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Most of my working life was as an executive secretary. My experience with employee potucks is that they are organized by underlings. So, as a hiring manager, I don't see you being required to participate. Do your other management peers participate? Do your superiors participate?
Perhaps the issue is that they wonder if you see yourself as "above" them. And you probably are. And that's their problem to deal with.
This is one of those underling activities that separates upper management from underlings. If you hang out with the underlings at the underling get-togethers, management will see you as an underling.
So, not only is it in your best interest to avoid these people and their food and attitudes about your eating habits, and any possible jealousy about your position as a manager, etc., but not participating could possibly even get you promoted.
Office politics are many layered. I hated them. But, I also learned to understand them because of my position.
Since you don't consider your co-workers to be friends, then it shouldn't be an issue for you to separate yourself from their underling activities.
They used to try and involve me in organizing the birthday cakes and to collect money for this and that. I simply told them I don't participate in those types of things. They didn't like me. But, I needed to preserve my position in-between the underlings and the upper management. I learned this the hard way. Once I learned it though, it was actually less stressful. It mattered more to me that my boss (usually the general manager or an upper executive) respected me, than the hens in the accounting department or secretarial pool liked me.
So, blow them off. You don't need them to like you. Now if your boss is actually involved and wants you involved, that's a different story. But, I bet your boss doesn't participate. Does he/her?
I have been on diets and such and during such a time, I'm usually just polite and will grab a small plate, pick at it a bit, and then toss it out and nobody is any wiser.
I think this is a terrific idea. Plus at most potluck lunches there are veggies, salads, all manner of different foods. A small serving of something can let you enjoy the social aspects of a get together without derailing your diet plan.
Status:
"In the words of Steve Winwood, Roll With It!"
(set 22 days ago)
Location: State of the closed-minded
296 posts, read 217,211 times
Reputation: 580
Not all workplaces are of equal caliber when it comes to the standards employees have for sanitation practices, and the quality of food they bring in that they expect other people to eat.
Another way workplaces are not of equal caliber is employees taking offense if someone doesn't want the food they bring in, even going so far as to accuse anyone who doesn't want their food as thinking they are superior.
It seems like the people most likely to bring in questionable food are also the most likely to get butthurt over anyone shunning their food.
Quite a few of my coworkers get together once a month for "Game Night" they arrange at their homes, to play cards and board games.
They always invite me, I always decline. Politely, of course, I just tell them "Sorry, I already have plans. Thanks for thinking of me." Even if my plans are to pick up a pizza and watch a movie they are still plans.
Smh at my coworkers who work together all week and still want to socialize on weekends.....
I have a meal plan that consists of 6 days healthy and 1 cheat day(Saturday). NO exceptions.
Even if I go out to diner on a non-cheat day, I order healthy meals. The potlucks generally have heavy foods or foods known as "comfort foods", all kinds of cookies and cakes and soda,etc....
I generally pack my lunch and stick to my meal plan.
I have no issue with what they eat but they cannot seem to respect what I eat.
Even on Thanksgiving, I eat the healthy prepared selections.
I eat to live NOT live to eat. 1 cheat day a week is plenty. Not to mention, I'd rather use my cheat day when I'm with friends/family NOT coworkers.
Ya know... as a side note, I've heard some "interesting" sayings and behaviors coming out of Atlanta. lol I've never lived there, but have passed through a few times on my way to another state and each time I passed through and stopped there, I felt I was not treated well or respectfully.
I would simply say that you are on a strict eating regimen and that you have one cheat day that you reserve for family and friends. Say that the food looks really good, its just not going to work for your new eating regimen. Say that 2 or 3 times. I am hoping they will get the hint, be gracious and leave you alone. Having said that, I am not counting on that happening.
Sorry that your co-workers are so rude. I think it is a cultural thing regarding the food.
Last edited by chrissy_rox2; 11-27-2015 at 05:14 AM..
Reason: spelling
It's the old worn out "We do it, so you have to do it too!" mindset as far as 'demanding' that 'everyone' join in.
I quit participating in work place potlucks, nor do I now as a retiree participate in the potlucks in my community.
These are some of the reasons why:
1. Discovering that many participants did not wash their hands after using the restroom....so if they were that unsanitary at work, I didn't want to think about what they were like at home.
2. Heard one participate laugh as she told a coworker: "Ha Ha! My cat was sitting on the kitchen counter while I cooked, hope there's no cat hair in it!"
3. Took a bite of food and quickly discovered it contained bits of glass! I told the person who prepared the dish and she said, "Ooops! I thought I'd cleaned up all the broken glass!" And she did not remove her food from the table!
Because most people will not accept the truth, no matter how tactfully it is presented, I just say I'm on a very strict diet and use the 'thanks, but no thanks'.
....................
I just say I'm on a very strict diet and use the 'thanks, but no thanks'.
Which is all you really need to do.
Now, having said that, it doesn't mean that you don't go and socialize a bit instead of staying at your desk muttering "I came here to work and not party". And again, notwithstanding what a particular hiring manager says", your response to these events is often noted and mentally filed away by your bosses.
If you're in management, as also previously mentioned, you're not usually expected to participate but smart managers will show up and say hello if it's in the workplace (even if it's not and at a bar you ought to drop in and say hello, maybe buy a round) and possibly even contribute something like a dessert. That's called morale building.
Like Jukesgrrl I stopped drinking 30+ years ago. Like her I've never had anyone, not one person, ever give me crap for not drinking. Also like her, if I'm at an event where there are cocktails I'll have a 7 UP or some such in a glass. No one is the wiser and it really doesn't matter to me if they are. Most of my acquaintances know I don't drink anyway.
It's the old worn out "We do it, so you have to do it too!" mindset as far as 'demanding' that 'everyone' join in.
1. Discovering that many participants did not wash their hands after using the restroom....so if they were that unsanitary at work, I didn't want to think about what they were like at home.
2. Heard one participate laugh as she told a coworker: "Ha Ha! My cat was sitting on the kitchen counter while I cooked, hope there's no cat hair in it!"
Because most people will not accept the truth, no matter how tactfully it is presented, I just say I'm on a very strict diet and use the 'thanks, but no thanks'.
Reminded me of a potluck, we had at work. One lady always made the tastiest stuff and until that time I enjoyed potlucks. The lady needed a ride home and she lived near me, so..........offered her a lift. Ahhhhh..she invited me in for a cup of tea.................nasty, she had about a jillion cats, crawling all over the place.
That was the end of my tasty potluck days.....stick to chips, jars of dip, veggie trays and stuff from the deli, you can enjoy, just be careful as these days, we must!!
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