Brown Bagging With Style
CareerBuilder.com reports that half of all full-time employees--established professionals as well as those who are just now starting worrk--eat at their desks at least one time per week. In some cases, employers encourage dining along side desktops believing it promotes productivity. Sales calls can be placed and reports completed between sandwich bites. Many workers say they prefer to bring their lunch to work. They maintain that eating at their desk or work station helps them save money—up to $5000 per year, according to one site—choose healthier options, and protect the environment by avoiding Styrofoam clad and paper wrapped take-out foods.
If you're an intern, summer associate or new hire and plan to brown bag your lunch, keep the following best practices in mind:
Avoid smelly foods. I know it’s chock-full of low fat protein, but nothing smells up an office faster than nuking a piece of salmon . . . unless it’s popping a bag of artificial butter-flavored popcorn. Salads, sandwiches and soups are less likely to produce offensive odors.
Choose keyboard friendly foods. The only thing worse than looking at a food-splattered computer screen may be the discovery of yesterday’s pasta sauce or fruit juice pooled around keyboard keys. In addition to causing keys to stick, spills may invite nasty bacterial growths. When you need to eat near a computer, sandwiches are your best option. Crumbs can always be vacuumed away. Even better: If your office has a lunchroom, dine there.
Don’t forget your manners. After lunch, you’ll still need to work with fellow employees, so keep them in mind while you dine. Chew with your mouth closed. Avoid slurping your soup. Keep crunching to a minimum. And always clean up after yourself.
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