Is eating and drinking allowed at your desk?
Whether eating and drinking is permitted at the desk or workplace not only depends on the legal framework, the employer also has the right to decide here. But when is it allowed and when can it be banned?
Are there any legal regulations regarding eating and drinking in the workplace?
Whether it is allowed on one Workplace Eating and drinking cannot be answered in general because there is no clear legal regulation on this. In principle, an employee can eat and drink at his desk or workplace. However, in certain circumstances an employer may prohibit this.
Customer contact.
If an employee has personal contact with customers while carrying out their job, an employer can prohibit eating or drinking at work. This is often the case in sales jobs, nursing jobs or even in banks.
Protection of the employer's work equipment.
In the event that an employee works with sensitive electronic devices, such as: b. Computers, this is also a reason to ban eating and drinking at work so that the devices cannot be damaged.
Occupational Safety and Health Act.
If eating and drinking at work could endanger occupational safety, a ban is also justified. This is e.g. b. This is the case when an employee has to operate dangerous machines that require their full concentration. Eating and drinking at work could otherwise endanger himself and others.
Hygiene regulations.
For example, if an employee works b. In a laboratory, certain hygiene regulations must be observed. There must be no contamination from leftover food, etc., which may occur. could also distort laboratory results. In principle, a lunch break cannot be held in a laboratory.
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In the event of a ban, employers must offer alternatives
If an employer has prohibited eating and drinking at work, he must provide his employees with a suitable break room for this purpose. Employees have a right to this.
If a break room is generally available, the employer can specify that without any particular reason employees are only allowed to eat their meals there and eat and drink at the workplace forbid.
So there are no generally applicable legal regulations that regulate eating and drinking at your desk. However, an employer can impose a ban under certain circumstances. In this case, however, he must offer you as an employee a suitable alternative.
