Ideas for eating lunch at work without risking covid exposure
March 19, 2022 7:57 PM Subscribe
My employer has decreed that now that Covid is over (oh, you sweet summer children), all employees are required to eat meals in "designated eating areas." I have been eating at my desk (off the clock) where I'm able to socially distance from my co workers, as opposed to a crowded communal lunch room. I'm looking for ideas of how to eat lunch and not risk exposure. Additional info below the jump.
Here are my ideas:
1.) Ignore the decree, keep on doing what I'm doing. I have not one, but two security cameras trained on me at all times. I think my department gets less scrutiny than many others so the cameras might not be as much of a threat as they would seem to be. I'm basically risking a $100 fine (NBD to me financially) but the employer considers eating on the clock a terminateable offense, so if I ever forget to clock out, the stakes are high. Also, a bunch of fines in my HR file are not a good look.
2.) Take meals at unusual times when the lunchroom is less crowded as a mitigation strategy. I have a fast metabolism, but I might be able to eat a small meal at 10AM and then perhaps another at 3PM or so. (there is no problem with taking two off the clock breaks)
3.) clock out and eat in my car. Issues with this include -no way to heat meals, car will get trashed/smell like food, will probably have to run car for heat in cold weather/difficult to store food in the car. I could buy a 12V microwave I guess.
I have a secondary beater car that I could outfit with a microwave, cooler, etc and I care zero if it gets trashed. The problem with using that car is that it lacks curtain air bags and has some structural rust, so I'm increasing my risk of injury during my commute if I'm in an accident. I suspect the risk of an accident is > than my risk of serious illness from Covid.
4.) see if can get some sort of medical exemption to the policy? I am not in any special risk groups but I might be able to find a cooperative doctor.
5.) drink my lunch. We're allowed to drink at our desks. Could do soylent or something although that's very unappealing to me and I think I will struggle to get enough calories. I need 500+ calories to feel OK. Maybe pureed soups?
6.) Whatever brilliant idea resourceful Mefites come up with.
Thanks for reading, this is giving me some anxiety and I am pre-appreciating your input.
Here are my ideas:
1.) Ignore the decree, keep on doing what I'm doing. I have not one, but two security cameras trained on me at all times. I think my department gets less scrutiny than many others so the cameras might not be as much of a threat as they would seem to be. I'm basically risking a $100 fine (NBD to me financially) but the employer considers eating on the clock a terminateable offense, so if I ever forget to clock out, the stakes are high. Also, a bunch of fines in my HR file are not a good look.
2.) Take meals at unusual times when the lunchroom is less crowded as a mitigation strategy. I have a fast metabolism, but I might be able to eat a small meal at 10AM and then perhaps another at 3PM or so. (there is no problem with taking two off the clock breaks)
3.) clock out and eat in my car. Issues with this include -no way to heat meals, car will get trashed/smell like food, will probably have to run car for heat in cold weather/difficult to store food in the car. I could buy a 12V microwave I guess.
I have a secondary beater car that I could outfit with a microwave, cooler, etc and I care zero if it gets trashed. The problem with using that car is that it lacks curtain air bags and has some structural rust, so I'm increasing my risk of injury during my commute if I'm in an accident. I suspect the risk of an accident is > than my risk of serious illness from Covid.
4.) see if can get some sort of medical exemption to the policy? I am not in any special risk groups but I might be able to find a cooperative doctor.
5.) drink my lunch. We're allowed to drink at our desks. Could do soylent or something although that's very unappealing to me and I think I will struggle to get enough calories. I need 500+ calories to feel OK. Maybe pureed soups?
6.) Whatever brilliant idea resourceful Mefites come up with.
Thanks for reading, this is giving me some anxiety and I am pre-appreciating your input.
I often have a blended shake made from milk (usually plant milk), banana, and protein-powder for lunch, usually with a piece of not-messy fruit, because it's fast and better than most local options for purchase. It's surprisingly satisfying, though I wouldn't want to do it every day.
A wide-mouth thermos will keep hot food reasonably hot for six hours or so. When the weather's good, take one outside? Best of luck.
posted by eotvos at 8:17 PM on March 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
A wide-mouth thermos will keep hot food reasonably hot for six hours or so. When the weather's good, take one outside? Best of luck.
posted by eotvos at 8:17 PM on March 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don’t think eating in your normal car will trash it- can you just get a dark bedsheet and cover the seat in case of spills? And like, eat sandwiches?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:31 PM on March 19, 2022 [16 favorites]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:31 PM on March 19, 2022 [16 favorites]
1) Are you allowed to "snack" at your desk? Lots of snacks is maybe even better than one big "lunch". You can also eat snacks while working on the computer. FYI I keep a box of tissues nearby so I can cover my mouse with one if my hand has snack residue. Sandwich cut into 6 pieces? Three snacks. Insulated thermos that you drink soup out of four times a day? Warm snack.
2) You can totally drink / consume without spooning many non-pureed soups. I'd be cautious with large chunks, though, if you have any difficulty swallowing.
3) Can you somehow negotiate with HR that you're worried that, since you eat at your desk a lot, you might forget to clock out for lunch? And offer to review every week / automatically subtract lunch half hour from your hours unless you override? The totalitarian approach to termination makes me wonder if you have an HR department at all, but it's a possibility.
4) Car seats/mats can be covered, neater food can be selected, and there are 12v chillers as well as microwaves. I think there are even things you can buy to make your passenger seat, or areas of the back seat, more table-like. You will eventually spill something, so maybe avoid grape juice and have a car detailing (or at least upholstery cleaning) service programmed into your phone. Also: if you end up in the back seat, pay attention to how your back is dealing with the arrangement. Also: this is probably best for mild weather.
5) Can you go out for lunch to somewhere with outdoor seating?
posted by amtho at 9:03 PM on March 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
2) You can totally drink / consume without spooning many non-pureed soups. I'd be cautious with large chunks, though, if you have any difficulty swallowing.
3) Can you somehow negotiate with HR that you're worried that, since you eat at your desk a lot, you might forget to clock out for lunch? And offer to review every week / automatically subtract lunch half hour from your hours unless you override? The totalitarian approach to termination makes me wonder if you have an HR department at all, but it's a possibility.
4) Car seats/mats can be covered, neater food can be selected, and there are 12v chillers as well as microwaves. I think there are even things you can buy to make your passenger seat, or areas of the back seat, more table-like. You will eventually spill something, so maybe avoid grape juice and have a car detailing (or at least upholstery cleaning) service programmed into your phone. Also: if you end up in the back seat, pay attention to how your back is dealing with the arrangement. Also: this is probably best for mild weather.
5) Can you go out for lunch to somewhere with outdoor seating?
posted by amtho at 9:03 PM on March 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
Can you eat outside somewhere?
I bet you're not the only person who dislikes this policy (and dislikes having two cameras trained on them at all times!!) I suggest raising this topic with coworkers and exploring what allies you have in pushing back on this absurd set of policies.
posted by latkes at 9:46 PM on March 19, 2022 [8 favorites]
I bet you're not the only person who dislikes this policy (and dislikes having two cameras trained on them at all times!!) I suggest raising this topic with coworkers and exploring what allies you have in pushing back on this absurd set of policies.
posted by latkes at 9:46 PM on March 19, 2022 [8 favorites]
Do you absolutely have to eat a hot cooked lunch? I'd switch to sandwiches in my car (not too messy) for the foreseeable future. Eat literally as quickly and cram-it-down-the-gullet as you can food, though I'm not sure if 10 a.m./3 p.m. still has people around. Don't bring food that needs to be kept refrigerator cold or heated up. A little cooler is probably fine to hold a sandwich or salad.
Is it possible to open a door/window in the designated eating room? (I'm guessing it's not because it sounds like your work is evil and sucks.) I've tried to open a door and literally stand next to it to eat if possible.
It seems to me like from reading this, your work is restricting your physical options, but giving up "I have to have microwaved food" sounds like a thing you could do without major struggle, compared to the rest of the hoops you have to jump through there. I can't even conceive of microwaving in my car!
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:08 PM on March 19, 2022 [5 favorites]
Is it possible to open a door/window in the designated eating room? (I'm guessing it's not because it sounds like your work is evil and sucks.) I've tried to open a door and literally stand next to it to eat if possible.
It seems to me like from reading this, your work is restricting your physical options, but giving up "I have to have microwaved food" sounds like a thing you could do without major struggle, compared to the rest of the hoops you have to jump through there. I can't even conceive of microwaving in my car!
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:08 PM on March 19, 2022 [5 favorites]
Is there anything that prevents you from plugging in small appliances at your desk? I would suggest getting a mini Crock Pot or AC-powered Hot Logic, which will take about an hour to get fridge-cold food up to eating temp, and then take that to your car.
You could also microwave your food, wearing a mask, and then take it outside/to your car.
You can use an insulated lunchbag to carry heated food outside to eat.
There are also hot food containers that you can heat with near-boiling water at home before adding heated food, and it will hold at a safe temp for 4-6 hours.
Eating in your car isn't going to "trash" your car if you put your dirty dishes in a ziploc or other sealable container to take home and clean later, or bring inside to wash in a less-occupied moment. Throw your trash out in company trash cans, because the least they can do is pay for trash disposal. Don't fling your food everywhere or throw trash in the footwells and you'll be fine. If you're a really messy eater, keep a towel in your car to cover your clothes and lap.
If it works better to switch to cold lunches, you could bring in an insulated lunchbag with an icepack and take that to the car to eat. Sandwiches, yogurt, charcuterie, bread and dips, pasta/tuna/bean/veg salads, cold quiche or other casseroles, boiled eggs/cold meatballs, and many other items can make a satisfying lunch that doesn't require heating at work.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:33 PM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
You could also microwave your food, wearing a mask, and then take it outside/to your car.
You can use an insulated lunchbag to carry heated food outside to eat.
There are also hot food containers that you can heat with near-boiling water at home before adding heated food, and it will hold at a safe temp for 4-6 hours.
Eating in your car isn't going to "trash" your car if you put your dirty dishes in a ziploc or other sealable container to take home and clean later, or bring inside to wash in a less-occupied moment. Throw your trash out in company trash cans, because the least they can do is pay for trash disposal. Don't fling your food everywhere or throw trash in the footwells and you'll be fine. If you're a really messy eater, keep a towel in your car to cover your clothes and lap.
If it works better to switch to cold lunches, you could bring in an insulated lunchbag with an icepack and take that to the car to eat. Sandwiches, yogurt, charcuterie, bread and dips, pasta/tuna/bean/veg salads, cold quiche or other casseroles, boiled eggs/cold meatballs, and many other items can make a satisfying lunch that doesn't require heating at work.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:33 PM on March 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
You could also microwave your food, wearing a mask, and then take it outside/to your car.
Came in to say this - seems like the most obvious solution if you really want to eat hot food for lunch.
posted by penguin pie at 3:07 AM on March 20, 2022 [9 favorites]
Came in to say this - seems like the most obvious solution if you really want to eat hot food for lunch.
posted by penguin pie at 3:07 AM on March 20, 2022 [9 favorites]
Weather permitting, you could explore your area a little to see if there's any decent eating place to walk or drive to. Personally I'd probably just eat standing somewhere outside the building or outside the car, or while taking a walk, but maybe there's some place to sit.
I like the idea of trying to find people who feel the same way though.
posted by trig at 3:23 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
I like the idea of trying to find people who feel the same way though.
posted by trig at 3:23 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
I usually hate it when people ignore the question being asked and instead offer their stupid wisdom on perceived underlying issues, so kudos to everyone who's answered the question. I'll be the annoying guy who says instead, cheese louise, where do you work that treats you so mean, risks your health by corporate edict, and trains two cameras on you all day long?
Unless the pay is **astounding**, I'd already be gone.
posted by Doug Holland at 5:36 AM on March 20, 2022 [34 favorites]
Unless the pay is **astounding**, I'd already be gone.
posted by Doug Holland at 5:36 AM on March 20, 2022 [34 favorites]
I am so sorry your workplace is being like this. I am also being forced back into the office several days a week and wanted to make sure I always brought a lunch (so I don't kill my budget buying food) but also minimize the time required to prepare lunches, and I have found Huel to be very not-awful. No idea how it compares to Soylent, never tried that.
A shake made as directed has 400 cal but you can make them with more powder or just a larger shake. They taste best to me very cold and thick, which I achieve by mixing them up the night before so they thicken up nicely overnight and then transferring them into a good travel mug in the a.m. with a couple ice cubes. A stick blender is very handy, but you can shake them to mix as well. I find they taste best drunk with a straw like you would a milkshake.
They have flavors that I actually...like? Not like I like pizza or something but I kind of look forward to them and they keep me full for a good 4-5 hours.
posted by acanthous at 5:49 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
A shake made as directed has 400 cal but you can make them with more powder or just a larger shake. They taste best to me very cold and thick, which I achieve by mixing them up the night before so they thicken up nicely overnight and then transferring them into a good travel mug in the a.m. with a couple ice cubes. A stick blender is very handy, but you can shake them to mix as well. I find they taste best drunk with a straw like you would a milkshake.
They have flavors that I actually...like? Not like I like pizza or something but I kind of look forward to them and they keep me full for a good 4-5 hours.
posted by acanthous at 5:49 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
How can your work "fine" you? I'm a bit shocked at that, is that even legal to monetarily fine you for breaking the rules?
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:18 AM on March 20, 2022 [20 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:18 AM on March 20, 2022 [20 favorites]
And I would absolutely eat in the car.
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:20 AM on March 20, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:20 AM on March 20, 2022 [4 favorites]
Pretty sure you'll notice others in the parking lot doing the same.
posted by Rash at 8:34 AM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 8:34 AM on March 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
Looking for a new job is what I'd be doing. If you're in north america, the weather is getting warmer, so car lunches won't be as bad of a thing. You likely don't even need the heat if you're not out there for very long.
posted by greatalleycat at 9:07 AM on March 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by greatalleycat at 9:07 AM on March 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
Not everybody has the option to leave (pay, insurance) or has other places that will take you if you want to go. A lot of people stay in bad situations because the bad situation, no matter how bad, is still better than being unemployed long-term and/or other jobs that are even worse.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:07 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:07 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
Personally, I’d go with option 2. If the lunch room isn’t crowded at 10am and 3pm, eating at those times should be low risk. I’d make sure to have some kind of shelf-stable snack to grab in my car (like granola bars or nuts) in case there’s a day when a meeting or something springs up at 10am and I’m too hungry to wait until the afternoon lull.
posted by Kriesa at 10:17 AM on March 20, 2022
posted by Kriesa at 10:17 AM on March 20, 2022
I’ve been eating lunch in my car all year. If you’re worried about smells crack a window, but I just make sure to toss the garbage after I eat and have not noticed any weird smells. Honestly I’ve been into eating in my car — it’s a real break and no one talks to me. The dream.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 10:58 AM on March 20, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by goodbyewaffles at 10:58 AM on March 20, 2022 [8 favorites]
(I store my food in the break room and heat it there if necessary; earlier in the school year I just brought pasta salads in a cooler bag that lived in my trunk.)
posted by goodbyewaffles at 11:00 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by goodbyewaffles at 11:00 AM on March 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: To provide followup info to questions/suggestions:
Microwave food inside and bring it outside. Possible, but logistically challenging due to the distances involved, additional delay of needing to have any bags inspected as I go through security to exit the building. I guess I could tote a steaming tray of Marie Callender's finest out to my car in a bag.
Why don't you just find another job? Compensation is higher than just about anywhere else I've looked for this same position, benefits are good, matching 401k, etc. I am also a specialist in a field that's contracting- to find something that pays as well I'd probably have to switch industries and start from the bottom.
Believe it or not, Employer routinely wins awards for being one of the best employers in the area.
The legality of "fining" for eating in undesignated places. Employer gives employees in my group a monthly bonus with additions and subtractions for performance/being written up, but there are never actual fines levied against your base wages (as others noted, that would be illegal.)
I was working myself up thinking of all the ways to deal with eating outside in an imagined future of scorching hot summer days and sub-zero winters. Thanks in part to this thread, I realized that I need a short term solution now and can think about the big picture later. Cold sandwiches in my car was the short term solution today. It was OK, if a little depressing. I may try one of those hot food containers Lyn Never suggested. Going out to eat at al fresco places is another option in fair weather. Long term, it might make sense to trick out a commuter car to make it better suited to parking lot dining, maybe I can reframe it as a camping/tailgating experience. Covid may die out and make this a non-issue, or case numbers may increase and my employer will probably revert back to allowing us to eat at at our desks. Who knows what the future holds?
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 4:43 PM on March 20, 2022 [4 favorites]
Microwave food inside and bring it outside. Possible, but logistically challenging due to the distances involved, additional delay of needing to have any bags inspected as I go through security to exit the building. I guess I could tote a steaming tray of Marie Callender's finest out to my car in a bag.
Why don't you just find another job? Compensation is higher than just about anywhere else I've looked for this same position, benefits are good, matching 401k, etc. I am also a specialist in a field that's contracting- to find something that pays as well I'd probably have to switch industries and start from the bottom.
Believe it or not, Employer routinely wins awards for being one of the best employers in the area.
The legality of "fining" for eating in undesignated places. Employer gives employees in my group a monthly bonus with additions and subtractions for performance/being written up, but there are never actual fines levied against your base wages (as others noted, that would be illegal.)
I was working myself up thinking of all the ways to deal with eating outside in an imagined future of scorching hot summer days and sub-zero winters. Thanks in part to this thread, I realized that I need a short term solution now and can think about the big picture later. Cold sandwiches in my car was the short term solution today. It was OK, if a little depressing. I may try one of those hot food containers Lyn Never suggested. Going out to eat at al fresco places is another option in fair weather. Long term, it might make sense to trick out a commuter car to make it better suited to parking lot dining, maybe I can reframe it as a camping/tailgating experience. Covid may die out and make this a non-issue, or case numbers may increase and my employer will probably revert back to allowing us to eat at at our desks. Who knows what the future holds?
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 4:43 PM on March 20, 2022 [4 favorites]
If I were you, I'd take a thermos of soup or stew to sip on, and have a meal around 3pm when the lunch room is less crowded.
posted by ananci at 5:52 PM on March 20, 2022
posted by ananci at 5:52 PM on March 20, 2022
Yeah thermos for winter, eat in car, bean salads or sandwiches in summer, eat outside.
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:23 PM on March 20, 2022
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:23 PM on March 20, 2022
If you look into bento lunches, they're usually made to be stored until lunch and eaten at room temperature. Many of the cookbooks and websites around are for kids' lunches, but you can find adult ones. There's also a world of nifty lunch containers that brighten the day up a little, and it definitely counteracts depressing surroundings a bit to open up a well-composed lunch. (Not fancy charaben-style lunches, just one with a nice array of colors, carefully arranged.) I find that bento-style containers also contain lunch smells quite well.
I second the Thermos-style lunch jars as well. We've got two sets of bento boxes and two "Element" lunch jars from Monbento. Nuke the food for lunch until it's piping hot, prime the jars with very hot water to get them up to temp, then pour out the water, pour in the meal, screw down the top, and there you go. The lids have a slight tendency to vacuum-seal themselves on because of the temperatures, but lifting the seal up with the edge of a spoon helps get them off at lunchtime.
posted by telophase at 8:16 AM on March 21, 2022
I second the Thermos-style lunch jars as well. We've got two sets of bento boxes and two "Element" lunch jars from Monbento. Nuke the food for lunch until it's piping hot, prime the jars with very hot water to get them up to temp, then pour out the water, pour in the meal, screw down the top, and there you go. The lids have a slight tendency to vacuum-seal themselves on because of the temperatures, but lifting the seal up with the edge of a spoon helps get them off at lunchtime.
posted by telophase at 8:16 AM on March 21, 2022
The experience of eating in a car depends a lot on where the car is parked. I used to drive to a park; easy for me here in suburbia. The roof of a parking garage would be better than the basement.
posted by SemiSalt at 8:29 AM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 8:29 AM on March 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have been eating lunch in my car every work day through a summer heatwave, in the snow, and now into the spring. In the summer I would park in the shade and run the AC at least part of the time, and I plan on getting a portable fan to clip to something when the weather gets hot again. In the winter I sat under a blanket, dressed for outdoors, with a little handheld heater under there with me. I have a cooler with an icepack and I bring lunches that don't need to be heated, because I can't be bothered to heat something up in the break room microwave and carry it out; I have a thermos with something hot to drink. My lunches aren't sad! They're delicious.
My car hasn't gotten trashed. I use a napkin, keep a garbage bag in there that I change when it gets full, and vacuum once in a while. I park so I'm facing some trees and sit in the back seat and watch "Father Brown" on my phone while I have lunch. It's actually quite pleasant.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:05 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
My car hasn't gotten trashed. I use a napkin, keep a garbage bag in there that I change when it gets full, and vacuum once in a while. I park so I'm facing some trees and sit in the back seat and watch "Father Brown" on my phone while I have lunch. It's actually quite pleasant.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:05 PM on March 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
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