Zero privacy at work

[Toomanytakeaways]

I'm leaving soon luckily. I work in a very small private summer school, we don't have our own rooms and there's no staffroom, just some chairs in reception.
There's a library but they often have lessons in there so you can't just go in.
I've been placed in one particular room over the next couple of weeks. We get an hour unpaid lunch, but people just walk in and out as they please even if it's your break.
I'm not 'senior' enough to put a do not disturb sign up or anything.
I don't mind if it's once, but on Friday I had people come in 4 times in an hour when I ate in my classroom.
I can eat outside to avoid this but can't afford to go to cafes every day.
Maybe I'm overreacting but I don't feel like I can ask people to leave me alone. It's just annoying when they (other staff) see it's the break time and that you're eating and they keep bursting in the room to talk to you.

If its your own room that nobody else uses while you're on lunch just stick a note on the door saying something like "On Lunch, do not disturb except in case of emergency". I'd try to casually mention it before lunch that you really need some downtime, or that you might be taking some personal calls during that break period so would appreciate being left alone. If anyone comes in then just ask "What's the emergency?" And if there is none then just politely but firmly say "In that case can it wait until X time as I'm on lunch and really need some down time, thanks" and then do not respond any further, or cut them off with "Sorry but I'm waiting for an important phone call/in the middle of an important email, is this urgent? No, then can I get back to you later when I have time, thanks"

Some people may be offended or upset but that is their problem to deal with, just because you're at work doesn't mean you're free entertainment for your colleagues.

@PersonaNonGarter

No chance lol. I don’t get paid for that hour so I’m certainly not listening to voicemails or answering emails. I’m chilling for that hour. My office is professional too by the way. Everyone takes the full hour, sounds like yours has a crap culture.

'self abrorbed' because I want a proper break 😂 which isn't even paid

I'm someone who likes to have a bit of quiet time to myself, but you must know that the vast majority of workplaces don't provide a private space for each employee to eat alone?! In my 25-ish years of working, my options for eating on the premise have only ever been my desk or a shared break-out area in an open plan office, or a canteen/staff refectory type area, so people do/will come and chat sometimes. If people want a break completely away from colleagues in most workplaces they would go out at lunchtimes.

Like I say, I like time to myself without having chat at lunchtimes too, but I wouldn't expect my workplace to provide me with a private space of complete solitude for that so I go out at lunchtimes if it's an office day.

Presumably when you are not on your break you are teaching? So this is the only time they can come and catch you to talk about things. Sorry OP, but this sounds pretty normal for a school environment. It might be easier to think of it as a daily rate rather than x paid hours and an unpaid break.

I'd put some big headphones on and turn away from the door and have a book open as well, and see if that makes a difference. In my office there is a staff room but people will talk to each other. I cant think of many places where you get complete privacy

Most of my working life was spent in open plan offices. I can’t believe how precious some people are.

Give up really.. precious for wanting a bit of privacy at lunch.

Yes really. Just how special do you think you are?

You’ve put it in AIBU. Don’t be surprised that people are telling you YABU.

I used to work on construction sites and then in city farms and schools gardens. A chair would have been heaven to sit and eat on.

Many of my lunches were leaning against the back of a random pick up truck with concrete mixers idling waiting for you to finish your mouthful as I had to check their load before they placed it.

Im not special, just have some standards. Anyway nice try

Well I guess you can’t really expect the privacy in your actual workplace, that’s why I go out or go and sit in my car. I do need an hour out where I don’t have to speak to anyone. I’ve worked in schools and lunch breaks don’t really exist unfortunately.

Standards?! 😂

How old are you and where have you worked before?

The only person in my school who has somewhere private to eat lunch is the Head who has an office. The only place in any previous employment I’ve had had been the boss. It is odd that you seem quite surprised by this-it makes me wonder where you’ve worked before?

Is this your first job?

Give up really.. precious for wanting a bit of privacy at lunch.

But you are being precious because there would never be enough “private” spaces for everyone else to eat lunch individually so why do you think you deserve it over others?
The only solution if you don’t want to engage with anyone on your break is to remove yourself from the situation and go elsewhere for lunch.

I'm late 50s and I haven't ever had any privacy to eat. Rooms are always communal, but I learnt pretty early on to say 'I'm on my lunchbreak (waves sandwich at them) I'll talk to you later.'

It's not difficult.

I've worked in about 20 different workplaces across hospitality, retail and offices and have never seen 'private spaces for lunch where no-one asks you questions about work'.

I think if this is what you want then you need to eat lunch outside / in your car.

I don't think you are unreasonable for wanting an uninterrupted lunch break. Just because other people don't have it doesn't mean you should lump it also. I don't get this attitude - I'm broke so why shouldn't you be? We should all be in unions and working towards better pay and conditions not in a race to the bottom and constantly pitched against one another.

In the current circumstances I'd go for little walk and find somewhere to eat outside. But in the longer term there really ought to be a staff room.

This. We also lost our staff room and now have to share a room with doctors in and out. If you want quiet you go off the ward. Except you can't if there are only two nurses on!

Why do you need a private room for lunch? I don't know anyone who has this. Even our head teacher eats in a communal area if she's not tied to her desk and eating/working at the same time. For most people work is a social time and will catch up with various topics (often including work) while eating

I have no where other than my desk to sit at lunch. I get on with it.

I had to find a job that enabled me to leave the site for the hour. As you can imagine it’s quite difficult depending on where you work but for me it’s SO important. I get so overstimulated if I have to be around people all day. I just find it so exhausting. That’s why I left the school job.

I don't think the OP is asking for a private room/area, just a room/area where students/clients are not coming in and out.

Except it's not the students it's fellow colleagues who it's totally normal to chat to at lunch in a school environment (and any other environment ime) the presence of a staff room wouldn't prevent this in fact it would make it even easier and you'd have little chance of being alone. We talk work a lot on our unpaid break as I see people I don't get a chance to see throughout my working day and I early get the chance to sit and read or reply to emails. Sometimes I get disturbed by a pupil because of a medical need and sometimes we have to disturb the teachers on their lunch with a student for a variety of reasons (im a TA) it just is what it is