I'm sorry but...

[fingertrouble]

...eating at your desk at work is fucking disgusting.

Especially when your work colleagues are eating horribly smelly food and have to sit through them burping and gobbling their slop noisily at high speed like some fucking pig at a trough.

And you can't escape because you work next to them...

Sad thing is the employer subtly discourages you from going out to lunch, but if I was a boss it would be mandatory, I don't want to work in an unhygienic environment with half-eaten food and smelly distracting dishes. The closest I get to that is a croissant in the morning - maybe a few crumbs but not smelly or distracting, but I'd prefer to have a nice leisurely breakfast on my own, but then I'd roll in about 11am :-D Breakfast can be a tradeoff, but everyone should get a break and lunch outside.

In fact I have a real problem eating in public; I don't like it; especially on tubes or trains, I feel really embarassed and only do it when literally it's the absolutely only way. Even then I feel bad if there is a lot of people around and really self concious.

Just saying like.

Comments

[tga.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I burped so loud in the office this morning that I was told if I did it again that I would have to make tea for everyone in the office. Suffice to say, I did it again and I had to boil a full kettle twice to make all the teas and coffees.

I have to say, I eat at my desk regularly. This is mainly due to the fact that is the easier time for me to look on the net and there isn't a lot to do around where I work. I will go out more often if I can but I have been known for eating smelly food. It used to bother me at first cause I sit next to the microwave near enough but I have gotten used to it.

Mind, if you are freaked by people eating generally, eating at work is going to be a problem for you. I have to say, I never really notice.

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

no it's not a major problem; not freaked by people eating, just when the food is smelly or particularly distracting, or I'm trying to concentrate.

Hence why I wear headphones...I wish there was smellphones too.

[viridescence]

I don't think that it's disgusting to eat at your desk at work in general. Sometimes I'm too busy and literally have no other choice. However, I'll agree that doing it requires manners as well as some respect for those around you.

I don't leave half-eaten food sitting on my desk all day, and I don't throw anything away in my bin that would stink up the place. I try to be very courteous of others, and in my experience most everyone here is the same way. I've never heard anyone gobbling, smelled nasty dishes, et cetera. I think you just work with slobs. :)

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

I work with whoever pays me, so I've no choice about that.

Still annoys me sometimes tho, especially when it would take 5 minutes to go sit somewhere else, and some places I've worked have lounges / eating areas but still they eat at their desk...fair enough if there is no place to go; but there is around here, even the park...

It's a personal thing and won't be popular saying it, but I just think it's bad manners; and it's really unhygienic - remember that study that found there was more germs on a work desk than say a toilet - purely down to people eating at work.

[viridescence]

Yeah, I understand that -- we certainly can't choose our co-workers. How I wish I could! We do have a few places that we can go, but sometimes there's no time. Maybe we have to agree to disagree on this, but I still don't think it's bad manners to eat at your desk, period, just to do it in the slobby, disgusting way that you describe.

I believe you about the germs -- I'm germphobic and keep hand sanitizer in my desk. There's a guy here that has the most disgusting desk I have ever seen...

[citizenpep.livejournal.com]

AMEN!

A guy I used to work next to would sit there and eat this Jamaican jerk chicken dish that would smell remarkably like burning tires. I ended up taking extra long lunch breaks to let the smell dissipate.

And before I moved to my current cubicle, I sat right next to the break room. It was a non-stop olfactory assault. :(

Yummy

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

I'm a spaniard working in England and I agree with you that eating at your desk is disgusting and filthy in general.

I have 1 hour for lunch (unpaid!) and we all go off the office to eat somewhere. It's shocking for us to eat at the desk - all companies in Spain must, by law, provide microwave, sink, a room for eating and such

Re: Yummy

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

My lunch is unpaid too, but I still take it :-D

Re: Yummy

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

I meant i have 1 hour for lunch but it's not included in my schedule

i work from 9 to 19 and it's only 9 counted hours

Re: Yummy

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

ooh that's a long day...no I'm a freelancer so any time I take off is unpaid.

Re: Yummy

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see
The people working here got 20 minutes paid for lunch... The fact is that they go to buy the food and spend 1 hour at least... hehahahahahah

In the US...

[ursine1.livejournal.com]

In the US lunchtime isn't paid, at least not for "exempt employees" (salaried). Every state has its own work rules. For the last 25 years that I worked, there was no required schedule when you had to be at your desk, you just worked until you got your job done. Companies, at least in California, have to provide a "break" room like in Spain.

Chuck