40% of office workers eat at their desks and the fishy smell makes them sick

Due to high work pressure and tight time, many office workers choose to eat brunch at their desks. So the "desk" has turned into a "dining table". According to a "Survey on Office Workers' Desk Dining Habits" conducted by 360d Talent Pool Human Resources, more than 40% of the interviewed office workers eat brunch at their desks almost every day; they hate it most when the work phone suddenly rings while they are eating; and eating food with a strong fishy or fishy smell at their desks is what people hate the most.

According to a survey, nearly 70% (69%) of the office workers surveyed voted that they hated it most when their colleagues ate food with "strong fishy or fishy smell" in the office.

The survey found that more than 40% of the office workers interviewed eat breakfast or lunch at their desks almost every day (41% for breakfast and 44% for lunch), and more than 50% (51%) feel that eating breakfast or lunch at their desks can save time and improve work efficiency. But what are the habits of office workers when it comes to eating at their desks? The survey shows that most people like to "surf the Internet while eating" (38%), followed by "doing nothing and eating quietly" (34%) and "chatting with colleagues while eating" (27%).

Further ask what is your least favorite dining experience? The top three situations that spoil the fun are "the phone on the desk rings when you're halfway through a meal" (41%), "your supervisor or colleague pops up to talk" (30%), and "food scraps fall or drip onto your computer keyboard" (19%).

When it comes to eating at your desk, what kind of food is the most dreaded and hated? According to the survey, nearly 70% (69%) of the office workers interviewed voted that they hated their colleagues eating food with "strong fishy or fishy smell" in the office, followed by "stinky tofu/stinky pot" (14%) and "leek boxes/steamed buns or dumplings" (8%). In addition, the office workers interviewed agreed that "food with pungent or unpleasant smell" (56%) in the office would affect their work performance, while "littering after eating" (51%) and "making noises while eating" (36%) were two other sources of distraction that would affect the work of the respondents.

Chen Qingling, HR Marketing Manager of 360d Talent Pool, said that most office workers hope to do more things at the same time to make their work more efficient, so it is not uncommon to see them working while eating at their desks. However, if there is a special smell or sound disturbance in the office, it will usually make people unable to concentrate, which will indirectly affect the work situation. Therefore, it is recommended that office workers who are accustomed to eating in the office should pay attention to whether the taste of their food and eating habits will affect others while saving time and taking care of their stomachs. In addition, being glued to your desk all day will not improve your work efficiency. Taking a break from time to time to allow your brain and body to get proper stretching is a truly beneficial way to work.

360d Talent Pool Human Resources Consulting Company conducted an online questionnaire on "Office Workers' Desk Dining Habits Survey" for office workers. The survey period was from March 9, 2012 to March 19, 2012. A total of 1,416 valid samples were collected, with a confidence level of 95% and an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.