Deal with a Work Colleague Who Has Stinky Lunches

Just when you thought you had your colleague speaking less loudly over the phone, now he opens his stinky lunch that has you reeling in disgust. Is there a polite way to tell him to not eat in the office around you? It isn't easy, but there are some ways to let them know they are not being considerate about those around them.

Steps

Getting Started

  1. Be polite but straightforward. Tell them that you appreciate their wish to eat at their desk but that the odor of their lunch is disturbing you. Let them know that they are perfectly entitled to say the same about any of your food that upsets them. You could also try saying that you're on a diet (possibly for health reasons), and the scent of their food makes it difficult for you to concentrate--but don't say this if you're going to be seen eating a hearty lunch!
  2. Send them an anonymous email. Make up an e-mail address or use a service that will send an anonymous message on your behalf, telling your colleague something like "The aroma of your lunch is very overpowering today." Try it, if it won't painfully be obvious that you are the source. For example, it won't work if there are only two of you in the office!
  3. Play the allergy or vegetarian card. If the odor is from something to which you have an allergy, you have every right to request immediate resistance from it being consumed in your presence. Use your manager to assist in enforcing this. Otherwise, you may not have an allergy but you can say that you have one and that you cannot be in the presence of that type of food without having a bad reaction and ask that your colleague kindly consume it elsewhere. Or, if you are vegetarian, explain to them how the odor of meat or fish is very unpleasant for you and is making you feel unwell.
  4. Bring a fan to your desk. When the person brings their lunch, point the fan so that it blows air in their direction (although not directly in their face). This should be enough to keep the smell of food from traveling in your direction, although in a small office or when the lunch is particularly potent, this may only be a temporary solution.
  5. Light a strongly scented candle at your desk. Alternatively, you can use a strong air freshener. Not only will it Hint at People to Give You Their Names (especially if you only use it when they eat a smelly lunch at their desk) but the strong aroma may interfere with the flavor of their food. If they don't get the hint and end up asking you to stop stinking up the office, tell them that the unpleasant smell must come from the mixing of artificial scent and food, and suggest trying to keep both out of the office.
  6. Put essential oils on your wrists. Strong scents like peppermint and lavender can overpower the smell of food. Some scents will soothe your stomach or ease a headache. Keep a bottle of oil in your desk and apply as needed. You can lean on your elbow in order to bring the wrist close to your nose without seeming like you sniff your wrist all day.
  7. Be a little firmer and tell your colleague about the perils of eating over keyboard & desk materials. Inform them how dirty it is, how colonies of beasts thrive on crumbs under the keys and inside the inner workings of the computer. Not to mention how awful it is to discover squashed food on papers and inside books... This step is for the person who knows that raising this with a colleague will not cause issues though; some colleagues may behave defensively! And, again, this is not something you should say if you're guilty of eating lunch at your own desk.
  8. Speak to your manager. If you are not able to say something yourself or you have tried to no avail, raise it with those above you and ask them to say something on your behalf. It is about destroying good team relationships, so they will usually come to help. Keep in mind that some managers may, in an effort to be fair, ban all lunch-eating-at-desks, or even perfumes and colognes.
  9. Find a telecommuting job. People have been eating at their desk for years and will continue to eat at their desks as long as there are offices and 16 hour days. If it bothers you that much, consider finding a job where you can work away from an office environment. All the same, it doesn't mean that eating at the desk is appropriate for a healthy, well-rounded human experience.
  10. Bear in mind that it might be a case of a pot calling the kettle black. In an increasingly multicultural country, while you might find some ethnic food chock-full of odor, you may not realize that your blue cheese salad or microwaved cheddar popcorn is equally offensive. Rather than whining to your manager, the better way is open up discussions about ancestral and regional foods. A good way to deal with this situation is to organize office "characteristic food" potluck picnics - encourage people to bring their most characteristic regional or ancestral food. This will help start discussions and cross-cultural familiarizing with each other's regional foods. Use of the terms "ancestral" or "regional" foods rather than "ethnic" foods are better at avoiding stigmatizing any section of the population.

Office Etiquette

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Tips

  • If there are continued problems with a colleague consuming stinky lunches at their desk, ask senior management to institute a policy about preventing this. Provided there is a lunchroom or other alternative area for eating, this can work well and can be a pleasant way for colleagues to unwind and meet one another through choice.

Warnings

  • Remember that just because a food smells unfamiliar does not mean that it smells bad. If you're encountering an ethnic cuisine that is foreign to you, try to allow your nose to become accustomed to the smell. If possible, try the cuisine in question-you may find that you enjoy it, and the smell of it won't bother you anymore (it might make you hungry, in fact).

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Sources and Citations

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