Have you ever noticed that at lunch time, everyone just heats up their lunches in the break room and then head straight back to their desks to eat? Eating lunch at your desk doesn’t really help you get to know any of your potential work BFFs, Right?! Also, it is just kind of sad.

But, just in case making new friends isn’t enough motivation to get you away from your desk, check out Brian Finke’s photo series Desktop Dining. Brian “celebrates the sadness” of office workers chowing down while “failing to maintain a healthy work-life balance.”

“Workplaces shouldn’t function like this. You’re working with humans, not robots.” Says Ali Robins in the article 9 Ways To Improve Communication At Work. We should “inspire employees to eat away from their desks during lunch hour so they have a chance to communicate with one another and build relationships with their colleagues.”

So, how do we lure people out of their cube caves and start talking to each other? You could offer free lunch like Google. You could redesign your breakroom to reflect your company culture like Staples.com suggests. Or, maybe you can just ask.

Do you have any sad “Desktop Dining” pictures you would like to share? Feel free to post them here.

Photo Credit – UC Santa Cruz Dining