[Anges baby bump]

Sorry I just feel the need for a slight rant here!

I have recently changed jobs. My old firm was relatively larger and we had a canteen, so come lunch time I could escape from my desk for albeit an hour.

My new firm is a lot smaller, with no canteen. Thus on miserable days like today, when I really dont want to walk the streets of london in the rain (with oxford st at the bottom of my road is a lethal thing) and I want to sit at my desk, go on the internet and chew on my sarnie, what do I get.....

my new boss coming out every 10 mins bugging me about work and suchlike! Its so blooming annoying! I always make a point of telling him that I am taking my frigging lunch so in other words - leave me alone for an hour!

I know that people are only going to suggest that I leave the office, as I would to them. But its freezing out there!

Rant over! Thanks for listening!

[topdoris]

Your boss should not be bothering you during your lunch hour. Have you got an ipod or something similar? Tomorrow I would firmly, but nicely, tell him/her that you are now having your lunch, stick your headphones in and block it all out. I doubt you'll get many interruptions.

[Charlie Coo]

Can't really offer any help but can sympathise - I work off oxford st too (waves) and can't be bothered to go out in the cold so get the same thing. When my lot say that to me I make a note of what they want and then say I'll do it straight after lunch - so you are interupted but only briefly.

[Hathor]

Some staff just don't take lunch hours. He may assume you are one of them.

[jesaya]

Originally Posted by Hathor

Some staff just don't take lunch hours. He may assume you are one of them.

Managers should encourage staff to take their lunches - and if told someone is at lunch should apologise and return to their desk/office!

My staff would smack me if I bothered them at lunch, and quite rightly too.

Maybe the OP should stick a sign on their desks "At Lunch - Will Resume Normal Operation at 2pm" or similar.

[Hathor]

Originally Posted by Jesaya

Managers should encourage staff to take their lunches - and if told someone is at lunch should apologise and return to their desk/office!

My staff would smack me if I bothered them at lunch, and quite rightly too.

Maybe the OP should stick a sign on their desks "At Lunch - Will Resume Normal Operation at 2pm" or similar.

Actually I agree with you. I refuse to ask my assistants any work questions if they are lunching. I take an hour myself, and regard it as important for relaxing and de-stressing.

However, if there is some significant emergency then lunch has to wait.

[Alethia]

Originally Posted by Jesaya

Maybe the OP should stick a sign on their desks "At Lunch - Will Resume Normal Operation at 2pm" or similar.

I like that idea! I may try it!

I have the same problem in my office. There is no staff room, so unless you go out for lunch you have to eat it at your desk. Not very good when there are members of the public coming in and out of the office. It looks extremely unprofessional when you're sitting stuffing your face with a baguette!

[jesaya]

Originally Posted by Hathor

Actually I agree with you. I refuse to ask my assistants any work questions if they are lunching. I take an hour myself, and regard it as important for relaxing and de-stressing.

However, if there is some significant emergency then lunch has to wait.

I agree with your last comment too - but it should come with an abject apology and offer to have a break later in the day if possible.

My team are contracted to work 37.5 hours a week - 9-5.30 - which means that hour they take for lunch is their time, just as if they were at home.

Stealing time from your employees can really damage morale, and that's actually bad for business, so managers like the OP are not only unreasonable, they are also not very good at their jobs.

[Mort Rainey]

Next time he comes out ask him if it's ok if you leave for home an hour earlier as you had to "work" through your lunch. That'll shut him up!

[johnny_t]

If you are in the very early weeks of a new job, I would force yourself out even if it is cold, as the behaviour in this period sets the stall out for the rest of your time there. If you get known as a 'work-through-lunch' - er then people will be forever raising their eyebrows when you pop out at dinnertime.

If you are going to sit there, you'll have to be responsive to the boss during these first weeks. The impression he gets of you now will also stick for the whole of your time there.

[Alamac]

Originally Posted by topdoris

Your boss should not be bothering you during your lunch hour. Have you got an ipod or something similar? Tomorrow I would firmly, but nicely, tell him/her that you are now having your lunch, stick your headphones in and block it all out. I doubt you'll get many interruptions.

Very good idea. It works with my girlfriend, so why not the boss. Bring it on!

[daisyboo]

i caused a huuuge row with my last boss once by telling him i was on my lunch and i would deal with it when i clocked back in (i work flexi) ... it was a bit obvious i was on my lunch as i had salad and bread and a mag spread out in front of me

the 'man' was a bully and started shouting at me to deal with it NOW - well i had had enough of him and said 'no, i am clocked out i cannot clock back in for atleast another 15 mins, so i will deal with it then' he then went mental and said 'are you refusing to even talk to me' ...

my answer ... YES.

[Porcupine]

I have to say that my current bosses are very good. We are a very small company of 5 people, and i always tend to sit at my desk to eat my lunch. If i wander around the shops i always end up getting the credit card out !!

If the phone rings, or if someone asks for me ..... the bosses will always answer the phone or take a message. They have only interupted my lunch once or twice in 2 years and they are always very apologetic.

It can be very annoying, Try and get some fresh air or be away from your desk as that can be the only way to stop it.

[bubble56]

Got any sticky labels?

Put one on your forehead that says "Out for lunch"

Second thoughts assess his sense of humour first.

[andrewisasecret]

Just say "sorry, if you could tell me all about it in an hour that'd be fab, just havn't my lunch at the moment. thanks."

[Charlie Coo]

Originally Posted by daisyboo

i caused a huuuge row with my last boss once by telling him i was on my lunch and i would deal with it when i clocked back in (i work flexi) ... it was a bit obvious i was on my lunch as i had salad and bread and a mag spread out in front of me

the 'man' was a bully and started shouting at me to deal with it NOW - well i had had enough of him and said 'no, i am clocked out i cannot clock back in for atleast another 15 mins, so i will deal with it then' he then went mental and said 'are you refusing to even talk to me' ...

my answer ... YES.

Sorry but had to know what happened then? (BTW he sounds like an arse!)

[fi~]

if u have your lunch at diferent times of the day then it might be a idea to have some sort of sign saying your on lunch as the boss wont know if ur sitting there

[daisyboo]

Originally Posted by Charlie Coo

Sorry but had to know what happened then? (BTW he sounds like an arse!)

well, he turned purple and stormed out of the room saying that he wanted to speak to me after my lunch

i casually finished my full lunch hour that i was entitled to and not just the 1/2 hour that i was willing to give him then trotted onto his office

he started shouting at me telling me that i had no right to speak to him like that, to which i replied that he had no right either

he yelled a lot more then told me to leave his office as he was calling his boss

i went back to my office and called the Union ... they said i was in the right and he was in the wrong and to record any other 'bullying tactics'

i requested a transfer a few months later

[Prince Monalulu]

Originally Posted by johnny_t

If you are in the very early weeks of a new job, I would force yourself out even if it is cold, as the behaviour in this period sets the stall out for the rest of your time there. If you get known as a 'work-through-lunch' - er then people will be forever raising their eyebrows when you pop out at dinnertime.

If you are going to sit there, you'll have to be responsive to the boss during these first weeks. The impression he gets of you now will also stick for the whole of your time there.

Seconded set your stall out now, get out of the building/away from the desk.

Try having a bunny with the security guy or IT guy, might find you a quiet comms room or other sort of hidey hole.

You don't really want to get into a confrontation if you can avoid it.
Take it from someone who rubs the whole world up the wrong way, including cossers.