my desk and go for a walk.

No eating at desks at our place so people just come into the canteen and interrupt your dinner anyway...

I'm with you OP, this irritates the shit out of me.

I sit in our canteen for my half hour, people have to walk past my office with a sign on the door saying I’m at lunch and there’s still rarely a week goes by without someone coming in and starting the conversation with exactly what the thread title says

There’s nowhere nearby to go to in half an hour, I’m seriously considering putting my earphones in whether I need them or not

Yes I hate that

Big sign on desk
"I am at lunch consider me invisible - will be back at xx & by the way I am a reformed cannibal & when I am eating it is unwise to get to close unless I revert"

All you can do is NOT each lunch in the office. I used to go sit in my car and read (or nap).

It’s just inevitable sadly. The phrase that used to get me is “can I borrow you for a minute” my answer was always “as long as you put me back”.

Standard answer to this - “I’ll have a look and let you know when I’m finished eating” keep repeating it and they’ll soon get the message.

I give people the death glare and tell them I don't exist while on lunch.

Fire alarm is going off ? nope sorry I'm on lunch, don't bother me.

However most of the time I have to just shove a sandwich in-between visits and meetings. An actual 1hour lunch break is unheard of most days !

It pisses me off too. There's no workplace parking for my office and I refuse to spend £20 per day on parking just to have somewhere else to sit. There is a kitchen but it is big enough for 2 people to stand in while making tea - the only place to sit is at your desk or on a park bench somewhere, which is not fun in this weather. Seriously, I'll be 10 minutes, just come back.

Mine used to be patients wanting to book another appointment. It was an informal healthcare setting so they all knew where to find us at lunchtime. So they’d make their way to the kitchen and would invariably say ‘I don’t want to disturb your lunch but .........’. I was always sorely tempted to say well don’t then but never did.

Yanbu.

Had a coworker like this who would also rush over and ask me something after I’d logged out of everything, and has stepped away from my desk to head home. I left the office around the same time everyday to catch a train because if I missed it I would have to wait around for over an hour. Why she thought I would go back, wait for everything to boot back up, log back in over a question anyone from my team could have answered is beyond me. She didn’t last long tbh.

YANBU, this really irritates me too and I find it so disrespectful. Fair enough if it is a true emergency but it hardly ever is (in fairness, I work in the medical field so sometimes it is!). I find that you have to set firm boundaries or people will continue to do it. Personally, I find it hard to tell people to come back later but it's got to be done.

@easyandy101 why should customers have to come back? If it's opening hours of course you should serve them. What job do you do?

I quite often have eaten in the loo for this reason though - they're big and no one ever goes in the ones I use. Shouldn't be necessary though (don't have a car to sit in)

You have my utmost sympathy, I have a colleague who calls me out of hours on my personal mobile to ask about stupid non essential things when I'm not paid to work outside my working hours and she can happily wait until the next morning.

I've now blocked her as I just cannot be arsed fighting with her on a daily basis over this.

I eat in my car, I have people knocking on my window!

In the early 90s I worked somewhere that was a 10 minute drive from home*. It was bloody great. I’d go home for lunch, or drive to a local park and eat my lunch there with a magazine or book. .

*unnecessary car journeys not a thing then.

@easyandy101 but surely everyone is entitled to a lunch break even lone workers?

Some places have a ‘Gone to lunch’ sign.

^ That was to @LemonPrism

Ha Ha ! I was just going to write that. I have been known to go and sit in my car and sometimes put some music on. Our lunch hours have been shortened.I was lucky to grab fifteen minutes before now of ten don't get anything until 5/6pm when I get home.

It was bloody great. I’d go home for lunch, or drive to a local park and eat my lunch there with a magazine or book.

I’m also a ten minute drive from work. I used to go to see my mum, meet friends for lunch, go to the shops etc. Stopped all that a few years ago. Not sure why.

“Yes, you’re right, I am having my lunch, I’ll come and see you in half an hour”.