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Why does anyone eat stinky food at work? To a lot of westerners, Asian cuisines are stinky (I prefer to use the term "fragrant"). To a lot of Asians, western food is stinky (think food with lots of cheese on it, or any food with broccoli/cabbage/cauliflower/etc).
I don't bring food with a strong odor to work regardless of what type of cuisine it is. People in my office rarely microwave strong-smelling food in the small break room niches; they save that for the dedicated cafeteria-style break room with a dozen microwaves in it and room for about 100 people to sit and eat lunch. It gets pretty whiffy down there with dozens of people microwaving their lunches in a short span of time. But that's where they're supposed to do it, so I don't care.
Since this is Lent, you're going to smell more fish at the office if you work with observant Catholics (I don't know if other denominations eat lots of fish during Lent). It's temporary and they'll be really sick of fish by Easter.
I believe that some people are much more sensitive to smells and can smell things a lot of other people can't.
I have a VERY good sniffer. To have to smell something obnoxious all day would get on my nerves. Big time.
I think if someone was bringing stinky lunch on a regular basis to a shared area at work, I'd be writing an anonymous note and leaving it on his/her desk. Might help, might not.
It is called consideration for shared work space and shared air space. Our firm has a sign on the refrigerator with unacceptable food that they would prefer not to smell in the office. I don't necessary agree with going that far, but I do think really fragrant food should be eaten at home. In our office no: hard boiled eggs, peanut butter, fish, popcorn (before 4:00 p.m.), seafood, kimchi, cabbage, broccoli, or greens. We try to be considerate of our clients as well as our colleagues. I am a practicing Catholic and during the Lenten season, if I bring tuna or seafood, I will close my office door or go out to a restaurant. Some people are allergic to fish and the smell can make them sick.
This isn't your private home and you don't make the rules. Fish smells can definitely linger in a shared microwave and affect the smell of the next food placed in it.
Just as there are office policies regarding smoking, strong perfumes and colognes, etc. - the work space should be habitable for everyone. Bristling over one's right to eat smelly foods at lunch can also be viewed as selfish and inconsiderate. It won't kill you to bring and eat something else, get over yourselves.
This is a country made up of people of all nationalities, and cultures, that eat different than what you do. To them their food does not stink,and often your food stinks to them, and often nauseates them.
Warming up meat dishes that you love, will turn the stomach of a vegan, or some cultures both from odors, but also the sight of someone eating meat or meat products. Even if you eat it cold, will repulse them as much or more than someone heating fish, repulses you.
Due to this one fact, it would eliminate anyone eating in a break room, if they only ate what would not cause problems with other employees in many companies.
The only advice anyone can give you, is ignore them, or eat elsewhere.
This is a country made up of people of all nationalities, and cultures, that eat different than what you do. To them their food does not stink,and often your food stinks to them, and often nauseates them.
Warming up meat dishes that you love, will turn the stomach of a vegan, or some cultures both from odors, but also the sight of someone eating meat or meat products. Even if you eat it cold, will repulse them as much or more than someone heating fish, repulses you.
Due to this one fact, it would eliminate anyone eating in a break room, if they only ate what would not cause problems with other employees in many companies.
The only advice anyone can give you, is ignore them, or eat elsewhere.
I was only commenting on the desk smells. I can't leave my desk just because someone else eats every meal at theirs, next to me. We have break rooms, shops, vending machines, a room with a fireplace, food trucks, picnic tables...so I don't think it's obnoxious for me to go out for lunch and come back to be annoyed by stinker at her desk. I'm working more from home now, so no I don't think this is a first world problem, but some people post their thoughts in an online thread.
so no I don't think this is a first world problem,
....so someone's lunch choice is right up there with ter-ror groups kidnapping hundreds of girls, political prisoners disappearing, and millions of people not having clean water. OK
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