Admit it! You silently judge the person who eats lunch by himself or herself at the desk, while working. Doesn’t he have friends to have lunch with? Can’t she cook a better lunch than that sad sandwich?
Judge all you want but there might be justifiably viable reasons for eating lunch at the work desk. It could be that she’s trying to be more frugal and so chose to pack her own lunch. Or maybe he has to finish that report by the end of business day today. Or she’s trying to make healthier food choices.
I’m sure you also do it. Yes, you! The days when eating lunch at your workstation was seen as something unusual are loooong gone. Nowadays, a working lunch at your desk is the norm or an unavoidable inconvenience at the very least (because…the pantry is right there!).
But if you find yourself one day with a massive workload and zero time to finish all of it – you just might ascribe to eating lunch at your desk.
Be careful though, there is a list of do’s and don’ts. NO, I didn’t make it up. So, if you must know, here’s a list of desk lunch-ing do’s and don’ts.
Office desk lunch etiquette 101 states that:
Do’s
● Do ask – please ask first if you are even allowed to eat at your desk in the first place. Some offices have no food at the work area policies in order to keep spills and other food accidents at bay. Most offices are ok with you eating your lunch at your desk though – we’re all adults anyway. Just don’t be a slob. Which brings me to…
● Do tidy up – don’t make a mess in the first place. Pick up pieces of food (looking at that sushi you dropped because you can’t use chopsticks) that you dropped on the floor. Wipe off the crumbs from the table, into your hand, and straight to the trash bin. Wipe those sauce drips or soda/coffee rings.
● Do be mindful – be mindful that you are sharing the workspace with other people who use the space for its original purpose (i.e. WORK). So stop making loud chewing noises or obscene slurping noises (too, bad for those handy cup noodles – eat them somewhere else if you can’t slurp quietly).
● Do prepare for interruptions – you are eating at your desk…while working I presume. So people will register that you are working first and that you are eating next. So they will treat your “lunch break” as working. Simple as that. So be prepared for questions, appeals, and clarifications.
Don’t
● Don’t bring smelly food – We all have food that reminds us of home. More often than not, they’re fermented or smelly, or weird. I know I should say something culturally sensitive but we all can eat our favorite local food at home and just keep eating it there. If I want my co-workers to try regional cuisine, I would just invite them out to the best place that makes them.
● Don’t just eat whenever – It’s generally considered ore considerate to people around you if you try to eat on the designated lunch break time.
Can you think of anything else to add to this list? Let me know in the comments! Stay humble and hustle hard!
Written by: Jaie O. – The Help