Is it okay to eat lunch at your desk? Photo / 123RF
Is it okay to eat lunch at your desk? Photo / 123RF
Here’s how to handle eating at your desk, sharing a kitchen, hosting a celebration and more.
For many workers, the return to the office after years of working remotely may have been bumpy, or it may have been welcome. And some people are finding the workplace is now permanently altered:Zooms aren’t going anywhere, and suits and heels might feel like a relic of the past.
But can we talk about another aspect of office culture? It might be okay these days to dress more casually than before, but – sorry, my fellow cubicle dwellers – it is still taboo to microwave fish. And you absolutely have to clean up after yourself in the office kitchen.
Office etiquette isn’t about crooking one’s pinkie just right, of course, and it isn’t even just a matter of being considerate of your fellow humans (although that’s where it starts). Even the most self-serving desk jockey should get on board, experts say, for a good reason: their own career. “Whenever we’re at work, we’re onstage,” says author and executive coach Brandon Smith, who goes by the moniker of the “Workplace Therapist”.
For those of us who have spent years eating chaotically (and privately, with only our cats to judge), the rules governing how people should handle food in the office are worth brushing up on. We enlisted etiquette experts and workplace gurus to remind us about the basics of tending to one of the most basic needs – feeding oneself – while in the company of co-workers.
When it comes to food in the office, check any applicable rules. What day is the refrigerator cleaned out? Is there a rule about storing food in shared spaces?
Having clear policies might be more important than ever. Younger workers may have more relaxed ideas about when it’s appropriate to inhale a bag of chips than their older co-workers, notes etiquette coach Myka Meier. “It just highlights the need for team-wide conversations around shared norms and expectations,” Meier says. “That way, everyone feels comfortable and respected.”
For Nick Leighton, a co-host of the podcast Were You Raised By Wolves?, it all comes down to a very simple principle of considering others: “The broad etiquette rule is that other people exist.”
Is it okay to eat lunch at your desk? Unless you have your own office, Sara Jane Ho, host of the Netflix show Mind Your Manners, prefers you find somewhere to eat at a distance from your co-workers. “There’s not only smells; it’s also sounds that people are sensitive to,” she says. “You don’t want your cubicle mate to be triggered by that.”
That means that if you want (or need!) to brown-bag it at a desk that butts up against someone else’s, avoid foods that might be intrusive – whether they are loud or strong-smelling. There’s a cultural component at play, of course. “One person’s comfort food might be another’s ‘too strong’ lunch,” Meier says. “Instead of pointing fingers at what’s ‘appropriate,’ the best practice is to aim for neutrality in shared spaces, which means maybe saving especially fragrant meals, like fish or heavily spiced dishes, for home or a separate dining area if one’s available.”
And whatever you’re eating, don’t let food linger too long.
Do your part to keep the kitchen tidy
Perhaps the most fraught of all office spaces, a communal kitchen is loaded with opportunities for bad behaviour. Labelling your food is a good idea, even if we feel as if we shouldn’t have to tell others to keep their paws off our Pamplemousse LaCroix. “Sadly, it is necessary, because there are people who think that, ‘Oh, if it doesn’t have a name on it, it means it’s perfectly fine,’” Leighton says.
Don’t be a space hog (no need to bring in a week’s worth of lunches at one time), and heed warning signs (including the regressive entreaty that “your mother does not work here”) about tidying up after yourself and fridge-cleaning, experts agree.
Don’t eat at a meeting unless everybody is
Don't eat in a meeting unless it's a working lunch. Photo / 123RF
Unless a meeting is designated as a working lunch or brown-bag session, experts agree that eating during one is a no-no – even if you’re only on a Zoom screen. “Eating while someone is presenting can feel distracting or even a bit dismissive,” Meier says.
Those ubiquitous water bottles are typically fine, they say. But be mindful when a meeting is more formal – say, if clients or upper management is invited – and maybe leave that massive neon Stanley cup at your desk.
If you’re the host, you’re responsible
Love them or hate them, celebratory cakes, snacks and even meals are part of office life. Leighton says that “hosting rules” apply in such a situation: whoever organised the event is in charge of serving and cleaning up. “The host is responsible for the guest list, for the refreshments, and then also making sure that things are restored back how they were found,” he says.
If you are in charge of pulling something like that together, take into consideration any dietary restrictions or allergies – adding labels if needed. Ho suggests bringing paper plates and wooden forks, which are disposable but environmentally friendly. “We don’t want to use plastic anymore,” she says.
When you can, go out with co-workers
Thinking about food and the office doesn’t always have to be an exercise in figuring out what not to do and how not to offend. Smith says that the return to the office might also be a chance to bring back a tradition that has been generally in decline in the modern workplace: eating with co-workers and even bosses. While many time-pressed workers tend to dine solo, he suggests seeking out times to break bread with others.
Don’t be afraid to ask, he says, but do give a reason – otherwise, people might assume the worst. (Are you quitting or breaking other bad news?) “You might say, ‘Hey, boss, I would love to spend some time with you and learn a little more about your journey and what advice you might have as I’m continuing to navigate my career,’” he says. If you want to approach colleagues, you could say, “I would love to spend some time with you and hear a little bit more about how things are going with you, and just get to know you a little bit better so I can learn how I can better support you.”
