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.

[FortunesFave]

And as for How do these people cope in a cafe or plane?

WE DON"T!!

My DD throws up every time they bring the food out on long haul flights. She has to run to the loo to vomit EVERY TIME.

Is that her fault? No. It's because she has ASD.

I don't eat out because I can't stand the noise or the smells. I'm not as bad as DD but I'm pretty bad.

Try to expand your mind a tiny bit.

[Valeriane]

This is just the thread that refuses to die

[WhiteVanWoman91]

@Valeriane

This is just the thread that refuses to die

Keeps getting reheated! 🤣

[MyrtlethePurpleTurtle]

@Hawkins001

It's now reached Nottingham post, I think this has been one of the most publicized posts I know of in recent times.

It’s that wonderful combination of OP’s naïveté, entitlement and banality,

We’ve all had that colleague

[Carrotsandbroccoli]

@FortunesFave

And as for How do these people cope in a cafe or plane?

WE DON"T!!

My DD throws up every time they bring the food out on long haul flights. She has to run to the loo to vomit EVERY TIME.

Is that her fault? No. It's because she has ASD.

I don't eat out because I can't stand the noise or the smells. I'm not as bad as DD but I'm pretty bad.

Try to expand your mind a tiny bit.

That’s a shame. And quite unusual. The woman who said she vomited at the smell of someone’s egg sandwich announced it as if it were the regular, reasonable reaction though - hence the YABU thing. Most people, even if they do have these extreme conditions, agree that it’s not unreasonable for others to carry on as usual, eating normal food?

And the scores of posters throwing their hands up and wailing about stinky food were, presumably, not in the tiny percentage of people who have these severe reactions. They were just being dramatic.

[anon12345678901]

Ahh I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk most of the time. Breakfast is cold, lunch isn't. But then my work have a cafe that serve egg, bacon, sausage etc for breakfast and know people will eat at their desk.

[mrsmarshups]

I'm fairly certain your co-workers will be gagging at the smell of those eggs. It's not reasonable in any way, shape, or form to cook eggs in a communal space.
Just bring something less offensive, or y'know, actually eat breakfast at home. Your manager has asked you to stop, so I'd be inclined to stop - it's good sense really.

[DiWoo]

I’d bring in some nice fish for my lunch.

[DiWoo]

Do you have somewhere to sit where the microwave is? I would get in 10 minutes earlier or take 5/10 minutes out of my lunch break, to eat my breakfast in peace without having to do any work. When you eat whilst doing something else, you don’t appreciate/notice your food as much, I find.

[FortunesFave]

CarrotsandBroccoli it's really not a "tiny percentage". Unless you've got data to back up statements like that, you're better off not spouting them like fact. Or you sound stupid.

[Carrotsandbroccoli]

@FortunesFave

CarrotsandBroccoli it's really not a "tiny percentage". Unless you've got data to back up statements like that, you're better off not spouting them like fact. Or you sound stupid.

You’re being a bit ridiculous now. I do understand that some people have an extreme reaction to the smell of food. I know one of them.

But the fact is that, as a society, we still eat food; we still eat eggs, fish, curries etc. Most people are not routinely throwing up in cafes, restaurants, cinemas etc.

But on this thread, some people are giving the impression that it’s perfectly normal to start gagging if someone eats hot food in your general vicinity. It’s not. It’s an unfortunate disorder suffered by some. I don’t feel I need to start quoting statistics as it’s patently obvious to anyone who lives in the world that the vast majority of people aren’t heaving every time they encounter the smell of food. Hell, some people even think the smell of food cooking is pleasant , what with food being something humans are generally drawn to, given our biological nutritional needs and all.

If there’s a microwave, people are expecting others to heat food. That’s it.

[FortunesFave]

Carrots I think you're the one being ridiculous. So many have posted to say that certain food smells disgust them, yet for some reason you're acting as if they haven't! Or as if they're lying.

Just because you can't relate to something doesn't mean it's less valid or "childish" or ridiculous. You sound incredibly up yourself when you keep arguing about this.

It's a valid issue for many people. It's not something you can scoff at and make less real.

[Marjoriesdoor]

How do you feel about boiled tripe, OP?

[Grapewrath]

I don’t eat eggs, I can’t stand them. I can’t stand chicken either but chicken does not smell as strongly or offensive as eggs. Eggs are a good they should not be cooked in communal areas of the workplace imo. Especially for breakfast.
I do go to cafes but cafes don’t ask that I sit in their kitchen while they cook eggs, nor do they require me to work at their tables while they cook. I do not heat up my own lunch in a cafe’s kitchen while they cook either.

[Grapewrath]

Food that not good they ffs

[Carrotsandbroccoli]

@FortunesFave

Carrots I think you're the one being ridiculous. So many have posted to say that certain food smells disgust them, yet for some reason you're acting as if they haven't! Or as if they're lying.

Just because you can't relate to something doesn't mean it's less valid or "childish" or ridiculous. You sound incredibly up yourself when you keep arguing about this.

It's a valid issue for many people. It's not something you can scoff at and make less real.

I don’t think people are lying necessarily when they say “ewww yuck, stinky eggs” but I do think the vast majority of them are being childish. There may be a very few who genuinely can’t tolerate normal food smells but I don’t mean them.

To confirm, do you think that all, or even most, of the people on this thread who’ve said that eggs are smelly/stink/honk are suffering from an actual, clinical-level aversion to food smells? Really??

I doubt it.

Meanwhile, people heat their lunch in office situations and most people cope. The issue about break times is entirely separate and may or may not be unreasonable. I think loads of people have jumped on the bandwagon of being all hyper-sensitive about yucky food and it is childish. As is the phrase “up yourself”, incidentally

[TheSmallClangerWhistlesAgain]

Eggs do stink, as do the inevitable farts that follow, especially if beans are also on the menu.

[Carrotsandbroccoli]

Eggs do stink, as do the inevitable farts that follow, especially if beans are also on the menu.

I think this is what I mean really. Sounds like playground talk.

[Carrotsandbroccoli]

@Grapewrath

Eggs are a good they should not be cooked in communal areas of the workplace imo

Because you don’t like them! There are other foods that smell just as strongly, but they’re presumably acceptable because you like them! Ok

but cafes don’t ask that I sit in their kitchen while they cook eggs, nor do they require me to work at their tables while they cook

None of this is equivalent; OP’s colleagues don’t have to sit in the kitchen while she uses the microwave 🤷‍♀️ And neither would they be any closer to OP whilst sitting working than you are to a fellow diner sitting eating eggs.

People are just looking for ways to justify their schoolboy jeering at someone’s food choice. Well, where’s the fun in AIBU if you don’t get to chastise/bully OP!

[RedHot22]

This thread is in The Mirror

Watch out OP

[LizzieW1969]

People are just looking for ways to justify their schoolboy jeering at someone’s food choice. Well, where’s the fun in AIBU if you don’t get to chastise/bully OP!

Except that this OP isn’t even bothering with the thread! She hasn’t commented since the 10th and that was only a brief thank you to another poster.

It’s certainly been a very strange thread!

[Blueeyedgirl21]

Whilst I don’t necessarily support op’s food choices in the office, it’s not the food it’s the situation - eggs and beans are perfectly fine to eat! Discussions about people having smelly farts because they eat eggs etc is just pathetic. Mumsnet really does have some posters with strange ideas about food. You must eat your 10 veg a day but eat beans an omg you’ll be the stinky farter! People vomiting on the floor at the smell of a fairly innocuous food. Porridge being hailed as an offensive food. Will some people only be satisfied when we are eating completely scentless, bland mush in secret where no one can see or hear us or even witness it being prepared?!

[Blueeyedgirl21]

And before someone comes on and says ASD etc I know That for some smell can be part of sensory issues that form a wider issue. But in a working environment usually you have to deal with people eating or drinking sometimes.

[Hawkins001]

@Marjoriesdoor

How do you feel about boiled tripe, OP?

That does smell bad,