I never eat lunch at my desk because I think it's inconsiderate to my coworkers. They should not have to smell or see what I am eating, let alone hear me crunch into chips or an apple.
Coming from a culture where no, people don't eat at their desks, this is really weird for me.
I go and have lunch somewhere (and this has not been a problem in any country I worked). If I really can't go I starve, or go later.
This would be only an exception in "We're saving Apollo 13" kind of stuff.
Whereas she was accustomed to eating at her desk in NYC, she was asked to eat her "stinky tuna salad outside the office!"
I have an office mate who always eats at his desk about 4 feet directly behind me. He chews with his mouth open and takes his time eating his lunch. So I get an hour of lipsmacking and chewing noises every day. That hour is occuring right now and I am reading hacker news because getting anything done with that slurpy wet smacking going on is rather difficult.
I am enough of an asshole to have pointed out I would like if he didn't chew with his mouth open, but not enough of an asshole to argue with him when he denied that he does.
I also realize noise cancelling headphones would solve this problem, but I value being aware of my surroundings (I really want to avoid the situation where someone has to tap me or wave a hand in between me and my screen to get my attention).
I have previously had other office mates who ate at their desks who did not bother me at all, but depending on a persons eating habits it certainly could be inconsiderate to your coworkers.
Edit: For clarification we have a full cafeteria (where he gets his food) as well as other areas he could eat.
Thank you for reminding me of this small slice of my past I had nearly forgotten. It made me smile.
TL:DR "Cool story Hansel"
Someone decides to reheat some fish they caught and had for dinner last night, or has a really heavy garlic/curry dish they heat up and bring to their desk, or covers their food in a pungent sauce, or they bring in McDonalds/greasy fast food, etc.
Inevitably someone complains and HR sends out the "please be considerate of other people when deciding to eat at your desk" email. It seems to happen more quickly in multicultural environments, where many people have different tastes/sensibilities, but this has just been my experience.
Edit: Re-wording! For clarity!
In a loud office, it might not be so bad, but when the office is otherwise quiet, it keeps you from concentrating at all. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. cr-cr-cr-cr-CRUNCHCHCHCHCH.
I never hear them eating it.
But, on the other side of the office, the smell encroaches, stirring the taste buds with delicious promises. And then I look up, curious. And then I realize what happened. And then my stomach goes, "Oooh, that's a good idea."
And then it's too late.
You might say "I don't like working with headphones!" but the point I'm trying to make is that in offices without privacy, some amount of consideration has to be paid to mitigate the effects of other people. There's always going to be some noise that someone makes that annoys someone else. You can't stop it at their end, so you try to stop it at your end.
At some point you simply have to develop the power of concentration. Try focusing intently on your work rather than focusing intently on your surroundings.
I would like others to do the same.
Edit: Even my desk phone is on silent. It sounds a single beep when the phone rings.
> I don't take personal calls at my desk. My phone is on
> silent at all times when at the office. If I need to
> make a call, I step out.
>
> Even my desk phone is on silent. It sounds a single beep
> when the phone rings.
> I would like others to do the same.
Magical solutions don't seem to work for me. I do not think I have the somatic components necessary.
Really
Trust me, your sandwich is no better to anyone else than your choice in music. Leave it in the breakroom.
I notice that people who complain about sounds and odours are often people who don't have very much to do, at least not with a looming deadline. It's like when you live in a neighbourhood with attached housing; there are always a few who complain about everything they hear and see and they actually do listen to people flushing toilets and accidentally dropping chairs.
Working at home it's a bit different. I generally eat at my desk. I sometimes use that time to go for a walk or go to the gym. But mostly it's internet reading. :\
Or a week of job interviews while we were short staffed and hiring frozen ... but anyway.