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.

My team used to all happily eat their breakfast at their desk. Mostly cereal or toast. No issue. No eggs or beans until a complete bellend colleague started cooking in micro and then eating mackerel at his desk for breakfast. Absolutely stinking and smell lingered. Manager spoke to him. He argued that if colleagues could eat toast he should be able to eat fish. Couple days later. New policy. No eating at desk. Use staff room on official breaks only. There’s always one that pushs it. I think your manager handled it badly but I do think you are being unreasonable to your colleagues as beans and eggs do smell

It's totally the smell!!
Someone has complained

I have never ever been more grateful not to work in a micromanage-y office than I have whilst reading this thread.

I agree with PP’s that it’s probably a smell issue. I hate baked beans and would find the smell of someone eating them next to me really off putting. It’s always been common courtesy where I’ve worked not to cook things like fish and eggs in an office microwave.

I imagine if you’d just been having a couple of slices of toast nobody would have said anything.

I also don’t think it’s possible to be working at full capacity while eating something that involves a knife and fork. Presumably if you’re sat at a desk you need your hands to use the mouse/keyboard/phone, therefore you are effectively taking additional break times whilst everyone else is still working.

If they’ve said you can have cold food I wouldn’t push it any further as that’s more than a lot of employers would allow.

@VaguelyInteresting

I have never ever been more grateful not to work in a micromanage-y office than I have whilst reading this thread.

Upvoted.

Apart from it slowing you down and being smelly, it’s just not hygienic.

This post reminds of me when I had awful morning sickness and my colleague would eat mackerel at his office desk (bleurgghh).

In my mind, from an occupational health point of view, it is very important to take regular breaks throughout the day
Lol. I’d love to be a fly on the wall if you go back with that argument.

I don’t think ‘occupational health’ will be too bothered by this.

@VaguelyInteresting - can you eat what you want, when you want when working?
Genuine question.

Just eat breakfast at home or bring a cold breakfast. Your '2 minutes' is likely to be longer (washing up etc...)

Not all "work" involves typing/using a mouse.

Some involves "thinking".

But you're not doing that most efficiently when you're eating your breakfast of beans on toast

YABU, most offices wouldn’t allow this. I’m surprised you’re allowed to eat while working on a PC, spills and electronics don’t mix.

I also don’t think it’s possible to be working at full capacity while eating something that involves a knife and fork. Presumably if you’re sat at a desk you need your hands to use the mouse/keyboard/phone, therefore you are effectively taking additional break times whilst everyone else is still working.

In my job, I read industry articles, CPD, policy updates, emails, documents, I look at data, I think about how to approach a task and jot things down in a notebook. All of these things i can do while eating if needed. Not all jobs are just output output output. Sometimes you have to take information in as well.

Heat it up at home and bring it in in a food flask.

It's the stink, and yes I would complain if I had to work next to you. If hot food is allowed in an office environment then it should be eaten separately in another room/kitchen, not at your desk. Sloppy habit and not at all considerate of others.

@VaguelyInteresting

I have never ever been more grateful not to work in a micromanage-y office than I have whilst reading this thread.

What's micro-manage-y about expecting people not to eat a full plate of hot breakfast at their desks?

Biscuits, toast, a bar of chocolate - fine, but full-on meals are for break times, surely?

someone has complained about the smell (eggs? in an office? nope)
just eat cold breakfast. (and please don't slurp and crunch - or they'll tell you to stop that too)

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea

I used to have a colleague who did this and it pissed me off to no end. While she was stirring up her porridge and blowing it to cool it down, she couldnt properly perform tasks. She could only type with one hand, often couldn't answer the phone as she was chewing. It would take her longer to so a simple email or input some data while she was eating than it would normally, and while this was only for 10-15 minutes per day, it was every day and very annoying.

Also microwave eggs stink.

Did she not get the memo that she had to be at her very best every second of every day??? I mean how very dare she!!!!! 10 minutes a day where she wasn’t operating with utmost speed care and attention.

It’s the smell. Nobody objects to anyone having a cup of tea and a sandwich at their desk. The chap I used to work with regularly heated up fish cakes mid morning. Dear God, the stench. It’s completely antisocial. I reckon they’re going to tell you to do it in your break….and then send an email stating that there’s now a rule that hot food can’t be eaten at desks.

I think its a bit off a pisstake to be taking an extra break when you've only just started this job. I guess it depends on what kind of job you do but the last office I worked in we all had responsibility to answer the phones and you would clearly be unavailable to take a call for a good 15 minutes during this breakfast so it would not have been tolerated well. If you have been there a few years and the boss knows you are a hardworker then I'd imagine they would be a bit more easy going about this.

Fwiw I can only eat and drink on my breaks once I'm off the floor but thats mostly covid risk.

Like pp, I am also very grateful for the fact my skills etc are respected at work and I’m not expected to be a total robot 9-5. Honestly mn workplaces sound like absolute hell.

Yeah sounds like you’ve pushed it one egg to far and now ruined it for everyone…there’s always one

@Mamamamasaurus

It's the smell.

Besides, eating at your desk is grim. Tomorrow, turn over your keyboard and give it a good shake. Grim.

For fucks sake. Get over yourself!

What most others have said.

I couldn't face food when I got up, either. So instead of eating at home. I got to work early and had breakfast before I started work. But even then I didn't make eggs or beans. Microwave porridge or toast, as they don't smell the place out.

As I see it, people are annoyed for two reasons
a) The smell (hence eating something cold at your desk is being allowed)
b) the time you're taking to make hot food, (hence the opportunity to take part of your break early and eat away from others - see a) )

Hot smelly food at colleague's desks is something I do NOT miss wfh.

Get up earlier and have breakfast before work or switch to a cold snack.