Who's wrong: me for eating fish at my desk, or my colleague for complaining to our manager?
The complainant says
Our office doesn't have a proper kitchen, just a kettle and a microwave, and there's nowhere to sit except our desks. I bring leftovers for lunch to save money, and a couple of times a week that's salmon or a fish curry, which I heat up in the microwave.
A colleague who sits opposite me complained to our manager that the smell makes her feel sick. Rather than talk to me, she went straight to the manager, who then had an awkward chat with me. I felt embarrassed and a bit ambushed.
The other side says the colleague, as the complainant tells it
She says she has mentioned it before in a jokey way and I didn't take the hint. She says she gets bad nausea, the smell lingers all afternoon, and she didn't feel comfortable raising it directly again.
Jury discussion (6 comments)
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Microwaved fish in an office is a crime against colleagues. Not a real crime, but still.
Both a bit wrong. Fish smell is real, and so is the ambush.
Bring the fish cold, she talks to you directly next time. Done.
If there's nowhere else to eat, the company should sort out a space. This is a facilities problem pretending to be a people problem.
Jokey hints don't count as raising something. Going to the manager first was over the top.
Cold salmon is actually lovely. Just saying.