No Curry!

[blahblahblah2014]

AIBU to be a bit at the following message that has today appeared on the wall in the kitchen at work

"No smelly food to be heated in microwave - Take your curry back where it belongs.....................................at HOME"

??

Who is to say what constitutes a smelly food?

I, personally loathe the smell of microwaved porridge first thing in the morning...give me a madras aroma any day but not porridge, especially the syrupy versions.

Try cauliflower, cabbage, tripe.....

I don't think it's racist at all. I love curry to the point of near obsession, but it does stink the house out when I make it so I open all the windows and kitchen doors to get rid of the smell.

When I was newly pregnant I was in hospital with my older child and one of the mothers on the ward heated up curries in the microwave and the whole place STANK. I was retching into the loos all day long - I can still remember the smell years on.

I think the post is just saying smelly food has no place in an office. I don't eat smelly food at work because I know how revolting hot food smells can be if you're not eating it.

Fair enough, surely?

SuburbanRhonda But how is that racist?

If you've ever had to equality impact assess anything at work, you'd realise that this is more likely to adversely affect Asian/South east Asian members of staff. That's not the same thing as saying that all Asian and south East Asian people eat curry all the time, nor that no white staff eat curry. It's just that it is likely to disproportionately affect one group of staff (with a protected characteristic) than others. Although the sign in your office probably intended to be light-hearted, it's very ill advised in this day & age.

DustBunnny agree re equality impact assessments. The notice has that potential or at least the potential to be taken the wrong way. We get compulsory equality impact training. I suspect it's a bit OTT as employer is erring on being on the safe side but until one is made to think about it, it's surprising how much one doesn't think.

The notice could have been better framed.

Finance - i think i'd complain to HR (in fact i work in HR) too if that was me. You'd have to ban all hot food, rather than saying 'smelly'. What's smelly to some is not to others. This is why companies ban eating any food at your desk. Otherwise it would be an HR nightmare.

"Please be considerate and avoid strong smelling foods"

The more I think about it that notice is ill judged. Fish is far more unpleasant (personally curry not unpleasant at all) and the combination of singling out curry and back where it belongs at home is unfortunate.

My God......some on MN would see 'racist' in a street sign!

The sign is still there - They've only gone and bloody laminated it!!!!

OP - are you the curry eater they are trying to stop?!

I once got in huge trouble for microwaving home made fish chowder at work. To be fair it stunk out the entire office.

Agree with those who said that curry should be replaced with strongly smelling food and then the sign would be fine.

It is horrid to be near stinky food. We have someone at work on a high protein type diet who eats broccoli & roast chicken at 9.30 am, for some reason they smell horrid at that time of the morning.

OP

I suggest Kippers. They aren't curry.

I've just thrown out a microwave as I had a little curry accident in it!

Heated up leftover curry and for some reason it exploded all over it.

I tried steam cleaning the thing but it got right in the holes and sort of glued it self like concrete onto the interior.

I will never microwave a curry again

OP it's only right you go and smear curry sauce all over the sign or arrange a curry night

Agree the "taking it to your home country part is a bit dodgy

A nice laminated sign about cleaning the microwave after each use with some thoughtfully-provided & easy-to-reach bicarbonate of soda, a cloth & a pair of rubber gloves would have been better...

I don't think the sign is intended to be racist

But...

It would be hilarious to me at least to loudly discuss complaining to hr because it is racist... It might draw the complainer out to defend themselves and then you could slap them with a naan bread discuss it like adults.

Mmmm ... Friday is takeaway night here.

Which sort of curry shall I have tonight?

Oooh Alpaca has the best idea, you should definitely do that!

The sign has today been replaced with another sign saying "Please be considerate to others when using the microwave, please avoid cooking strong smelling foods, thank you"

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh haha ;)

It's not laminated though.......

But why? Who decides the foods that are suitable? Either have a micro for the convenience of workers or don't. What if someone brings in a hot curry that doesn't need microwaving? Is that banned.

You work with at least one dafty.

As an aside, a great way to get rid of curry or other strong smells is to microwave a bowl of lemon juice and water for 5 or so minutes.

You should put one up "curry is a religion, not a race" (we religiously have one on a Friday) :)

maybe the signwriter is on MN!

Don't people of all races eat curry?

racist? Only on MN!

There is a guy at work that cooks smoked fish and it fucking stinks! Walking in to work at 6.30 in the morning and the kitchen and hall way smell of curry,fish,garlic makes me gagg!!

Do away with the kitchen and enforce sarnies

Gosh I must have super powers. I honestly don't work in the OP's office.