Related Posts
Processing time for cpa license in MA?
Salary expectation for pre-MBA internships?
Anonymous User
Do you always need an MBA to get into MBB?
Additional Posts in Human Resources
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe during the holiday season. I wanted to take a moment to highlight a role that I’m hiring for - Sr. Learning & Talent Development Partner. If you’re interested, I’ve added to the Fishbowl jobs board - https://joinfishbowl.com/job_rpc2p5vsvq. Feel free to reach out directly if you’d like to chat. :)
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
This is an interesting one - I know when I launched an office this was part of our etiquette since it’s an open concept office and there is nowhere to hide from smells.
Granted we haven’t had an issue, and if it was the odd time maaaaybe you’d let it slide. But every two hours is frustrating at a minimum.
I would document complaints before your implement it, at least there is a paper trail. Complaints leading to policy changes are justified, and then you have documented complaints and a policy to reference.
So unfortunately some leg work needs to be done IMO to make the change. Otherwise have a conversation with the employee and maybe there is a middle ground?
What if the food the person can eat is cultural, or they have health concerns that means they can only aet specific foods? Rather than forcing a policy, I think it's better to send a general email about being mindful because it's an open office concept some foods that may emit strong odors should be avoided if possible as opposed to "restricting" it. Some people also have health issues that require them to keep their blood sugar up so they do have to eat more frequently...
Senior corporate recruiter -- what??? How on Earth does the ADA even remotely have anything to do with this situation??
This is a mickey mouse issue in the world of HR. Just tell him the smell is offensive to others and he might need to adjust his rating plan.
Amen! I like your answer!
As a courtesy I don’t heat up fish, but ultimately you should just have his manager ask him not to do that if it is effecting others. Ask if he has any other options. He probably doesn’t even know that it’s a problem.
Ill go with this.
This is SOOOOOOO not an HR problem, and you should not be taking it on. His manager can talk to him.
CRM1, no, just no.
Employee relations is about the relationship between the employer and its employees, not between employees.
People need to STOP putting HR professionals in charge of petty BS like this. HR is a BUSINESS function, no different than Finance or Sales or Operations or IT. HR is NOT the company nanny.
Does your job require you to deal with conflicts between your customers? Or between your company and its customers?
This is not a ''HR'' or policy issue. Until HR leaders stop getting involved in stuff like this the profession will always be seen as a ''policing'' or quasi compliance function only and will not be involved in the high level strategic decision making that we can make a real difference with.
Exactly.
Have his manager talk to him about the odor and also why he is eating every 2 hours during an 8-hour work day.
This is very appaulling that an HRD would need to create a whole illegal policy to address an employee heating up their food? It has the feel of discrimination, especially if the individual is of a different national origin. As HR I wouldn't even get involved. Let the coworkers figure it out amongst themselves and trust me, they will. Please find some real HR issues to deal with, cause this is not it. This must be a mom and pop company.
No one is trying to tell any employee what they *can* eat. They want the employee to stop heating it up and creating terrible odors throughout the area EVERY TWO HOURS, and there is nothing illegal about that.
You are imagining liability where none exists, and that is unfortunately a trait that too many HR professionals possess.
Get over yourself
To avoid conflict, remove the microwave. It’s not mandatory for companies to provide microwave ovens for their employee employees.
Or the people that are finding it unpleasant need to tell him I certainly would.
In the UK, you are not allowed to say to people not to heat up their food, they can take great offence, especially if they are from another culture.
One way to combat it is to see if the company will pay for a buffet lunch for employees, even if it is only 1 day a week. That may mean that people do not bring in their own food, but if they insist, I don't think there is much that you can do.
I think it is inconsiderate if someone brings in a garlic heavy, fish heavy, or eggy lunch, but there is not much that you can do without upsetting someone. If a person with Pakistani or Indian origin brings in a curry and heats that up, they could say that you are being racist or inconsiderate of their culture.
Be careful!
Short answer is yes, you would be. This is not an HR issue and if it comes to you, you should be advising them on having professional conversations with their colleagues.
I think it's interesting that so many people are saying this is not an HR issue. Since you're getting multiple complaints there seems to be a pattern that's affecting the office environment, so I personally think it's something HR should address. It's not about his performance or issues within the team (which should e addressed by the manager), it's about promoting a respectful workplace, I don't think creating a policy is the solution though. Instead I would have a direct conversation with the employee to let him know the smell is bothering people and ask him to consider some alternatives. I used to be a body builder and would heat my food before I left the house, and by the time I ate it was lukewarm instead of cold. You learn to do what you have to.
I'll ask the question differently. Why should HR be the one to speak with him and not his manager? Or the coworkers who are annoyed by the smells?
I've been in dozens of companies in my illustrious and long management consulting career and most companies have policies against smelly foods, cultural or not, so go ahead and institute the policy
How can you have a policy that prohibits "smelly" foods being heated when "smelly" is so incredibly subjective?
LOL....oh my goodness. That is HILARIOUS!! I think if you would all just tell him, he should understand. Maybe. But, if the food smells a certain way because of the culture the food derives from, you might be approaching a thin "cism" line. Tread lightly
Get an air purifier and call it a day.
What is de Colores in the Presbyterian Church for the great banquet?
I wish I had your kind of "issues" at work😂 consider yourself lucky!
We used to have an employee that would heat up fish in the microwave weekly. It was awful. We spoke with him about it, that ended it. A policy would definitely not be my first choice. If you know who the person is, a polite one-on-one might work. If that doesn't work, the next thing I'd try is a polite poster near the microwave asking employees to be respectful of other employees and not cook things with a strong odor. A policy seems a little overkill for me.
Go have a conversation with the person. Problem solved!