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

That is totally disgusting OP
I manage a team & would not allow this at our reception. I can't believe your manager is OK with it!
I had one employee who fancied himself as a body builder type & used to eat a LOT of very smelly tinned fish at lunch. He started heating tinned mackerel in thr microwave to mix into some concoction & the smell would knock out a horse! I put a stop to that fairly sharply.
I was told that before my time there was another employee who would buy cheap aldi minute steaks & cook them in the sandwich maker - again stinking out the place & all that grease / fat to deal with etc. But very luckily he was gone before I got there.

I would not tolerate people eating at reception. Tea / coffee in a mug or cup fine but beyond that no way

We have a lovely kitchen in our offices & we've just renovated our offices during lockdown. We don't have rules that staff must eat in the kitchen but most do.

We've 1 office shared by 2 really messy people & it's irritating to be honest. It's not front facing so no public there but they eat at their brand new expensive white desks & leave crumbs & stains & cup rings all over.

I regularly have to remind them to return their various cups / mugs / plates / cutlery to her kitchen & clean up. I watched one of them literally slosh the cups under the running tap. No washing up liquid etc & just stack them all up on the draining board.

So then I had to implement a 'wash up properly & PUT THEM AWAY IN THE CUPBOARD ' rule. It's irritating & exhausting to be honest..

I'd have flicked those tiny KFC crumbs right back at her.
Tell your manager you saw a mouse.

A few things:

1. Can't you ask for a separate phone?

1. Where is she getting all the food, is she leaving her desk to go and buy it and bring it back?

1. Does she get an actual lunch break to eat?

Op if the crumbs and grease is encroaching on your side of the desk you need to bring it up...every..single ..time

For example if she eats and makes the phone greasy, just say can you please wash your hands after eating or wipe down the phone after you use it, you are leaving it greasy and unpleasant for me to use

If food crumbs or grease etc is going onto your part of the desk, just stop what you are doing and say X can you please get a wet wipe and clean up the desk,

If food crumbs or grease etc get on your handbag or other belongings, just point it out to her and say it's unacceptable and she needs to keep her food related things to one area,

I don't understand how she is getting it everywhere, it sounds like she has the table manners of a pig for it to be going every where...

If you both work at the same desk do you share a computer too?...is that greased up too?...

You should tell your boss and if they won't listen tell their boss that she's leaving crumbs and grease over everything, I bet if you have to handle paperwork of any kind they won't appreciate big greasy food stains on it

Ask for a separate phone for hygiene reasons

Interesting - my company banned eating at desks because they worked out that cleaning costs/time was doubled because the cleaners had to clear up food mess from individual desks/bins instead of just in eating areas. So we now have a 'drinks only' policy at desks. I think it's good because it also encourages people to eat away from their desks too.

I would speak to the boss about it (or HR).. It is unprofessional and gross. Surely sharing a telephone is a huge infection risk!!!! (Not just COVID, but other aerosolised viruses and bacteria, etc… Chickeny paws all over the phone is screaming for tummy bugs.) I would be blunt and ask your boss to address it as it IS affecting your ability to work safely, and you need to have a good working relationship when you are so close together. *Not to mention the smell, the grease, the rubbish and crumbs on your belongings, etc. I have no interest in what she eats, but using her greasy paws to pick up a phone you have to share is so beyond thoughtless.

Smelly foods the office just anti social imo. My last job one woman brought in egg salad or tuna salad daily stinking the whole room out - selfish.

I’d hate that, especially smelly food. YANBU.

Amazed this is allowed, it sounds absolutely vile. Not just the sound and stench of someone eating such foods right next to you all day but the grease all over her computer/the phone etc. Gross.

She's doing this whilst manning reception?! 😲
When I worked on reception we weren't allowed any food at all. We had to move into the kitchen or one of the desks in the back office in our lunch break to eat!

I'm still very curious about what this workplace is.

The normalising of this is why we have an obesity crisis.

I think that is a good idea provided space is provided for people to eat away from their desks other than the canteen.

where I last worked people used to bring up hot meals from the canteen to eat at their desks and I found that kind of gross,I don’t know why. It’s somehow not the same as eating a sandwich or salad.

It's disgusting! Our office has a no eating at desks policy except during the lunch hour, sandwiches only. If we have an early lunch then we must go into the communal area to eat. If we have hot food then we must eat it in the communal area.

It's a health & safety issue. Complain.

@Ragwort

me too!! We had a proper 'tea lady' too!! They provided the drinks, but we had to buy any food we wanted.

then in my next job, at one of the Big Four, they provided unlimited crackers & cheese at morning tea & chocolate biscuits & cake at afternoon tea (Saved a fortune on lunches!! & I was young & slim in those days, so it was great!!)

it went down hill after I left that job 🤣🤣

Surely if you are Reception where the public come in to the desk, eating smelly food is not really appropriate?

How terrible for you, having to share an office with people who are so clearly beneath you. I'm amazed you didn't go to HR. Starbucks ... television ... what next, eh? So traumatic for you, mixing with these ruffians.

I'm pretty sure the OP would have no problem with her colleague nibbling non-stop on a subscription Graze box.

She is stuffing her face with chicken wings on reception and your bosses are happy with that ? I would be finding a new job if the company couldn't be bothered to care about their business.

Wow

I'm wondering if it's KFC head office

This is disgusting and so disrespectful of you. I feel that even just eating lunch in a shared space whilst your colleague is working is borderline disrespectful, but all day long? and being this repulsive about it? I'd have to leave!!

That must stink and her diet is horrendous. Is she obese?

How is your line manager OK constantly muting away in front of clients/customers coming in to reception? The whole place must stink of fried food.

Sorry, 'constantly munching away'... typo!

Not everything is about fat people.

I couldn't work with someone like this. I feel nauseous just reading about her (exacerbated by pregnancy). Greasy / smelly food shouldn't be allowed in an office full stop.