The Smell of Food is Offensive?

[Gyro Widget]

I definitely don't find the smell of food offensive but I can see how it can be distracting. Personally I hate Chinease food, even the smell gives me the willies (bad experience in my younger years) but I grin and bear it when people in my office order. I think its all about tolerance, something that people have little of these days.

Bingo.    After living in close quarters of a univeristy residence, I cannot believe how much people will complain about absolutely nothing!  It is like people cannot handle slightest discomfort for one single minute.

Some things are extremely strong smelling and should be avoided in public places - like curry and garlic, but forcing employees to eat outside of the office every day just doesn't seem right.  Wouldn't that be against labor laws?

[NOVA Lady]

This is really an interesting thread. I am trying to think back on all my workplaces and see if they had any weird food "things" but I am actually pretty sure I have been eating at my desk since I've had a desk.

In one previous position we did have a break room and if I wanted to chat with friends (instead of surf the internet or do whatever else) I would sit there otherwise I would go to my desk no matter what I was eating (pita sandwhich or my leftovers).

Currently we have a really really ODD office. The kitchen is in the middle of this open area with a few tables shaped like Xs (very "Modern") that isn't near where anyone sits. There theres a huge open area with cubes without any walls, so basically just desks. Along the walls are the offices with doors. I am on the very end in a corner so I can usually get away with eating all manner of food without it bugging anyone.

My only "problems" (and they aren't really problems, just minor whines) with food and food odors in the office....

1. If I'm starving with cannot take lunch (or I already did and it didn't fill me up) and someone heats something up or brings something into one of the offices near me my stomach absolutely grooooowls. But this isn't something I think should be worried about by anyone other then me!

2. The dishes! We have a dishwasher and most people just load their own dishes. Someone (it might be 2 someones) always always leaves their dishes in the sink without even rinsing them! Arrrgh

3. Bad smells. I almost did this myself today. Me and SO have a favorite pizza place and always order a pepperoni and fresh garlic pizza. its delicious but imagine what it would smell like after a minute in the microwave.....So I think people should try to limit "strong" smells.


All in all what smells delicious to one person might be totally foul to someone else (Like the time I was eating smoked salmon on french bread topped with capers and a lemon wine sauce.... I got tons of ewwww but I was in heaven).

Hows that was wishy washy

[Slartibartfast]

I don't really get a lunch break, so I eat at my desk when the library is empty.  I also keep some non-perishable snacks and drinks on hand so I have something here when I start to get really hungry.  Technically I have the option of taking an hour each day (unpaid) for lunch, but since I'm the only employee I'd have to close the library to do it, and since my hours are already set, taking an hour a day would put me at less than 40 hours per week and therefore disqualify me for health insurance.  Since I come in at 11:30 three days a week, I just eat something at home before I come (or bring something along).  Tuesdays and Wednesdays I'm here from 9 to 6, but I have permission to use my half-hour (paid) "personal break" to dash to the nearest fast food place if I'm really starving :-)

[Venus193]

I've never heard the fire hazard theory. Where did they do that?

Among others, Renaissance castles like Chambord and Chennenceau had separate buildings.  Someone had to invent the potager in order to reheat plates of food that would get cold while the servant was carrying it from the cookhouse to the dining hall.

The antebellum south in the US also had separate buildings for cooking.

[Thipu1]

Perhaps it's because we're in a library but no food at the desk has been a standing rule here for many years.  There are several good reasons for this.  We work with collections at our desks and spills are a real hazard.  There's also the possibility of attracting insects.

We do have a staff room where we have our meals and snacks so the rule isn't inconvenient.  And yes, we are allowed drinks at our desks but each of us has a kick stool under the counter so drinks are never on the same surface as collections.

[Venus193]

I totally understand library rules on such things; you are looking to protect your books and other things.

Business documents aren't that sacred.

[Morty'sCleaningLady]

I've got an allergy to curry.  The smell of it brings tears to my eyes and stuffs up my nose.  I've asked colleagues to avoid eating Indian at their desks near me.  I'm not afraid to ask, though.  Is it possible that someone has an allergy to one of the strongly scented foods and went to HR?

[Venus193]

No; it's not an HR thing.  It was a comment the CEO made herself. Most of us eat at our desks at least half the time.  It just so happened that she said this on a day I was having chicken vindaloo.

Were she allergic I don't think she would have hesitated to say so; this would be a reasonable objection.

My mother hated the smell of garlic.  Most of the people I encountered in my life who hated that aroma (which I love) grew up in cultures whose cuisine doesn't use it... and they look down on those people who do.

[Sharnita]

Venus193, I would say that just because some people don't want to smell garlic does not mean they have issues with or look down on people who enjoy it. It is a strong smell and there is a difference between eating it and smelling it in the air/on a person's clothes.

[Venus193]

I was thinking specifically of my late mother (German) and my college buddy's mother (Irish).  I am actually amazed the German l;anguage even has a word for it.

[Morty'sCleaningLady]

Well, if it's not HR or an allergy and it's the CEO's perogative, there are very few choices.  You could obey her new rules.  You could complain to Human Resources (which probably wouldn't fight the CEO). You could find alternative eating locations. (Does your office building have communal areas?  Maybe a buddy in the area can eat with you in their cafeteria?)  Or you could find another job.

If it were me, I'd be packing turkey sandwiches and letting my productivity slack a bit.

Good luck!

[audhs]

Back during the turn of the last century, houses were built with kitchens as far away from living/dining rooms as possible on the assumption that cooking odors were offensive.  I have never understood that, unless eating was considered to be almost on par with sex on the obscenity scale.

This was the mindset of the CEO of a company I worked for umpteen years ago.  She would not permit anyone to work at her desk because of this and... that company had no cafeteria space.  We were allowed to eat in the conference room, but only on days when there were no client meetings.  So if you routinely brought your lunch to save money, you would be out of luck that day (we were

My current CEO is talking about instituting a similar rule when we move to a new space in March.  Considering how many times we have to work at our desks through client crises (like right now) I consider this rule to be unrealistic and punitive.

What is the consensus here?

I never had a problem with people eating at their desks at work till I was pregnant and everything made me nausious.  I guess I can see peoples objections but as long as people keep overly oderous foods out of the main work area I wouldn't have a problem.  I think your CEO is being a little unrealistic if he expect you to work through your lunch.

[twinkletoes]

I wish my company had a separate place where you could eat your grilled onions or whatever in peace.  There is someone in the office next to mine who loves onions - the place *reeks* and smells like an old gym.  My company likes to bring clients in, and wow, is that bad!

But then, if a company were to start 'banning' foods, where would it end?  Some people think the smell of flavored coffee is offensive, some people don't like the smell of bananas, etc.  Although you'd hope someone would use their common sense and not warm up their garlic-onion-sardine-pepperoni pizza in the microwave, you can't count on it.

[NOVA Lady]

I just thought of all of you as a coworker walked into my office, took one wiff and look at the seaweed salad I am eating for lunch and ran away

But at least I have my own office pretty far from where anyone else will need to be smelling anything!

[Venus193]

I don't know of any company where lunch hour is sacred anymore.  Nor do I think we should have to restrict ourselves to bland food suitable for children.  Per Twinkletoes' post, where would it end if companies started banning garlic, onions, fish, bananas, flavored coffee.... you see where this is going.

That justs reminded me of a woman who worked at one of my former companies who couldn't stand my coffee, which was Latino espresso with cinnamon added before brewing.  She was the lone dissenter on the 40th floor; everyone else would wait for me to get in before getting their daily caffeine fix.