To tell colleague to at work to leave me alone I when I am clearly having a break?!

[acaiacai]

I work for a global company...I cannot WFH but I sit at a desk for 70-80% of my job. We take our lunch breaks at our desk now. We used to go to the canteen but due to social distancing rules etc if you have a desk you eat there so that those who don't have desks can use the canteen.

Colleague keeps coming up to me while I am on lunch break to talk work stuff, looking for me to sign paperwork etc...it is clear as I am eating, chatting with colleague next to me (we tend to take lunch at the same time do we can have no work related chat etc)

It's starting to bug me..she has only started on our team recently but came from another dept.

I want to be nice about this but surely she should have the common sense to leave a person alone on lunch break! I mean If there was no Coronavirus then I would be in the canteen and she would come looking for me there!! (Well at least I bloody hope she wouldn't!!)

[CraazyCatLady]

Do you drive to work? If so, I'd have your break in your car. Your work colleague could do the same if you can park next to each other. I find it so annoying when people disturb you on your break. Used to happen all the time in my last job. I was on my feet all day, for 11 hours and would get one 30 minute break to sit down and eat, and the only place to do it was in full view of everyone else. If it wasn't wanting help, it would be, oooo are you making everyone tea!

[C8H10N4O2]

we have been instructed due to Covid to eat our desk if we have one



Sorry OP - I just love that typo

[littlefireseverywhere]

I’d speak to her Monday morning first thing, & advise her if she needs help and support you’re available apart from lunch which is 1-3pm. So she can effectively plan her day!

[acaiacai]

we have been instructed due to Covid to eat our desk if we have one



Sorry OP - I just love that typo
@C8H10N4O2 🙈🤣🤣🤣

[acaiacai]

@CraazyCatLady ah I really don't want to go out to the car i would feel cramped I think. (I would also be afraid I would fall asleep and forget to go back in) 🤣🤣🤣IMAGINE!!

[Eckhart]

That is a lovely typo

[OldEvilOwl]

I would just send her an email stating very clearly not to disturb you when you are on your lunch break, and that's she has not taken the hints which is why you are telling her again

[Eckhart]

I really don't think OP should have to leave the building to avoid this Sally person. It's not OP who is at fault. And it's rubbish if it's freezing/rainy etc, even just walking for a minute to your car can be a real downer.

Sally should have to go sit in her own car!

[JamminDoughnuts]

i go for a walk, every day,
i do vape so that is my excuse
but i would suggest that

[CharityDingle]

When she says she is going to be having lunch, say fine, I will come and speak to you then.

Watch for the dawn of realisation. Some people don't 'get' what they are doing, until it's turned around on them.

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Email her.

"Sally, as you know we have to eat lunch at our desks. When I am on my lunchbreak eating at my desk, you need to work on the assumption that I am not there. When I am on my break I will put a post it on the back of my screen so you can clearly see I am taking my 30 mins unpaid break. Please don't make it awkward by continuing to disrupt me when I am off the clock"

[marveloustimeruiningeverything]

"If it's that important, I'll be happy to discuss it on YOUR lunch break, but not mine. Please step away, I'm eating and now wearing a mask."

[Onadifferentuniverse]

Op do you have an internal email system?
Could you approach someone senior to you to redraw the line about this whilst everything has become different?

An email politely reminding the whole team to respect people whilst on their lunch break would be less awkward for you.

[Brefugee]

the first thing to do is say, bluntly: come back when i'm not having my break

if she says "but I'll be at a meeting/at lunch" say - "time it better next time - i always have my lunch from X for Y minutes"

if she persists (and don't do any of the things) - go to her every time she's on a break with something urgent.

That may not work. Be firm. Be consistent.

[Tryingourbest23]

@marveloustimeruiningeverything

"If it's that important, I'll be happy to discuss it on YOUR lunch break, but not mine. Please step away, I'm eating and now wearing a mask."

Oh this is a good response. I'd just say the first bit

Op: I'm on my lunch break now leave it there and I will look at it later
Sally blah blah..
Op: If it's that important I will come find you in your lunch break rather than you interrupt mine - this seems to be a pattern Sally and it's really not on

[MzHz]

You are going to have to be more direct

“It’s my lunch break and I’m not available now”

If she’s going to say she has a meeting then her lunch then you tell her you’ll call her whenever you’re free afterwards but not until you are.

If she carries on regardless you will just have to be firm and say “I’ve been clear. I will call you after X time when I’m free. Until then, I’m not going to be available to talk to you” “see you later”

[amusedbush]

In my last job I worked in an open plan office with 20 other people and a public reception window. There was absolutely nowhere else to eat lunch so if it was a miserable day and you didn't want to go for a walk in the rain, you had to eat at your desk.

Except nobody gave you any privacy. I would be chewing a mouthful of food and someone would stand at the end of my desk to ask a question. Or my colleagues next to the reception window would wander off and I'd need to get up when someone rang the bell. Infuriating!

I'd love to advise you but sadly I never got anywhere by saying "can I look at this after lunch?"

[2bazookas]

" I'm eating not working.. Please come back after my lunch break"

It's faintly possible she's not up to speed on the break -arrangements in your department, so (after your break) you could email her a polite reminder.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Why is it so hard for some people to understand that your break times are your free time - time to relax, eat your lunch and have a proper break from work so you can go back to work refreshed?

As a student nurse, I once had a nurse manager tell me off when I was in the canteen having lunch, because I was knitting, which she said was unprofessional! Sadly as she was several rungs senior to me, I couldn’t tell her that, as my lunch break was unpaid, she had no right to dictate what I did with it - but it still rankles a little 35 years on.

[Thorinfling]

I would honestly just talk to her and tell her. I sat next to a colleague at work and she took her lunch break at her desk. She told me politely but firmly in the first week that although she was at her desk she was "at lunch" for that hour during the day. (We collaborated on times etc. that would work for both of us each day).

It could feel irritating at times (no fault of hers) when the phones were going mad or I was running around due to some last minute thing that cropped up and she sat there reading a magazine after eating her lunch but I always respected it. That was her lunch break and she was clear from the start.

Just have that conversation, "I need to take my lunch at my desk but that is still my lunch break. You should assume I'm not available for that hour. Please can you just leave what you need on my desk and I'll give you a call to discuss if anything needs follow up."
You can get the message across without it being testy. We all need a break during the day while working and in these circumstances you shouldn't have to crawl into a cupboard to avoid being disturbed!

As PPs have said, just lay it out clearly and politely and be consistent.

[Shizzlestix]

Sally if you don't want to discuss it on your lunch break why do you think I do on mine?

Exactly. She’s either socially unaware or just plain bloody rude. I would just repeat when she says it”ll just take a minute/could you just sign etc ‘As I said, I am clearly on lunch, I will deal later.’ If she still tries, ask her when her lunch break is and tell her you’ll come over then as she seems to think it’s ok to interrupt yours.

[Unsure33]

I think a sign on your desk .sorry I am in a break and work issues can wait until later . Thank you

Just point to it .

[DryRoastPeanut]

You need to be a bit more pas-agg. Ask her “give me your personal mobile number, I’d love to chat with you about this during your free time. 7.am Sunday morning is good for you?”
Then reiterate it’s your time, not work time.

Could you lunch anywhere else? Park, cemetery, piazza or even another desk in your building?

[acaiacai]

Thank you all. I'll be ready on Monday to have my words!! 💪🤣

[Girlzroolz]

I’d probably take a huge bite of my sandwich when I saw her approaching, and just raise my palm at her, shaking my head. Don’t say anything, just sit chewing quietly, looking away. Until she gets bored and leaves.

What’s she going to do? Complain that you were rudely eating your lunch, on your lunch break?

I think you’re accepting her lobbing a conversational ‘ball’ over the net at you, and feel obliged to respond in ways A, B or C. I’d ignore any balls. Just put a puzzled, slightly annoyed look on your face and continue as you were. If you must say something, try ‘Consider me invisible on my breaks.’ And nothing else.