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Why smart employees don't have lunch at their desk

After a grueling morning, the lunch break is an important period for employees to re-charge and relax. While most employees prefer going out for lunch to stretch their legs after hours of sitting, there are those who prefer the peacefulness and comfort of a deserted office.

But according to a post on Hong Kong Discussion Group, staying in the office during lunch hour is a risky and undesirable move to be avoided at all costs.

To begin with, there is no way to have lunch in peace. The writer of the post said employees who stay in the office during lunch are responsible for picking up the phone, which means there is no way they can enjoy a quiet lunch.

To make things worse, they can't even ignore the phone, as it leaves a bad impression in the boss when he or she sees an employee not picking up during lunch. The boss will think the employee is not a very helpful one, refusing to pick up the slack for others when they are out of the office.

Lunch time also happens to be the peak hour for packages to be delivered. With the receptionist out for lunch, whoever is still in the office is responsible for signing the papers for the delivery, so again can't catch a break during lunch.

A male employee who stays in the office during lunch might also make himself a target for female colleagues asking to restock the water cooler. Most male employees do not mind restocking the water cooler, but sometimes they just want a little moment to themselves during lunch break.

Because of all the reasons mentioned above, even if you brought a home-made lunch, the best thing to do is to gobble up you food and run away from the office as soon as possible.

Another reason to leave your desk is to avoid any misunderstanding. If the boss sees an employee playing video games or reading the newspaper a their desk, he or she may think the employee is not committed to work, even if it's lunch hour.

Be a smart employee, step out during lunch.

ALSO READ: The dos and don’ts of bringing home-made lunch

Photo/ 123RF

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