Manager insisting I take lunch

[Shanna8]

Hi, I would really appreciate some advice. I am PA to the CEO of a large organisation. I work in a solo capacity, no team or colleagues to have lunch with. This suits me fine. Our canteen is very busy, noisy and full of fellow co-workers who lunch together every day e.g. Finance colleagues sit at one table, HR colleagues sit at another table etc. The CEO sits with other Executive members. It's a bit clicky tbh ... but not having someone to have lunch with does not bother me in the slightest. I take lunch in my office, which I prefer. I tend to eat while working as I'm very busy and would prefer to work through and get home at a reasonable time. My Manager (CEO) has raised this with me on 3 occasions in recent weeks i.e. you really need to start taking lunch, you should not be working while having lunch etc. Yesterday she made another comment and I now feel pressurised and upset. I have told her previously (jokingly) that I have an aversion to the canteen, that I cannot stand it! There are other "solo" workers who also take lunch in their office and yet they are not being targeted. I could approach one of these colleagues for company at lunch time but I don't want to do this. It will result in me being tied to this arrangement every day, having to go to lunch when I don't want to/have something urgent on. There is no-where else to go for lunch except my car. I feel upset and resentful that I will be forced to sit in my car every day when I would prefer to keep working. I am now wondering why my Manager is insisting on this? Is it a duty of care / HR issue? Is she fearful I will take sick leave and cite being over-worked with no breaks? Is there any solution? Should I talk to her? AIBU???

Unnecessary aggression there @AllThePotatoesAreSinging. Inevitably, some posters will, some won't. You make good points about workload pressures but my points about re the boss' perceptions, etc. still stand.

Pleased to read of your response.

Is there a little room, or private seating area, near reception, where you can eat on your own but are away from your desk and not having to sit in the canteen? Then you can either go for a little walk after, or sit in your car and look at your phone etc?

No, my working day is not cut short by working through lunch.

You should not be working way over your hours. You should not be working through your lunch. You should not be coming in at weekends.

Is the workload unmanageable for 1 person? If so, you need to stop doing so much and let her realise she needs to hire a second person. If the workload is manageable for 1 person and you are just disorganised then you need to look at your timing and scheduling.

You need to take your breaks. You need to go home at home time. You need to stop working extra hours for nothing.

Occasionally is fine. Always is not.

You’re the PA to the CEO - a very important job in any company. Tbh in these circumstances you should do as you’re told and just be grateful that your boss isn’t forcing to you to work through your break.

I do not leave earlier by missing lunch. I work over my hours (not under).

Why would you do this? Unless it was your own business that you were trying to get off the ground, there is no possible reason for you to be working for free - unless you are on a six figure salary. I’m sure the company wouldn’t hesitate to make you redundant if they hit hard times.

If you are unable to complete your job within working hours, then perhaps you are in the wrong job. Sounds like you are living to work rather than working to live. No wonder your manager is concerned.

Very much this OP!
Stop working for free. You're work more than that.

Funny joke 😂

There's a perfectly easy solution. Take a book and read that while you eat. Ideally, go and have a quick walk for 10 minutes or so. Job done.

You shouldn't be working over your hours, either. If there is too much work to do in the time available, think how it could be redistributed.

I'm sorry, OP, but you don't have a lot of wriggle room.

You are legally obliged to take a break and your employer is legally obliged to make sure you do.

Eating at your desk shouldn't be a problem. Not taking a break, is. If only because your body needs to stretch and move.

People eating in the office gives me the ick. It also brings a food smell into the environment that I don't like.

I suspect this might be why she keeps going on about it. It's not professional.

"You are legally obliged to take a break and your employer is legally obliged to make sure you do"

This isn't correct. Otherwise hundreds of thousands of employees and employees would be acting lawfully every single day.

Which they may well be doing, just not over breaks.

The only legal obligation is on employers to ensure their employees can have breaks.

As a line manager you have a duty of care and a responsibility towards your staff. There's no way I'd want my PA sat at the desk staring at the screen for what - 9 hours a day or something. It's very damaging for your body to be seated for so long and very damaging for your eyes to stare at the screen for so many hours each day. OP is likely to end up with musculoskeletal and eye problems.
Added to this the CEO must be fully aware that OP is also working evenings and weekends. I'd be deeply concerned about this as her manager.
At my office we follow the law of having a break if we work more than 6 hours. We're also told to take a break from the screen every 50 minutes. I don't see this as my employer babying me. It's important health advice! Why on earth wouldn't I want to protect my eyesight and avoid back problems? It's bizarre that anyone would want to put themselves at risk.
She's the CEO, she's your manager, she's telling you to take a break. Just do it.

You need to take lunch, it's a known fact that taking a break away from your desk, even if it's just half an hour, is good for you and your productivity.

She's probably also concerned that you're not out there networking or at least being seen. Our Board PA is the biggest networker on the planet, there's noone that she doesn't know and is a wonderful signpost. As a newbie she was so much help to me.

Technically it might not be her job but she's made it hers . She's a fantastic asset to our organisation.

That's not necessarily true, depends on the organisation!

You are not breaking the law. The employer has to give the time, you don't have to take it

This is the reality of being a PA! We quite often get paid fairly well for doing so but I am on call 24/7 for my boss and his family.

OP please do not question your work ethic / ability to do the job it is a very niche job at the higher level and I only take lunch once a month (when the company insist on group lunch together) work when on annual leave and whilst sick, I am sure these are things you relate to!

Duty of care from her pov, but I’m the same, never go to the canteen, work through lunch and break so I can leave earlier. I’d be thoroughly pissed off if my line manager told me to leave my desk. I doubt she could enforce it (mine, no idea if yours can make you). Being away from your desk means you won’t be able to get on with work, that would drive me crazy.

Well it's common sense that no decent manager, no decent employer wants their staff glued to a screen for over 9 hours a day - not moving her body and damaging her eyes. It's unhealthy. Her manager doesn't want it to happen.

Why do you work over and above your hours?

They should hire extra staff if there is that much work. You are not helping by disguising the problem.

Start working your conditioned hours and no more.

I am exactly the same as you OP and my manager has raised this with me. I was however going off for a walk or doing 30 mins yoga class and eating at my desk to enable the exercise time.
I think in my case it was seen as not integrating well, not sure (I’m very new).

I think you have to clarify what her expectations are a bit. All the people saying go for a walk - great right now, but the weather is hideous 9 months of the year!

Could you ask if it’s ok to eat at your desk as long as you’re not working?

Im like you though I feel more relaxed cracking on than I do making a social effort !
I am trying to sit with people some days though - accepted it’s part of the work in a way !

I didn’t say it wasn’t sensible. I said it wasn’t breaking the law. Big difference.