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.

I'm with the OP when I was in the office it was normal for people to cook eggs, bacon, beans, leftovers etc for their breakfast. On a different note though we got a paid 20 minute teabreak so most people tended to eat breakfast at this time.

In all honesty, I WFH and wouldn't eat a 'knife and fork' meal during my working hours. I wouldn't be able to type and it would be awkward if I had to take a call (usually get at least three unscheduled calls a day and if the caller puts their camera on it's rude not to reciprocate). In the days when I wasn't on a diet and used to snack it would be things that could be eaten one handed and easily put to one side such as crisps, a sandwich or an apple.

Hot meals at your desk can be a problem, as others have said, because of the smell. Frankly, I've never worked anywhere that allowed hot meals at desks. No, wait, that's not right...one place did, but that was the exception. So, 18 months out of a work history that goes back to 1968.

Yeah I agree with others, it's the smell. I doubt anyone would be bothered if you're eating yoghurt and granola at your desk.

Beans or egg on toast is kind of taking the piss a little bit. Also, I hate eggs and the smell makes me feel ill so I totally wouldn't want to sit near you.

Either have a cold breakfast and eat your hot food for lunch or split your break and eat it elsewhere.
You could also bring beans or egg already cooked in a thermos thing but still don't eat it in the open plan office. 🤢

@MrsTophamHat

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.

Yes, I understand that as those tasks actually sound similar to my role.

I’d still have to be clicking and scrolling with the mouse to read articles/emails or picking up a pen to make notes. It doesn’t take long to read the text that’s on the screen so you’d be potentially clinking cutlery down onto the plate every 20 seconds which I’d find annoying.

I’d also be worried about spillages of messy things like beans when I’ve got documents on my desk.

Fair enough I can quite easily sit and eat a sandwich or a cereal bar while working but I wouldn’t feel fully productive with a plate in front of my keyboard eating with a knife and fork. I’ve never seen anybody do that outside of a lunch break and I’ve worked in a few large offices.

Just get up a bit earlier and have breakfast at home - or arrive early at work and have it before your official start time. But if you do the latter, don’t bring your cooked stuff into the work area.

I like to eat breakfast mid morning too so I take 15 minutes for my toast and coffee at 10:30 ish and another 15 mins in the late afternoon for a quick lunch. No way does preparing and eating eggs on toast take only 5 mins out of your morning, even if you whisk them at home. Why not take the offer to split your lunch break?

Eating cooked eggs in front of colleagues is grim. It stinks.

You say you ‘aren’t taking the piss’ and it only takes a few minutes but realistically that’s probably not true.

If you’re eating eggs on toast/beans on toast you aren’t working at the same time. That’s a proper meal that you need to eat with a knife and fork. Is anyone else in the office taking a break during paid time (not break time) to prepare and eat a meal? Surely you can see why colleagues and employers aren’t keen on you having an extra paid break to make and eat a meal?

Plus they’ve offered you to split your lunch. Do that.

Op, you just can't microwave eggs in the office then sit and eat them at your desk!! (not envy!) That's unbelievably antisocial and rude!

Also I wonder how you are getting from your desk to the kitchen, cooking eggs and toast, then eating it, and it apparently ‘only takes two minutes.’

No way does it take two minutes. Maybe the eggs in the microwave, but not the entire thing.

Eggy smells are not the one OP. Have some cereal or fruit.

This kind of petty bullshit from employers is so exhausting. If you get your work done within an acceptable timescale and to a sufficient standard it's just pathetic beyond belief for them to gripe over three minutes spent using a microwave.

Maybe realise theres more than you in the office and think of how eggs and beans smelling like old farts affect other people.

If you're the only person that does it I can see why they approached you directly. Imagine if they'd sent an email around the office without warning and it was clearly directed at you. It would feel worse.

I'm a smoker and have a morning and afternoon smoke break that takes 8 minutes (learned from regularly rushing between meetings) so no, I couldn't call you unreasonable for it. Like other posters I do wonder if it's the smell rather than the eating that's bothering people.

I’m pretty horrified by a lot of the comments on here! Agree with the micro-management comment.
I wouldn’t care or even notice what everyone ate at their desk. Or how long they took for breaks. Unless they’re slack in the effort they put into their job. But then I’d pick them up on not putting enough effort in, not for doing the totally natural thing of eating.
Agree that some foods do smell more and that includes eggs. I like them and it wouldn’t bother me. But I get why someone might not like it. But then that individual needs to say something about the actual issue.

Add a couple of sausages and it’s practically a full English.
YABU - compromise is the word needed here.

It’s the smell. Someone will have complained about the smell.

I can’t say I’d want to smell someone else’s reheated eggs. It either smells bad or it smells yummy and wouod make me hungry when I’m trying to work.

If you can’t eat first thing (I’m the same) that isn’t your colleagues fault or problem. Cereal bars at desk for you!

Recognise that the issue is the smell for colleagues not the time taken and think of a solution.

@User527294627

This kind of petty bullshit from employers is so exhausting. If you get your work done within an acceptable timescale and to a sufficient standard it's just pathetic beyond belief for them to gripe over three minutes spent using a microwave.

As OP is allowed to make cereal or eat a cold meal, it's nothing to do with the time IMO.

It sounds like someone has complained about the smell of microwaved eggs

@BeardyButton

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.

Agreed.

All these comments are giving me real Eberneezer Scrooge vibes "How dare you not type 2 handed! Use both hands - right now!" And "Eat a bowl of gruel a cereal bar until your next allotted legal break. Time is money"

The eggs will be smelly though OP so just eat them away from your desk.

No way does it take two minutes

Does it really matter if it takes three? We’ll all be dead one day.
All these dictatorships. What a silly world some people have created.

Microwaved eggs smell vile. Change the menu and people will probably care less

@KittyKatty123

Just to add - if it is a cold breakfast - apparently this is OK!!

Well there is your answer. Your boss is very clumsily telling you you to stop stinking the office out with your microwaved scrambled egg.

He's prob right tho. A quick bite to eat during work time is prob ok. Taking a few mins away from desk to cook and eat is prob taking the mick a bit. Why not take 15 mins from your lunch to have an actual tea break mid morning and it'll make it fairer all round

I hate micro-managing and I hate places where employees aren't treated like adults. But the thing about that is that there has to be two-way consideration for that to work.

If someone took their lunch break and then later on that afternoon decided to cook themselves a hot meal and eat it at their desk, you'd think they were taking the piss. OP is essentially doing the same thing but earlier rather than later.

Eating a cooked breakfast is not the same as eating a light snack while working. Your employer is being really fair by offering to accommodate you by splitting your lunch break. It seems as if you want the best of both worlds OP. With the time taken to cook beans and eggs, make toast, get back to your desk and eat it all that's a considerable chunk of time - all while your colleagues are still working.

And of course, there's no consideration at all for the smell.

If you absolutely must have a cooked breakfast then accept the offer of a split lunch break - that's a very fair and balanced approach from your employer.

By trying to make it a health and safety issue over "having a break" you know you're reaching OP. YABVVU.