Lunch at my desk and phones ringing
12-May-2008
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Lunch at my desk and phones ringing

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Isn’t it very annoying when you’re sat at your desk in the office having your lunch, when you get frequently interrupted by constant ringing of other peoples’ phones.

I work in a typical office environment and usually take an hour for lunch, which is normally spent sat at my desk.  The reason for this is that I like to eat and catch up with the news at the same time; not perhaps a very healthy way to spend your lunch hour, but it’s my own time and that’s how I prefer to spend it.

The office where I work is of an open plan design and the desks are arranged into groups of six.  I sit at one of these groups and quite often find myself alone at lunchtime as a number of my colleagues go out either to the cafeteria or home for lunch.  The problem is, they often forget to divert their desk phone to their mobile, or to enable their voicemail before they leave.

Sitting eating lunch at my desk in the office, phones ringing all around me

It’s very irritating when the phones are constantly ringing and there is no one except me around to answer them.  I find it impossible to leave a phone ringing and to continue eating my lunch, so I don’t really have any other choice other than to take the call.  I then end up having to explain that such and such is out to lunch, yes I’ll take a message, but no I don’t know anything about their project and what they said to you yesterday.  Why do they always assume that you know everything about that persons’ work, when all you are doing is simply answering their phone?

Here’s another annoying thing that often happens at lunchtime.  You’re sitting there eating a sandwich and perhaps reading a book or a newspaper, and someone decides to come up to you and ask work related questions or talk about work.  It’s just so rude, especially when it is blatantly obvious that you are on your lunch break.

It doesn’t take much to divert a telephone...

It would be great if people you work with could be a little more thoughtful and think about colleagues who prefer to take their lunch break at their desk.  It doesn’t take much to divert a telephone, and if you see someone with a sandwich reading the news then take the hint; they’re on they’re break and probably don’t want to be disturbed with work queries!


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I think it's incredibly rude when people don't leave the office for lunch, they just sit there eating or doing nothing while the phone rings with the attitude "I'm at lunch" no your not your in the office now do some bloody work!

If your at lunch then leave the office for a nice healthy walk and some fresh air and so you don't look lazy!
*Billabong  03-Jan-2008 14:09

 
I don't allow my employees to eat at their desk....If by chance they become disgruntle,they will say they worked thur their lunch every now and then. California law says that if an employee is not paid while working durring lunch..the employer is liable to back pay 1 hour for each time employee says (thinks) he did so. It's the employers burden to prove he or she didnt not! Don't eat at your desk because the phone will ring!
*BIGCHEZ  11-Sep-2007 20:36

 
Answer the phone and reply with "yes", "no", "maybe".. Make sure there's a long pause before you answer a question. Put them on hold for a while and have a bite or two of lunch whilst they are there. That will soon sort them out. Mind you, your company will soon loose customers
*Sorry no help  04-Sep-2007 16:26

 
There is another gripe in another section complaining about customer services reps not knowing everything about the call when they answers it...then this? Talk about contradictory!

I agree with the poster above - this is a management and policy issue. If people don't use their phones correctly, they need to be trained on it. Your attitude "I simply *can't* have a phone ringing whilst I'm having lunch" is nice for you, and I sympathise, but that's not anyone else's fault, is it?
*skinnyboy  07-May-2006 20:19

 
I, too, eat lunch at my desk nearly every day. I answer my phone sometimes when it rings. You just have to take the attitude that just because it rings you are under NO obligation to answer it. Put your coworkers' phones on silent or Do Not Disturb... tell them when they come back from lunch that you did so. After a week of this they should get the hint to do it themselves.
For everyone else, working through your lunch (even occasionally) makes you look good to the boss. Wanna know why suck-ups bother you? Because they ARE better workers than you. People do it for two reasons: Raises and the boss' Respect.
*hard worker2  06-Mar-2006 18:29

 
Q: Why do they always assume that you know everything about that persons’ work, when all you are doing is simply answering their phone?
A: Because you answered it ?
*At lunch on the Beach  20-Feb-2006 01:00

 
leave your desk at lunch time - it's people like you that create problems at work, my boss expects everyone to work through lunch because there are those that will sit at their desks chomping away on a sandwich whilst answering the phone. I refuse to do it, lunch time is precisely that, it's not work time, so I leave my desk for an hour and eat in the comfort of the rest room.
Also it is disgusting eating food over a computer keyboard, think of the crumbs going between the keys - NICE!
*anon  19-Feb-2006 16:32

 
Don't be such a,"up the Managers backside,scratch my back'I'll scratch yours goody goody".

Leave the office for lunch.

Only YOURSELF to blame

Bloody stupid
*Nikki  15-Feb-2006 06:38

 
*begins to read*

"Isn’t it very annoying when you’re sat at your desk in the office having your lunch..."

tl;dr
*nom  14-Feb-2006 21:33

 
Your are a idiot. If you are eating your lunch at your desk people will obviously assume you are still working, yes you are stuffing food into your mouth but so what? People can do that the whole day. If you dont want to be interupted leave your work enviroment. If the phone rings...dont answer it. Hell if you leave your office you wont hear the phones, two birds with one stone.
*Hobo  14-Feb-2006 21:32

 
I find this very annoying. In the end I just smashed all the phones anywhere near me.

The court case is in March.
*Incredible Hulk  14-Feb-2006 21:31


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