'[Microwaving] fish in the communal area should be a fireable offense.’: Coworker gets called out for stinking up the entire office with her lunch, threatens to go to HR for ‘food shaming’

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Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Jul 31, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

What in tarnation is "food shaming"????

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  • One of the more obvious actions that proves you have never shared a communal area is microwaving fish. If you don't understand why, then listen up. It stinks. It smells so bad, that it is distracting to anybody nearby. Have you ever been to a fish market?  Well, you just made your office smell like one. Assuming you don't work in a fish market, that is… 

    Apparently, one coworker did not think heating up her fish lunch was that big of a deal. And when someone asked what that “foul” smell was, she immediately threatened to go to HR. She claimed she was being a victim of “food shaming.” Yes, you heard that correctly. She turned herself into a victim after she made all of her coworkers the victim of her stinky lunch. Some are saying this should be a fireable offense. Others are saying HR would laugh in her face. What what you do?

  • 01
    66 ... Did someone microwave fish?" "Yeah, it was me. Don't food shame me or I'll go to HR!"
    via Jakub Kapusnak via Rawpixel
  • 02
    Coworker threatened to go to HR for "food shaming: I was working at my desk when I noticed an absolutely foul odor. I tried to ignore it but it got so overwhelming, that I look off my headset and quietly asked "Did someone microwave fish?". I heard my coworker mumble something and asked her to repeat herself. She said "Yeah, it was me. Don't food shame me or I'll go to HR." That me off, but what really made it infuriating is that we have a MASSIVE café downstairs that she could've used to heat u
    via Runaway_Smoke
  • 03
    Bart_Yellowbeard • 2h ago Funny, we just got a note from HR reminding us that particularly odoriferous foods are not to be eaten in the work area. 1.5K Reply
    via Bart_Yellowbeard
  • 04
    Unusual Flounder2073 • 2h ago Make a preemptive strike. Go to HR first and complain about smelling fish in the office area. 1.7K Reply
    via Unusual_Flounder2073
  • 05
    drunky_crowette . 2h ago Go to HR yourself and tell them she threatened to report you for simply asking what was causing a smell which was incredibly distracting. Guarantee she'll be told to shut up and use the cafeteria 1.9K Reply
    via drunky_crowette
  • 06
    Guardian-King ⚫ 3h ago • Then let her go to HR, I'm 100% sure HR will side with you and tell her to heat up the food in that cafe. That smell can keep you from doing your work properly. Or better yet, you go to HR because you can't work in the smell she makes. 290 ⇓ Reply
    via Guardian-King
  • 07
    4av9 3h ago • Yeah, microwaving fish at work should be an immediate suspension without pay. 220 ☐ Reply
    via 4av9
  • 08
    • Super_61 3h ago It is a sin to microwave fish in a common area 210 Reply
    via Super_61
  • 09
    RoadsideCarver • 2h ago That was 100% a flex on her part. The food shaming and HR was all a part of the script she had worked out. 154 ☐ Reply ...
    via RoadsideCarver
  • 10
    Murky_Cook_5136 • 3h ago That would enrage me but I'd probably have told her to work away and speak to HR if she wished. All you did was ask a legitimate question and HR would probably find it quite funny. "Food shame" for that is insane though, seems like she's got bigger issues than just her inconsiderate actions going on. 45 Reply
    via Murky_Cook_5136
  • 11
    boiledeggs853 3h ago Edited 3h ago • • It may be a non-negotiable rule but if there is nothing officially stated that hinders someone to microwave fish then let the HR decide. ↑ 30 Reply
    via boiledeggs853
  • 12
    PonchAndJudy • 2h ago Stinky food the in the common areas is banned in every company I ever worked for. They had a microwave in the warehouse for fish or super stinky foods. 22 Reply
    via PonchAndJudy
  • 13
    pgasmaddict • 3h ago Bring in some cabbage and boil it for hours near her desk. If that doesn't work go nuclear with those swedish fermented herrings, but be prepared to have to relocate. 19 19 Reply
    via pgasmaddict
  • 14
    Runaway HR • 2h ago As an HR pro, I can 100% attest that I dream about people like her coming in, just to have the satisfaction of them finding out the world doesn't revolve around them and they need to cook their stinky food elsewhere. Also popcorn. Please stop setting off the fire alarms. It's in the same policy. 20 Reply
    via Runaway_HR
  • 15
    consumer 2h ago . I once had a coworker who INSISTED that he had to eat fish for lunch because it was a Friday during Lent and he's Catholic after I gave him a hard time for microwaving fish. No HR involvement, but... gosh. No, you don't NEED to eat fish. Nor do you need to microwave it if you do. 16 Reply
    via c0nsumer
  • 16
    Unusual-Big-6467 2h ago • call HR up and say you cant work due to unpleasant smell in the workplace. 12 Reply ...
    via Unusual-Big-6467
  • 17
    Praydaythemice • 2h ago Nuking fish in the communal area should be a fireable offense. 10 Reply
    via praydaythemice
  • 18
    ckouf96 2h ago • She should be reported to HR for microwaving fish. Do people have no decency anymore? Pack a sandwich and don't throw smelly food in the microwave! 10 Reply
    via ckouf96
  • 19
    christophersonne 1h ago I worked in a place that had the opposite policy on this. It was explicitly stated that the lunch facilities were shared, and you would potentially have to accept someone making food you don't like (we have a lot of different ethnicities working there, and lunch was an odorous affair). HR would have told them both to deal with it, and that saying something like "did someone microwave fish" did not constitute an attack or shaming. If they went on to complain in slack, or s
    via christophersonne
  • 20
    If there is an allergy concern, it needs to be addressed with HR and required a doctor's note with an allergy test confirming an actual allergy for them to make a reasonable accommodation -- but they would not forbid normal food just because someone 'didn't like the smell." or "it gives me a headache" or "I'm a vegetarian and don't like to see meat" (that was a real complaint). They did have exceptions, like there was no reason to bring in surströmming. I'm sure there are other foods like it tha
    via christophersonne
  • 21
    RC-Lyra 2h ago ? I would go to HR first. I can't stand fish, I don't eat it I can't smell it. I wouldn't be able to work when the whole Office stinks of fish. I get absolutly nauseous when I smell fish. It doesn't matter if it is fried, baked or whatever. One time an old boss heated a fish dish in the microwave and I was told that I was literally greenish in the face. Absolut no go! ↑ ↓ 8 Reply
    via RC-Lyra

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