'Have I ruined my career?': Employee stops eating lunch with coworkers, sparking ridiculous feud with office Karen

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Oct 9, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Every employee needs to draw their boundaries with coworkers. Sometimes, you get along with folks well enough that you're more than fine hanging out outside the office. However, other employees prefer a strict separation between work and life, and regardless of how other people think or feel about it, that decision needs to be respected. 

Here, we have an employee who had to draw their own boundaries within the work day itself. After a year of spending lunch with coworkers in the break room, he decided to eat alone at his desk moving forward because of strange, aggressive comments from the office Karen. Unfortunately, not only was the employee's choice to eat alone ignored, but the office Karen reprimanded the employee for doing so at a company meeting the very next morning, sparking a completely unnecessary feud.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this story about a lunch-thieving coworker who got his comeuppance.

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  • 01
    נו 00 "I stopped eating lunch with my coworkers after 1 year"
    via Kenny Eliason

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    I think one of them took it personally and honestly she's definitely part of the reason why I stopped going to the cafeteria and began eating at my desk.
    via [deleted]
  • 03
    She would make comments about my phone use at the lunch table and talk about how skinny I am. I just sort of cut my lunch break to 30 minutes instead of 1 hr...then gradually stopped jointing the team entirely.
    via [deleted]
  • 04
    This coworker now announces my mistakes in the 8am meeting before even a hello or good morning. Have I ruined my career by doing this? I might need this job to pay for my education.
    via [deleted]
  • 05
    Total-Addendum9327. 7 hr. ago Your coworker is you should report it to HR.
    via [deleted]
  • 06
    NoBushido 4 hr. ago You're right, but the problem is, most HR's really don't give a O. Unless you have something you can bring to court and hold them liable,
    via [deleted]
  • 07
    they'll sweep it all under the rug. Been there myself/
    via [deleted]
  • 08
    frantik1234.4 hr. ago I havent eaten with my co workers in several years. Break time is alone time lol
    via [deleted]
  • 09
    Horror_Personality49. 4 hr. ago I had several bosses who wanted to pressure me into taking my breaks the way they deemed correct. Like where I got my food from, where I ate, with whom. I would
    via [deleted]
  • 10
    always politely inform them since my breaks are time off cause they don't pay me during that time they also got no say in what I do during that time
    via [deleted]
  • 11
    UnknownPleasures3. 7 hr. ago I mean, I don't think it should ruin anything for you at work if you get your job done. However,
    via [deleted]
  • 12
    it does to go to work if you have a strained relationship with a coworker.
    via [deleted]
  • 13
    It's not okay to comment on someone's body. Do you think you can talk to this person about it? I know people have different comfort levels in terms of "confrontation" but I find
    via [deleted]
  • 14
    that it's best to set boundaries like "Please refrain from commenting on my body" or "I don't appreciate my body being a conversation topic".
    via [deleted]
  • 15
    orangeEddie 3 hr. ago 8Am meetings? That alone is a reason to quit
    via [deleted]
  • 16
    NoBushido 4 hr. ago Just ignore it. Seriously. I know what they're doing is petty and that they should have a manager check them for it, but if you want to really C someone like this off,
    via [deleted]
  • 17
    give them nothing. No looks, concern for what they say, or acknowledgment of their existence. In my experience, this eats them up and feeds into their paranoia, which is really the only payback
    via [deleted]
  • 18
    you can get. Oh, and don't say anything about this person to anyone else you work with either.
    via [deleted]
  • 19
    Remember, you're there to work and under no obligation to socialize with or like anyone you work with.
    via [deleted]
  • 20
    bad_genejeans OP. 2 hr. ago That's what I'm currently doing. If the comments in meetings get worse I will probably change tactics.
    via [deleted]

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terrible coworkers workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work coworkers reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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