Human Resources Question About Employee’s Lunch Hour

Thanks to those of you that bought our book, Small Business Human Resource Secrets, and helped us get to Best Seller status! 

Because of my human resources experience, and the work that went into that book, we occassionally receive human resource questions from our small business clients. One business owner asked us this question:

Q: What are your thoughts on giving an employee an hour for lunch, which they take out of the office, but when they come back they have their uneaten lunch in tow and eat it at their desk while working?

Below are the variables we asked her to consider before deciding on her course of action.

Employees, unlike owners, typically only get a 1 hour break, ,if that. Sometimes an employee needs to run multiple errands during that one break. This may mean only having time to pick up something to eat that they can then eat at their desk while they work the rest of their shift.

This specific employee actually works in her own office, with a door, not in a bullpen. Our recommendation would have been different if there were clients in the office or the food had a strong odor.

Have you ever had a similar situation?

How did you handle it?

What would you recommend to our client?

Wondering what we advised?

Here’s what we learned during the course of a conversation:

The business owners ate at their desks, too. So here’s what we suggested:

Business owners now eat in the conference room, with a Do Not Disturb sign on the door.

Their employee now sometimes joins them.

Sometimes she eats when she takes her break. Sometimes she eats at her desk with the door closed and a Do Not Distrube sign hanging.

No one ever eats when there are clients in the office, unless everyone is offered a snack.

How does your office handle these types of issues?

Do you have a human resources question?

Please schedule a call with us at www.FreeHRconsultation.com

We look forward to helping you in every way we can!