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.

Yes, it’s a public toilet. What were you expecting?

It's not the same though. This is an office, you don't expect it to stink of food.

[quote Maireas]@VaguelyInteresting - can you eat what you want, when you want when working?
Genuine question.[/quote]
I can. I'm treated like an adult and as long as my work is done I get to eat what I like and take breaks when I like.

I'm gobsmacked people/adults are still micromanaged this way.

@vincettenoir
I expect a public toilet to smell of piss.

I dont expect an office to smell of eggy beans

@Yayaga yes that’s a fair point. But I was referring specifically to people who make a big song and dance about smells.

I'm treated like an adult and as long as my work is done I get to eat what I like and take breaks when I like.

I'm gobsmacked people/adults are still micromanaged this way.

What are the chances that people who are 'gobsmacked' about people being 'micro-managed' are the same people who are on here fuming if their GP doesn't call back in ten minutes or they have to wait for 15 minutes to try and get through to their energy company?

I am an employer. We have a kitchen with a table in it where people are expected to eat. I'd hate the smell of eggs and beans in the office and I expect others would too. Also its grim eating over your desk and keyboard. So far everyone eats in the kitchen happily. I don't police breaks as long as the work gets done.

Not every job allows for people do just do as they like though - it isn’t micro managing for the employer to want people to be working rather than cooking and eating a meal.

When I worked in childcare I’m sure most of the posters defending op wouldn’t be happy if they showed up at nursery and had to wait outside because I was taking my paid breakfast break to cook eggs on toast for myself.

Now I woke in retail - again I’m sure these posters wouldn’t be happy to wait twenty minutes to be served because I’m having beans on toast because I felt like an extra break.

There are many jobs where majority of staff have to be available for whatever reason (answering phone calls from customers etc) and if every member of staff started cooking their meals and faffing about during working hours it would affect the business.

Just make breakfast and eat before work. It's your work time, so you don't have a right to go and prepare a meal within work hours, regardless of how little or much time you feel it takes.

Taking eggs to scramble and beans to cook at work is already a bit belond the realms of usual work breakfast behavior, in my experience! Just bring a sandwich or some fruit if you can't possibly eat earlier in the day.

Also the employer isn’t stopping op from eating - they are simply requesting that they use their allocated break time, split to cover mornings.

@Kanaloa

Not every job allows for people do just do as they like though - it isn’t micro managing for the employer to want people to be working rather than cooking and eating a meal.

When I worked in childcare I’m sure most of the posters defending op wouldn’t be happy if they showed up at nursery and had to wait outside because I was taking my paid breakfast break to cook eggs on toast for myself.

Now I woke in retail - again I’m sure these posters wouldn’t be happy to wait twenty minutes to be served because I’m having beans on toast because I felt like an extra break.

There are many jobs where majority of staff have to be available for whatever reason (answering phone calls from customers etc) and if every member of staff started cooking their meals and faffing about during working hours it would affect the business.

This.

@MadameGazellee

Just make breakfast and eat before work. It's your work time, so you don't have a right to go and prepare a meal within work hours, regardless of how little or much time you feel it takes.

Taking eggs to scramble and beans to cook at work is already a bit belond the realms of usual work breakfast behavior, in my experience! Just bring a sandwich or some fruit if you can't possibly eat earlier in the day.

Yes this. And of course your employer is right to say you need to take the time out of your lunch break.

@hotmeatymilk

Your job clearly doesnt involve reading comprehension, does it? I said Huel does bars that are whole meals. WHOLE MEALS. In bars. You seem a bit hangry, have you tried eating a proper whole meal instead of a bar?

Honestly, in no world is a bar a meal substitute, imo.

@girlmom21
Thats nice but its not all about you its about your colleagues not having to smell your gross food smells

Huel is aptly named tbh.

HUUUEEEL (retching noise)

@Kanaloa

Also the employer isn’t stopping op from eating - they are simply requesting that they use their allocated break time, split to cover mornings.

Agree, it’s a reasonable request, if you’re sitting eating beans on toast at your desk it’s hard to argue you’re fully working, the manager isn’t saying she can’t eat at her desk, she’s saying if she’s going to be sitting eating a cooked breakfast to use some of her break time to do it.

The issue seems to be the op doesn’t wish to use any of her break to do it,

@Kanaloa

Also the employer isn’t stopping op from eating - they are simply requesting that they use their allocated break time, split to cover mornings.

Which is totally reasonable

We moved into new premises and the staff group came up with some rules about eating food at desks because we were open plan and it affected others. The rule was no hot food at desks to protect keyboards and no smelly foods - eg eggs, fish, curry.

Have toast. And be considerate of others. I personally hate the smell of cooked eggs it makes me gag.

@Bouledeneige

We moved into new premises and the staff group came up with some rules about eating food at desks because we were open plan and it affected others. The rule was no hot food at desks to protect keyboards and no smelly foods - eg eggs, fish, curry.

Have toast. And be considerate of others. I personally hate the smell of cooked eggs it makes me gag.

So it's OK to tip yogurt into a keyboard?

Cooked scrambled egg barely smells of anything. But I personally hate the smell of bananas, now they make me gag. But that would be OK for everyone because they're eaten cold?

There seems to be a lot of people on this thread who don't actually like food very much, with all this aversion to nice aromas and suggestions about having something called Huel instead.

It's definitely the eggy smell lingering over to other colleagues desks prompting them to complain. YABU there.

However, if it's just a timing issue then a thermos food flask is your best bet. Get the food prepped at home and it'll stay warm until you're ready to have it mid-morning.

Just don't eat at your desk. It's a bad habit anyway. If you don't have anywhere else to eat then I guess you have to. Grim.

What's grim about eating at your desk?

Mumsnet is a very odd place.

I think heating up smelly things like eggs is really inconsiderate. Just take in a sandwich or something, it's not a big deal.

@CornishGem1975

What's grim about eating at your desk?

Mumsnet is a very odd place.

For the person eating nothing. For everyone else, the smell can be disgusting. I don’t work in an office thankfully but have been on plenty of long distance trains where people happily munch away on their food totally oblivious to all around them (smelling like a flask of puréed kippers).

Everything is grim about eating hot food at your desk, in a shared office. For you (no proper break, space to take it, or opportunity to chat to people if you like, while eating lunch), your colleagues (endless distracting smells and noises of others taking their break; scraping cutlery, chatting) and for the employer (risk of spills on electronics, extra work for cleaners). Yuck.

@CornishGem1975

What's grim about eating at your desk?

Mumsnet is a very odd place.

No one wants to hear or smell you eating. No matter how quiet you are you aren't.