'It's only fair that she leave me alone': Employee stands up to boss who keeps interrupting break time

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  • 01
    Hand - 'I just want a break and to eat my lunch in peace without having someone ask me questions.'
  • 02
    Font - AITA for asking my boss not to bother me while I'm taking my lunch. So I work in a small building. Our break room is in the workroom and the table where staff eats lunch is on the other side of my bosses office. Often when I take my lunch my boss will come out of her office and back into the kitchen area and start asking me questions about work related things. At first I didn't mind but lately it's gotten annoying. I'm very introverted and like to use my lunch as a way to recharge before
  • 03
    Font - The other day I was in the middle of eating watching a video on my phone and she started asking my opinion for ways to implement a new company policy. I politely asked her if I could wait to give her my ideas after I was done eating and she looked suprised and mildly annoyed. Said sure and huffed off to her office. I'm now wondering if I did something wrong?
  • 04
    Font - I feel it's only fair that she leave me alone during my lunch break especially when no one is allowed to disturb her during hers. She takes lunch in her office and closes the door or leaves and goes out. When I told some friends about asking her not to bother me they acted like I was overreacting. Was I?
  • 05
    Font - metalheadsrock01 Parta ipant [3] NTA -- my boss always apologizes if he realizes he's interrupting my lunch, since I take it at my desk. Unless you're salaried, I assume you're clocking out for lunch too. Super of rude of her to interrupt your break time.
  • 06
    Font - anbettercomment Certified Proctologist [25] NTA. But you always have to evaluate the risks with things like that.
  • 07
    Font - misstamilee Agreed. In my office its pretty common to take 'working lunches' but if you need to leave to run an errand or grab food whenever throughout the day nobody bats an eye. It probably depends on the nature of the job too. If I'm at my desk eating and my boss comes up to me and says "can you XYZ as soon as possible and confirm when done" I'm not going to start quoting California labour laws at her.
  • 08
    Font - Squidley Winks ΝΤΑ I might be biased, but I view lunch breaks as a sacred time that should be free of work. When I was an assistant manager, I left the building exactly because stuff like this would happen. That was retail, and things are probably a little bit different in an office environment, but a break is a break is a break. Does she ever come back to your office to ask you these kinds of questions, or is she explicitly waiting for you to be on lunch first?
  • 09
    Font - kyresf94 Nta at my job if a manager or supervisor interrupts your lunch for work related questions you get to start your lunch all over. When you're off the clock that's your time not company's time.
  • 10
    Font - VTnative Parta ipant [1]] I had a supervisor at an old job tell us that we could do a work task (filling out daily report cards) while we were at lunch. I asked them to put it in writing. They asked why. I told them that I just wanted documentation that I had been asked to work off the clock. It wasn't appreciated but they let it drop.
  • 11
    Font - nyorifamiliarspirit Supreme Court Just-a [... ΝΤΑ In fact, if you are non- exempt and not paid for your lunch break, she might be breaking the law asking you about work related topics when you're on break.
  • 12
    Font - AquaVantas Enthusiast [5] Oh my God, I understand your pain so much. NTA. You asked A politely and she'd be polite if she weren't shoving work down your throat during your break.
  • 13
    Font - KatsuExpert NAH - the boss seemed 'annoyed' but did respect OP's boundaries when asserted. Some people really come up with ideas sporadically throughout the day and want to act on them right away. Others have also mentioned OP is fortunate that her boss does value their input. So as long as OP doesn't experience any negative impact from their boundary setting I really don't see a problem.
  • 14
    Font - WhiskaLifa Parta pant [1] INFO — are you hourly? In the US you're often entitled to 30 minutes of unpaid, uninterrupted meal break in which they're not allowed to bring you work questions or make you work. As you can imagine, meal/rest break violations are the ones you see a lot in employment law. If you're hourly, definitely N-T-A. Even if you're salaried, it's kind of rude. But I guess if that's the culture of your office then maybe N-A-H.
  • 15
    Font - Other-Importance OP I'm hourly.
  • 16
    Font - daveredelinghuys NTA. Be nice about it. I'm extroverted at work to appear courtious, and I hate talking to people on my lunch break. That's my time to reload and relax. GTFO here with your small talk.

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