Dear Queenie,
Every Monday at exactly 12:15 p.m., my coworker reheats fish in the office microwave. Not grilled fish. Not lightly seasoned fish. I'm talking about fish that announces itself before the microwave timer has even reached 30 seconds. Within minutes, the entire office smells like we've relocated to the fish market. People start closing their office doors. Someone always sprays air freshener. One colleague schedules "walking meetings" around lunchtime on Mondays. The strange thing is, nobody says anything. Instead, everyone complains behind his back. He seems completely unaware that his lunch has become a weekly office event. Part of me feels sorry for him because fish is a healthy lunch, and he has every right to eat what he likes. The other part of me wonders if there should be some unwritten rule about foods that take over an entire building. Queenie, is it rude to ask someone not to microwave fish at work, or is the rest of us just supposed to suffer in silence? —Holding My Nose
Dear Holding My Nose,
Ah yes... The Great Office Fish Debate. It ranks somewhere between thermostat wars and people who leave three drops of coffee in the pot so they don't have to make a fresh one. Let's begin with an uncomfortable truth. Your coworker has every right to eat fish. The office microwave is for everyone's lunch, not just lunches with pleasant aromas. But... Just because you can microwave something doesn't always mean you should. Shared spaces require shared consideration. Strong-smelling foods, fish, certain curries, boiled cabbage, and a few cheeses that seem determined to introduce themselves to everyone—have a way of lingering long after lunch is over. The key word here is lingering. If an entire floor knows it's Monday because they can smell your lunch before they see you, your meal has become a calendar reminder. That said, I find it fascinating that an entire office has chosen passive-aggression over a polite conversation. People are spraying air freshener. Planning meetings elsewhere. Complaining in whispers. Yet no one has simply said, "Would you mind reheating that in the kitchen downstairs?" or "The smell tends to linger for quite a while." Most people would rather endure six months of fish than risk thirty seconds of awkwardness. If you're the one who decides to speak, do it kindly and privately. Make it about the shared space, not his cooking. And if no one is willing to have that conversation? Well... perhaps it's time for the office to invest in a microwave designated for adventurous lunches. After all, workplaces are built on compromise. Some people bring spreadsheets. Some bring laughter. And every Monday... Someone brings the sea. —Queenie
