The building where I work is blessedly cubeless. Everyone who works here has their own office, and some of us even have windows. It’s been my habit of late to take a quick lunch at my desk, either reading a book or surfing the web while eating. I microwave my lunch, retreat to my office, close the door, and expect to have fifteen or twenty minutes of peace before working more.
I have two coworkers who just don’t seem to get the closed door thing. One of 'em is my BOSS, of all people. They tend to knock once, open the door, walk in and start yakking with me over some work related thing thing. I’m sitting there with a soda and lunch, napkin on lap, SDMB on my screen, looking very uncomfortable. Is this not self-explanatory? Closed door, noon-ish, lunch on desk? I would fall over myself apologizing if I walked on on someone like this! They just honestly don’t seem to get it!
If they ask me more than a quick question, I usually say “can I get back to you after I eat?” and that’s all OK. The point is, though, that I don’t want to be bothered unless it’s an emergency. It’s NOT ok to knock and interrupt me to ask a “quick question”, IMO. Am I being unreasonable here?
Depends. I’ve worked places where it was understood that if you were found with a pulse and still warm, it was okay to ask you questions. Well, the bathroom was usually safe, but I finally took to eating my lunch in my car just to get away from interruptions and intrusions.
Me, personally, a closed door tells me that the person isn’t available (unless the door is always closed and you’re expected to open it - like in a server room). If it’s enormously important, I knock, wait for an answer, apologize profusely, explain the urgency and then ask the question. Then I get out of that person’s hair as quickly as possible.
Nope, not at all…I used to try that at my last job, but never actually got my lunch…so I started leaving…taking my time away from the building. It seemed to work better that way…if all I wanted to do was eat a quick sandwich, or read for a little while, I’d go sit in my car for lunch…
My guess is that it’s going to take them a while to get used to your “eating at my desk, don’t disturb me” thing. Most will probably learn eventually but some will NEVER learn. How 'bout putting a sign on your door handle or something? Don’t know how formal your office is.
What works here is a simple printed sign that says “at lunch”. Most folks honor them even posted on a cube. Most signs, however, are quickly adulterated by co-workers to say “out to lunch”. Pretty clever, huh?
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Yeah, where I used to work I had an office (I was a co-op with an office). I did the grab lunch and eat at my desk with the door closed and do personal stuff.
My boss was one who would knock and then come in. She never said she was sorry or anything.
I agree with you. Maybe you should put a sign up on your door before you close it that tells people that you are on lunch break and not to disturb.
When you get a cube it is even worse. You can get no privacy, so you have to leave for lunch.
This may be a dumb question, but can you lock your door?
I had a similarly clueless boss that used to barrel in after one knock. The only time he ever seemed embarrassed was when he marched in while I was in the middle of an extremely upsetting phone call (the latest news on a friend’s dying father), and I was sitting at my desk in tears.
Thereafter, when I needed some privacy (for lunch, certain personal calls, etc.) I shut the door and locked it. The first couple of times he rattled the door knob until it nearly fell off, thinking that it was jammed somehow. Then the light dawned. I don’t think he was thrilled about that, but since I was usually accessible & did my work well he couldn’t complain.
Well, where I work a closed door is usually respected, but it’s because it is understood that it could mean any of the following:
–changing clothes for a noon workout.
–breastfeeding or pumping milk.
–a private phone call or conversation.
–taking a quick nap.
–doing a bit of yoga on the office floor.
When the door is open, though, we are fair game, eating or not.
How 'bout you say early on in the conversation after they barge in: “Can this wait until I’ve finished my lunch?” After a few times, your co-worker should get the hint. (I don’t know about the boss, though.) Maybe you should try this first before locking your door, putting up signs, etc.
The only way people don’t bother me is when I go out of the building, and don’t count on it then. I drive six miles to the nearst food joint, if I want to be left alone.
Does your door lock? Try a sign on the door? Don’t answer them?
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My personal opinion: if a door is closed, I will knock on it. At my company (and it’s pretty similar to most companies, I imagine) you can never know when people are really going to lunch. And some people eat lunch at their desk because they plan on leaving early that day, and so technically they’re “working”. I think the best solution is, as other posters have said, to put a sign on your door “on lunch break now, please do not disturb.” If someone comes in anyway, ignore them until they’re right in front of you and then yell out “What!?” at the top of your lungs.
I’m having trouble sitting in my cubicle feeling sorry for someone in an office. I also happen to know from previous posts that Athena’s office is filled with state-of-the-art computing equipment. My computer is so old that the numbers row has Roman numerals and there is only one key for both “U” and “V”.
Not only am I in a cubicle, I’m in a cubicle directly opposite from a guy in an office who always uses his speakerphone and never closes the door.
I’m thinking of getting some tape, a la Les Nessman, and putting in a door though. I’m hoping that that will cut down on the noise some. Maybe if I shut it at lunch time my boss won’t sneak up behind me while I’m typing witticisms on the SDMB.
“Cheddar?”
“We don’t get much call for that around here, Sir.”
Our company has an “open door” policy. Everyone knows this. But if a note is posted on the door stating the person is at lunch then we won’t open the door. Any other time everyone is fair game closed door or not.
I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.