In the break room at work, oftentimes we’ll have a few people in on break, let’s say less than five, we have the lights off and just window light, it’s sort of implied that we want the lights off…
Invariably, another person will walk in, see that the room is occupied, and go and turn on the lights anyway, not bothering to ask the current occupants if it’s okay, no asking “do you mind if I turn on the lights?”, they just assume that we haven’t bothered to turn them on, not realizing that if we wanted them on, they’d already be on, the current occupants have all come to the conclusion that they want the lights off, why is it not considered rude when the next person automatically turns on the lights?
It would be considered rude if the lights were on in an occupied break room and the new arrival turned them off without asking, so why is the reverse not considered rude?
Just walk over and flip them back off. They’ll get the idea. It’s probably not considered rude because most office/workday activities are lights-on in nature.
You make the assumption that the new entrant is turning on the lights for your supposed benefit. I posit that the entrant is turning on the lights for their own. Imagine the conversation going like this:
“Hi guys, mind if I turn on the lights?”
“Actually, we prefer the dark.”
“Oh, well… tough nuts. I need to see.” <flick>
The default option for a break room should be lights-on so everyone can see. That’s why it’s rude to make it dark without asking, but not rude to make it light.
I agree with steronz. Just because you prefer the lights off, doesn’t mean you get to dictate the lighting condition for everyone that enters the break room after you.
ALthough it seems to me that the person should ask upon leaving, if you want them turned off.
If it was your personal office kept dark then it would be very rude; however, I think for a break room I agree with steronz for a shared space at the office lights on is the default.
If someone has a migraine or had their eyes dilated or something I think they could request lights off, but there’s a not-insignifcant number of people who can’t see well without light and I think being able to see where the fridge/microwave/toaster is when trying to prepare lunch is reasonable.
(Obviously this assumes that there’s not bright streaming sunlight flooding the room - it’s very overcast here today and spaces without the lights on in my workplace are quite dark at the moment.)
In our office it’s the meeting rooms that this is an issue. The light from the banks of windows is quite enough, but some people prefer the overhead lights.
I don’t even know what a break room is (my first thought was that it was one of those American terms for the toilet - “rest room”, “bath room”, etc.) I’m guessing from the replies - a designated room where employees chill out during scheduled breaks? Is it just some chairs, or is it more a canteen/cafeteria?
I’d agree that unilaterally imposing an unusual condition on everyone else who might enter later than you just because their break was scheduled five minutes after yours is not very fair. Lights-on is the usual condition.
Assuming I understand the nature of said breaks/break-room.
This is the situation in the early morning for the entire office. Our early shift people get in pretty groggy and squinty and don’t always want the lights on. That lasts exactly as long as it takes for someone to show up and flip the lights on. On the occasions I’ve come in with the lights off, I’ve felt zero guilt about turning them on.
Default is lights on, and lights can stay off only so long as there’s unanimous consent.
In my office (which is small) there’s a table and chairs, a sofa and coffee table (which sometimes people cat nap on), a fridge, bottled water, sink, dishwasher, toaster, kettle, coffee maker, etc. A full kitchen set up minus the stove although there is a toaster oven. I believe this is sort of normal in most offices (all the offices I’ve been in have this set up).
My office also provides coffee, tea, soft drinks, water, cookies snacks, munchy type items etc. which is more unusual.
It’s not implied that you want the lights off. All the new person can tell is that the lights are off, he doesn’t know why they’re off. For all he knows, they’re off because everyone in the room was too lazy to turn them on. He’s doing you a favor.
2:
I think what you’re considering rude is what other people might consider entitled. Just because the current occupants want the lights one way doesn’t mean the new occupants have no say.
Turn it around for a second. Let’s say you had to go into the break room for something, but there wasn’t enough light to see what you were doing over in the corner so you flipped the light on…would you agree with the person who told you to turn the light back off because he was in there first?
It also keeps the employees from spending too much time on ThinkGeek waiting to see if the “Toaster with attached LED Flashlight (White only)” has arrived yet.