Colleague constantly eating all the time

[shewhoisnotme]

We share a desk.

She comes in at 9. Usually a McDonald's breakfast bun of some kind

Snacks on cake, sausage rolls, meats 🍰

Lunch is chicken and chips, McDonald's, KFC. Loads of crisps for a snack after at her desk

AIBU to be annoyed? She is constantly eating! The drums drive me up the wall. They edge onto my side

Where do you work where someone on reception is allowed to eat pretty much all day?
How does she get all this food? Is she in and out all day? Do you work really close to KFC and MacD's? And it must be costing her a fortune on what I presume isn't a large salary.

I'm so glad I work in my own garden office!

I would absolutely hate this. Even apart from the smell (which is bad enough for KFC and McD’s) and the greasy phone (yuk yuk), it’s the noise of eating. I moved train seats in a busy train the other day as a man was chewing gum with his mouth open.

Look up misophonia. I’d suggest you say you have it but it’s an actual recognised disorder so that would probably be out of line.

I agree with your manager as regards her eating as such. The messiness, however, affects others. No reason to be embarrassed to ask her to wipe things down.

This situation sounds awful!
But it always astounds me that people think that any problem such as this should be dealt with by HR! Any decent people manager should be dealing with this straight away!
Yes I agree if the Company has an HR employee or some HR support they may be able to get some advice about how to handle it, but ultimately it’s down to the manager to manage their team!

Don't bring them into it. Disabled/ill people's reasonable adjustments don't involve allowing smelly greasy food to be spread across someone else's desk.

OP how does she even get any work done? I'd leave a packet of wipes by the phone and say "the phone is getting a little dirty so I thought we could wipe it after each use." And maybe she'll take the initiative to use the wipes to mop up the crumbs too.

Since when is a box of KFC chicken wings a snack? It's lunch!

Make sure you eat really smelly hot food at your desk really loudly and spray it everywhere and scatter crumbs all around. See who cracks first. Just bring in louder smellier snd messier snacks each time until the front desk looks like a permanent all you can eat buffet. Surely then someone might want to crack down on eating at the reception desk.

I’m sure it is a bit gross. Wouldn’t be so bad if it was a box of Maltesers.

It’s so unprofessional to eat at a reception front desk at all IM, breaks should be taken in the back

I'd not want to see or hear someone stuffing their face all day, I wouldnt care what they were eating. Gluttony is repulsive.

I dont know how you can even share a phone with her, added to not pulling her up about her mess and lack of manners

very annoying, but then my ex-colleague used to clip her toe nails at her desk, so there are other lows to reach.

But it is affecting the OP’s life, hence why she’s posted about it on here….?

It’s not OK to eat food at your desk at my work. And none of us even share desks.

Everyone either heads out, or to the communal kitchen area, so that people working at desks aren’t affected by other people’s food smells, noise, crumbs, grease and general grim detritus.

Too many people are inconsiderate and selfish and presumably raised by clueless wolves.

No, it's just gross. I love a McDonald's or a fried chicken burger, but I wouldn't dream of eating oily, smelly finger food so close to a co-worker throughout the work day. Unprofessional and inconsiderate as well as gross.

This is clearly bollocks. What person can eat at the front Desk?

Just another fat bashing thread where teeny tiny people can come and feel better about themselves

You'll just have to woman up! Say 'oh sally really you're getting stuff everywhere! It doesn't look very professional. Can you eat on your break instead of the desk?'
It's pathetic that your manager lets her do it - is there no lunch area/break room!

You work on a front desk but she spends all day popping out? Where did she produce the KFC from as a snack? Was it cold?

Not sure your problem is her eating. It’s all the other things.

I find it really weird that you manager doesn’t mind her eating greasy food that makes the whole area smell, constantly all day on a front desk.

See, I hate this.

I work in an NHS office function and the cleaners do the bare minimum around the office. They do not touch the desks or chairs.

There are crumbs everywhere.

I've gone out of my way to clean keyboards, phones and desks and two days later, it looks like I've done nothing.

Antibacterial wet wipes only go so far, the place looks like a shit tip.

I've sat next to 2 women like this. The first had 3 small bins at the side of her desk that she filled each day despite working short hours. It wasn't until the cleaners had a go at her for all the rubbish she created that she kind of cut down.

The worst was the other one. She was constantly on a diet. Constantly eating 'free' foods and ate yoghurt and spaghetti hoops by the bucket load. All I heard all day was 'nom nom, slurp slurp' and it drove me insane. She'd have hoop juice all over her cardigan that she'd then wear all week, seemingly oblivious. I got to the point that I couldn't eat at all while I was working and lost a load of weight (could probably do with sitting with her again now I've put on 5 stones 😄).
She complained constantly that she wasn't losing weight but I was too polite to say 'it's cos your constantly fucking eating.
No one tackled her about eating at her desk but she couldn't be seen by the public - I'm really surprised OP's manager is so laid back about it. I wouldn't be impressed if I went to the front desk to ask a question and the person was licking KFC off their hands.

Hang in there. If her diet is anything to go by she’ll be dead soon

This is gross, I worked in tele sales and generally we'd all eat at lunch or break. There was no staff room so some popped out and others ate at their desk. Everyone was quite civilised. The only thing I ever ate outside break times was the odd chocolate button or sweet. I'd never dream if eating a KFC or other greasy crap. Luckily we all had our own desk. Cif wipes are what's needed. Everytime I changed desks I'd wipe everything down. If I were you Op it would drive me to leave tbh. Food mess makes me feel utterly ill.

You could complain to management. I worked in an office where we were allowed to do this for a few years then, one day, the rules changed and it was no hot food at your desk. Not sure what led to it but did lead to a more professional environment.

This is disgusting and I can’t imagine anyone thinking it’s ok.

Not everything is an attack on fat people 🙄

She must also be spending a small fortune every week 🫤

YANBU. The grease and smell is anti social in such a tight setting.

I'd raise it again with your manager.

Lots of places have rules about smelly foods - buses, libraries, etc - they obviously make some people uncomfortable.

Your manager doesn't have to allow smelly takeaway foods in the office. Tell her the smell makes you feel ill and puts you off your work.