'Get your greasy hands off my desk': Woman confronts coworker who keeps eating his lunch at her desk ruining important documents

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jan 24, 2024 8:00 PM EST

A pleasant workplace environment and a good relationship with your coworkers are some of the most important things you need in a job. Think about it, you see these people for at least 8 hours, every day, 4 to 5 days a week. It won't be an exaggeration to say you spend more time with them than you do with your own family. If you don't get along, it can really affect not only your work but your personal happiness.

The woman in this Reddit story has to deal with pretty unfriendly people in her office, and what she describes as her experience at lunchtime in her work, is really messed up. She turned to Reddit for advice about what to do with a coworker who constantly eats his lunch at OP's work desk. Even after OP asked him to stop, the coworker claimed that since OP's desk used to be the office's lunch area, he was not going to change where he eats, even at OP's expense.

Scroll down for the full story and the helpful advice from fellow Redditors. Once you are done, click here for a story of a customer who got kicked out of a bar for confronting an entitled woman.

Advertisement
  • 01
    "Get your greasy hands off my desk"
    via Canva
  • 02
    Co-worker eating at my desk while I'm having lunch out - solutions to prevent it?
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 03
    I'm relatively new to my workplace (5 months in) and the room in which I work has been used as lunch room by several people of my company, since we don't have a room dedicated to have lunch.
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 04
    I'm very annoyed with the fact that a coworker (or more) keeps eating at my desk while I go eating home or out. I pointed out this in front of other coworkers and they all said that "this is the room where we usually eat, it was always like this". The thing is, it is not
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 05
    only about the person sitting at my desk, touching/moving my personal things, but specially the oil splashes I sometimes find on my papers... today I came back from lunch earlier and found this coworker eating at my
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 06
    place, so I said to him that I don't like much when people touch my personal things and that the other day I found oil splashes on my papers, I saw him being defensive saying he always puts a piece of paper under his plate, but at this I
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 07
    said "imagine if I would come eating at your desk...". I hope I didn't come off as offensive, but I was really annoyed as I find this behaviour somehow disrespectful.
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 08
    Later in the day, I saw him again and said I didn't want to offend him, but that this eating thing at my desk is triggering me as I'm very tidy and clean. He said that he understands but also added that "that was the place where I've always eaten" (he works at the company for 2 years now).
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 09
    I know it might sounds trivial, but this thing really bothers me. How can I behave to prevent this from happening again? I don't want to confront again this person on this but I also feel he will do it again or someone else will. Am I too sensitive to feel this way?
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 10
    Kitchen King63 · 6 hr. ago This is an issue for management to resolve. Go to your manager and tell them people running your desk as their lunch table and ask them to provide a space that is designated as an official break area and to advise all employees they may not sit at another person's desk without permission.
    via u/Kitchen_King63
  • 11
    And if it persists or if the manager is not willing/able to enforce it, consider eating your lunch at the coworker's desk so they can see the issue from your perspective.
    via u/Kitchen_King63
  • 12
    Esteban Bacon - 5 hr. ago Be sure to eat the messiest foods. Something sure to leave evidence for your co-worker to enjoy.
    via u/EstebanBacon
  • 13
    GreenOnionCrusader 4 hr. ago And smell. Tuna sandwiches and popcorn.
    via u/GreenOnionCrusader
  • 14
    electric29 6 hr. ago . Work during their lunch. Take your lunch at a different time. They can't sit at your desk if you are there.
    via u/electric29
  • 15
    Venstorpa OP 5 hr. ago Yeah. I think this is the solution, but still I'm annoyed at the fact I need to change my habits due to lack of respect from other people. Also, I leave at lunch
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 16
    time because my work environment is toxic and I couldn't continue working during other people lunch time as they talk and I cannot concentrate. Probably it's best for me to have my lunch at my desk, at least I will be dealing with my own oil spleashes.
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 17
    seriousjoker72. 4 hr. ago Headphones during your lunch! They don't even need to be playing anything, it tells people that you don't want to be bothered and you can ignore them without feeling guilty
    via u/seriousjoker72
  • 18
    f EmberVespers. 2 hr. ago And turn around with the dirtiest look and say "guys, I'm on a meeting; this is NOT a lunchroom; eat somewhere else if you're going to talk."
    via u/EmberVespers
  • 19
    LA2983 - 5 hr. ago People are dumb but maybe start looking for another gig. It sounds low key childish passive aggression.
    via u/LA2983
  • 20
    Venstorpa OP 5 hr. ago Yes. I stayed at my previous job for just a year and left for the toxic environment. I hoped this work would've been better, but doesn't seem. I feel pretty discouraged
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 21
    West_Guarantee284 · 6 hr. ago It was the place he's always eaten but now it's your desk. He needs to find a new place to eat. If he won't himself, bring it up with line manager, hr, office manager. Whichever you have. If nothing
    via u/West_Guarantee284
  • 22
    improves, you either go and eat at his desk and see how he likes it or leave something very important (some printed report for manager) out for him to ruin. What would he do if you chose to eat at your desk?
    via u/West_Guarantee284
  • 23
    Venstorpa OP 5 hr. ago What bothers me the most is him not understanding the fact that he's crossing a boundary. I mean, I wouldn't behave like this toward another co-worker, even if I was used to eat at their
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 24
    desk before they were working at the company. How can you sit at another person desk, eat there, move their things, as it was normal. I mean, I wouldn't do it. I tried to bring it up to manager and hr (who doesn't do much in my workplace), but nothing has changed. They said they have always eaten in that room
    via u/Venstorpa
  • 25
    InternetRave. 5 hr. ago This WAS the place he has always eaten, and its now the place you work., Times change, he needs to eat somewhere else.
    via u/InternetRave
  • 26
    7 Icy_Eye1059 5 hr. ago Take this to management. This is unprofessional behavior and tell them how it is affecting your work. Tell them to sit at their desks. That is so gross!
    via u/Icy_Eye1059

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

terrible coworkers workplace-stories employee job tales-from-the-workplace retail worker coworkers askreddit reddit story workplace Reddit funny entitled people
Scroll Down For The Next Article