Reply to: Lunchtime at client site

[vwdan]

I'm not a real contractor yet, but my permie job sees me in the same position on client sites 80%+ of the time. I totally agree with the assertion that leaving early always seems to look "bad" no matter what your actual hours worked are, so I always take a full lunch break and get away from the desk where possible. I've been working on site for years, so I'm pretty happy to go and sit by myself somewhere (Cafe, car, bench at the park) and tap on my phone for a bit.

Maybe the permie/contractor divide is a bigger gulf than I'm expecting, but I don't really mind lunching with others occasionally.

[d000hg]

Don't think my sweaty balls would fit in the sink!

You should probably visit a doctor about that.

[psychocandy]

Two pubs literally 2 mins away here.

Last place no pub within about 3 miles.

[Gym beast]

Last place I was at had no end of stuff to spend lunchtime, onsite Costa's, pretty damn good canteen, very good food and massively subsidised, plus there (amazingly) was no pub culture whatsoever, despite a boozer being next door to the site. The buildings were set in forested area so extensive gardens/benches during summer. Not uncommon to see some fit babes from Marketing/HR stretched out in shorts/t-shirts, mmmmm...

The place had a mini-library where people dumped off old books they'd read, still have half a dozen or so I've not even finished.

[Manz]

When I started they accidently gave me an "employee card" which meant I got a free £5 lunch allowance every day. Even though I had the free allowance I didn't eat in the canteen because I'm fussy. I usually just go out for a nice spirited drive at 12PM and come back at 1PM or 1:30PM.

I also have no interest in hanging around with the permies even though they keep asking me to go out with them to lunches, dinners, parties etc.

[MyUserName]

Don't think my sweaty balls would fit in the sink!

Well, that is not a complaint that the maintenance team have had to deal with here.

[psychocandy]

Various people from the client site have seen me. I used to do a mile long run up and down the road outside in full armour. A couple of people came over and asked what I was doing.

I also had people now and then come over when I was sledge dragging or doing farmer's walks and ask what I was training for. One guy jokingly complained that I was distracting the women in his office!

There is no shower here so I use a sink in the disabled toilets to make myself human again!

Don't think my sweaty balls would fit in the sink!

[MyUserName]

OKEY!
Might be worse if someone from client sees you dressed up...

Of course, for this sort of thing, need shower etc at client. Or just turn up in pm buzzing... :-)

Various people from the client site have seen me. I used to do a mile long run up and down the road outside in full armour. A couple of people came over and asked what I was doing.

I also had people now and then come over when I was sledge dragging or doing farmer's walks and ask what I was training for. One guy jokingly complained that I was distracting the women in his office!

There is no shower here so I use a sink in the disabled toilets to make myself human again!

[TestMangler]

I eat, sleep and have sex on my desk.

And all three, I'll wager, will be solo activities

[Mich the Tester]

I eat, sleep and have sex on my desk.

I'm sure the cleaning lady appreciates this. Especially if she's participating the third activity.

Maybe she's participating in the second while MF does his best at the third.

[psychocandy]

I train at lunchtime. I like the stress relief and the change of scene.

The client site has a little used road outside which I use for sprints, sandbag carries, farmer's walks etc.

Although recently I have just brought in kit and got armoured up at lunchtime and practiced with a sword and shield, two handed sword, spear and poleaxe against a tree (not hitting it hard of course!).

In the new year I will adjust things so I do weights or whatever before I get the kids up in the morning and do my skill work at lunchtime and maybe go to group training once or twice a week.

OKEY!
Might be worse if someone from client sees you dressed up...

Of course, for this sort of thing, need shower etc at client. Or just turn up in pm buzzing... :-)

[MyUserName]

I train at lunchtime. I like the stress relief and the change of scene.

The client site has a little used road outside which I use for sprints, sandbag carries, farmer's walks etc.

Although recently I have just brought in kit and got armoured up at lunchtime and practiced with a sword and shield, two handed sword, spear and poleaxe against a tree (not hitting it hard of course!).

In the new year I will adjust things so I do weights or whatever before I get the kids up in the morning and do my skill work at lunchtime and maybe go to group training once or twice a week.

[psychocandy]

I like to go sit in the car and have a kip, although when i was doing this in a public car park the wife said one of these days someone is going to think your dead and call the police

Used to be car park near where I worked. Nice place picnic area etc. One of the people I worked with lived near there and saw me parked up there one day.

Apparently, it was a well known dogging site as well. You can imagine the grief I had over that one!

Saying that was having a kip once (different place but lunchtime) and looked over and fella in next car was giving me weird look. Then a young ladies head bobbed up and she was looking at me funny too. I was off like a shot.

[psychocandy]

Agreed - escape from my desk unless I want to spend some personal time on the internet (not that I do that throughout the rest of the day, of course!). And I, too, have no interest in hanging around with the permies or using staff canteens where they exist.

It depends on the client - in the past, with contractor heavy clients, I've managed to find a few people I don't detest who I can go for lunch with, whether going out for a meal or simply finding somewhere separate to eat sarnies. At the moment, being the only contractor I know of on site, it's a bit more difficult. In summer I'd go eat in a park or by the river. Now the weather has turned I go buy lunch and eat it in the little kitchen areas they have here (no canteen) while browsing on my phone. Normally I'm left alone, except for yesterday when someone decided to sit next to me, instead of at any of the other empty tables (i.e. EVERY other table) and talk to me, simply because he sits fairly near me in the office and we hadn't spoken before. He had nothing of interest to say, and I ended up scoffing my food as quickly as possible and mumbling an excuse about work I needed to get done.

Times I've been in London (never worked but been on courses etc) amazed by how full parks/green areas are at lunctime. Every bench got someone eating sarnie.

Guess this is because in london high % travel in by public transport and dont have restauratn facilities at emploeyer.

[Support Monkey]

I like to go sit in the car and have a kip, although when i was doing this in a public car park the wife said one of these days someone is going to think your dead and call the police