Eating in an office
 

For the last four years, I have had my own office. This is actually a double office, but due to restructuring, I have been the only occupant.

For the last 5 weeks or so, I have had company in the form of someone from another department, which is on a temporary basis.

Every lunchtime, I go over to the canteen to eat my lunch. Every day, my temporary lodger waits til I am back from my lunch, then goes to the canteen and brings back a take out meal. This means consequently means that the office smells of stale food all afternoon, invariably curry, burger & chips or something similar. Given we have canteen facilities with plenty of space, am I being unreasonable in thinking that a guest in my office ought to be more considerate and eat elsewhere?

Re: Eating in an office
 

You could always suggest that you go to the canteen together and bond?

Re: Eating in an office
 

Drop a few hints by f&rting (silent but deadly of course)in retaliation all afternoon.

Re: Eating in an office
 

an air freshner placed on their desk.
i would be honest and ask if he would mind not eating at their desk. plenty of offices have banned this so its not tot ally unreasonable just make sure yo have a resonable reason why you are asking it

Re: Eating in an office
 

i would make some form of egg sandwiches for lunch tomorrow, leave them sat on the corner of your desk all morning nearest him open so he gets to enjoy the smell of egg all morning and the affect its likely to have on you lunchtime will enable him to also enjoy the effects of your eggy lunch all afternoon,

Re: Eating in an office
 

We all have little foibles. Live and let live.

However, if you have customers/colleagues coming into the office I'd go with the 'don't eat in the office.'

Re: Eating in an office
 

Simple, it goes like this:
You: Oh that looks nice, may I have a dip/chip/bite/sample?
Them: Yeah sure,
You: Thanks, (Then take a MASSIVE chunk of what ever it is, cough in disgust and spit it in the bin).

Tomorrow:
You: Oh that looks nice, may I have a dip/chip/bite/sample?
Them: Ok, (maybe a little unhappy)
You: Thanks, (Then take a MASSIVE chunk of what ever it is, cough in disgust and spit it in the bin). Thats worse than that **** you ate yesterday!

Day After:
Repeat to increasing levels of been inconsiderate. Maybe (if you can stomach it) spit it into a tissue and leave it on the furtest edge of your desk thats closest to theirs. IF they offer to move it into the bin, politely decline and say you'll shift it later.


You can count on them eating their meals in the canteen before the weeks out.

Re: Eating in an office
 

You have a desk!! Your lucky, i hot desk most of the time! Just ask them if they dont mind eating in the canteen. Its not an unreasonable request.

Re: Eating in an office
 

if it was just butties and a packet of crisp then yes thats fine but if its meals that stink i can see where your coming from .
should be eating food like that in the canteen anyways.

Re: Eating in an office
 

I agree - just an unsmelly sandwich is OK but no curry. Buy some Stinking Bishop cheese on the way to work and let it ripen nicely near the heater.