Employer says I am not allowed to heat up my breakfast

[KittyKatty123]

I work full time, 9-5, computer facing all day, work that requires a lot of concentration. I understand the important of taking regular breaks to get away from the screen but don't take the mickey with this. I can't eat first thing in the morning so I have always eaten mid-morning, at my desk, sometimes something cold, sometimes something that needs a minute or two in the staff microwave.

Past employers have never had an issue with this.

I'm fairly new to this job but in the past two months that others have observed me doing this, including my line manager, no-one has ever raised it as an issue. We have access to a microwave and toaster so sometimes I'll bring in a tub of beans, or eggs that I've already put in a bowl and whisked at home so it takes 2 minutes in the microwave to heat them, sometimes I'll do some toast at the same time. All during the space of time it takes me to make my first cup of tea of the day - which is taken after having already put in 1-2 hours work since I got in that morning.

All of a sudden my line manager took me aside and said "it had been noticed" that I was heating up my breakfast and that I was no longer to do this as it was in work time, that the microwave and toaster were only for lunch breaks, unless I decided to split my break over both. This seems ridiculous to me as it takes max 5 minutes and I then bring it back to eat at my desk whilst working. I have seen colleagues gone for much much longer than this if they get into social conversation with colleagues.

Also, this instruction was directed only to me, not as a general "heads up" to the team or department as a whole, so it very personal.

In my mind, from an occupational health point of view, it is very important to take regular breaks throughout the day from VDU work, to make tea, go to the loo, chat with a colleague etc, so why is heating up food whilst making my tea any different.

Am I being unreasonable here? Do others do this at work with no issue? As I said, past employers have never had issue with it and I don't take the piss with it. Thank you.

OMG, imagining the smell of eggsand beans in an office makes me want to heave!

The smell must be awful and I really don’t think it is acceptable to eat a hot meal at your desk!

I never get to take my (unpaid) break due to workload so do eat at my computer but that is a sandwich and crisps. Not the healthiest but desk friendly!

This kind of micro managing drives me insane. It would just make me want to not work a minute longer than my allotted hours/be in any way flexible and be petty back

The problem is that, though about 2/3 of staff respond positively to being allowed flexibility, the other 1/3 take the piss to some extent. This then upsets the 2/3 of non-piss takers. If you have a small team, that can be manageable, with close supervision of the piss-takers but, the bigger the team, the more energy and effort that is wasted, adjudicating this sort of crap. In the end, most large organisations opt for being rigid because they can't afford to have their managers umpiring porridge wars all day.

I secretly fantasise about murdering my colleagues who microwave egg, beans or fish. I think smells are the crux of this issue tbh

The smell of egg and beans would gross me out too, I'd be the complainer. Mind you, I was once the object of a complaint about my veg soup in a flask so I guess a lot of hot stuff is a problem for someone. I'd go cold and considerate until 'proper' lunchtime.

I use to work in a Community Alarms Centre. Usually was only 2 of us working at a time. I hated doing 8am shift start if I was on with a certain one of my colleagues. She always wanted to have her breakfast around 10am. This meant she was away from her desk for between 5 and 10 minutes, then would come back to her desk with her breakfast and still leave whoever she was on with to answer the calls while she ate her breakfast! It meant whoever she was on with ended up doing all the work for over 20 minutes. Most of my other colleagues only left their desk for a few minutes and, even if they were eating continued to answer calls. However it turned out that those working with this one colleague often fell below the standard of “length of time calls answered within” which meant they were flagged up to senior management and had to attend a performance meeting!

When management realised what was happening, because of this one colleague taking the piss, we were all told that we could not eat at our desks and we could only leave our desks (apart from going to the toilet) at set break times. Everyone was penalised because of the actions of one colleague!

YABU for cooking eggs at work 🤮

At a new job, doesn’t matter what you did at the old one read the room and mingle in.

Could be the time element causing bad feeling.

My daughter used to describe working with a woman who would roll up to work 10-15 min late, weigh herself (scales under her desk) discuss the weight difference with anyone who would listen, go for a cigarette, have breakfast, go the the loo, and then generally gossip. She never struck a bat before 10am. Early, long lunches, 'unexpected' phone calls which meant she had to leave for some sort of catastrophe almost every day, appointments left, right and centre.

She was the office bully and best friends with someone higher up in the establishment. She seemed to get away with it.

Just caused massive resentment with everyone.

Until a reorganisation happened - when it was clear her position no longer existed she threatened tribunals and accused everyone of bullying her out of her job.

Most jobs have one 20-30 minute break per day, often unpaid.

Wow! My office jobs have had two paid 10 minute breaks for morning/afternoon tea, and an unpaid hour for lunch! I have had labouring jobs with 30 minute lunch breaks, but we've always had the mid morning and afternoon breaks as well. Only one break per day is shocking!

Do you eat noisily? I once shared a small office with a girl who smacked her lips noisily when eating. It drove me INSANE.

I’d start talking in egg Mayo sandwiches for your elevens’ because tbh it is most likely about the smell and I’d be bloody minded about it - but that’s why I don’t work in an office 😂

Had a feeling you wouldn’t return OP. It’s probably the smell of eggs that’s done it. If you really do need that break then, then I would just take some time out of your lunch break.

In our office we take 2 mins here or there to make tea through the day, but everyone does well over their paid hours anyway. Hot or smelly food is eaten in the kitchen or cafe area.

I've worked in various offices my whole career, (am now in my 40s) and always there's been half the people in there eating away all manner of foods, smelly and otherwise, whilst working away.

I do think it's likely the egg smell that's the issue, but if you are doing your work snd meeting your deadlines, I don't see what the problem is. But my job doesn't involve constant typing, or regularly answering unplanned calls, it's more reading reports, writing reports from scratch and having planned meetings which you can work around in terms of eating and breaks.

As some others have said, an office where people are micromanaging your every minute would be really unappealing to me.

I love eggs and beans. Do I want to smell it mid morning while I'm working in the office? NO.

Would you be allowed a smoking break at the same time?

Could you bring in hot beans in a wide mouthed jar, by the time you were ready they’d still be warm. No microwave used.

.

@IrishCharm

I’d start talking in egg Mayo sandwiches for your elevens’ because tbh it is most likely about the smell and I’d be bloody minded about it - but that’s why I don’t work in an office 😂

Thank fuck for that.

I also think it looks unprofessional and probably smells too.
Take a 15 minute breakfast break and 45 for lunch.
You can then eat in peace in the staff room and not upset others with crunching toast,crumbs,sliding eggs and beans.not nice.

Nah, eating beans or eggs on toast at your desk mid morning, I really would not wish to sit and watch a colleague munching that down mid morning and I’m really unsure how you can work and eat that lot and swill it down with a cup of tea.

I don't give a toss if someone disappears to get breakfast, but I do object to hit food at the desk. I don't want my workplace to smell like a greasy spoon.

Therefore you're not BU and your manager is a tosspot, but don't take your mid-morning breakfast back to your desk.

@JesusIsAnyNameFree
🤣

Threads like these make me really appreciate my workplace. No one would bat an eye lid if I made breakfast - we regularly have 10am bacon and egg from the work canteen on a Friday and if I did it a different day it wouldn’t be an issue. It’s all about appearances rather than whether the op is any good at her job.

Agree just take break and go and eat your cooked breakfast anywhere else.

Seems draconian, but the smell of eggs and/or beans close to me would make me heave.

@gofg

Most jobs have one 20-30 minute break per day, often unpaid.

Wow! My office jobs have had two paid 10 minute breaks for morning/afternoon tea, and an unpaid hour for lunch! I have had labouring jobs with 30 minute lunch breaks, but we've always had the mid morning and afternoon breaks as well. Only one break per day is shocking!

Only one break a day is not uncommon. As a teacher I have 30 minutes for lunch and that’s it.