Colleague making me feel physically sick?

[BurnMeDown]

Every morning colleague gets a big cooked breakfast to eat at her desk (next to me) and as soon as she sits down she turns the desk fan on.

So literally the smell of the breakfast is being blasted into my face. It makes me gag.

I darent say anything as she’s so ridiculously sensitive.

Am I acting like a princess?

No you're not being a princess. That wouldn't make me gag but would irritate me, it's just unpleasant and inconsiderate. It's far more pungent than porridge/ cereal/ toast.

Does she buy it at a work canteen or something? She really needs to eat it there, not at her desk.

A big cooked breakfast at her desk?! How unprofessional!!

Of course you’re not being a princess!

Desks are for working, canteens and office kitchens are for eating meals.

Can you bring it up with a line manager? There are usually loosely enforced office rules on eating and drinking around computers, phones and paperwork.

I have sympathy- I was in the middle of the pre-12 week morning sickness phase when a colleague inexplicably decided that 3pm EVERY afternoon was a great time to heat up a cheese and onion quiche and eat it at his desk. I eventually just lost it and asked him to eat in the kitchen as the smell was so overpowering- thankfully he took it really well, but when he walked back to the kitchen the rest of our team did a little cheer!

Eyes were raised when someone brought a sausage and 2 hash browns to their desk.

A full cooked breakfast? Fuck that

We have a 'no cooked food at your desk' policy - for this very reason. That would make me boak too.

Do you have a staff room or kitchen?

It’s fairly common in our office to eat food at your desk unfortunately.

It’s just the smell of greasy egg and hash browns.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a cooked breakfast but not every day.

Never had a desk job and the things i read about what goes on amazes me!

Surely there's somewhere to sit and eat on site other than at your work desk?

For some reason, and I’m willing to accept this might be irrational, but I find it a bit revolting when people bring cooked meals up from the canteen to eat at their desk. It’s not the same as a salad or sandwich or soup or even some leftovers from home brought in to heat up in the microwave.

x post.

I have no idea what to advise!

Why don't you just tell her?! You have the right to be sensitive just as much as she does!

Can you not say something like

“Claire, can you knock the fan off while you’re eating that? It smells quite strong and it’s making me hungry!” tinkly laugh

I hate when people get away with inconsiderate behaviour because they’ve made it known they’re “sensitive”

The smell of the kitchen is bad enough here and I only have to handle that when getting a drink, so the idea of pungent food right beside me is too much. You poor poor thing.

Fuck her being sensitive. Every office has one of those. She's being selfish and inconsiderate then hiding behind some sort of facade where people are too scared to criticise her behaviour and hurt her feelings. Enough! Start being sensitive yourself. Retch loudly into a bin. Hold a tissue over your nose. Get up and tell her to let you know when she's finished eating as unfortunately you can't concentrate while she's polluting your work space. Start crying in the middle of the office and say you just can't take it anymore!

We do have seating downstairs, and a small break out area on our floor.

I think it’s more a case of we work flexi time so as soon as you get to our desk our shift starts ... so I suppose it’s saving time eating at your desk?

I just wish I knew how to say TURN THAT FUCKING FAN OFF BEFORE I HURL IN YOUR FACE!

There usually is some where else to eat but not always and it’s not usually big enough for everyone.
also often people work through lunch and therefore eat at their desk.

Ok. BIWI's right.
Just say ''[colleague] please when you're eating a full meal at your desk right here could you not put the fan on? It blows he smell of the food and makes me a bit queasy''.

“Claire, can you knock the fan off while you’re eating that? It smells quite strong and it’s making me hungry!”

I'd go with “Claire, can you knock the fan off while you’re eating that? It smells quite strong and it’s making me want to puke, which will make the office smell even worse!”

BurnMe, we can all eat a sandwich, crisps etc but just no hot food.

We had people heating up left over curry and reeking tuna pasta and all that kind of nonsense and the office smelt minging, so it was decided that hot food had to be eaten in the staff room or kitchen, so that everyone else didn't have to inhale nasi goreng yup someone had that for breakfast which they may or may not be in the mood for!

Deadline was Saturday 1/9/18. Will you be penalised?

people work through lunch and therefore eat at their desk

I often see people working through lunch while inhaling a sandwich, fair enough.

But how much work can you realistically do when you're using both hands to cut up a cooked breakfast?

Sorry wrong thread

I remember leaving a meeting once and walking out the room and the smell of fish covering the entire floor was absolutely rancid.

Like how can you be that inconsiderate that you’d heat up fish in the microwave on the office floor??!

Have you asked her not to do this?
Have you thought of vomiting into her waste bin?

Can you stay late or arrive early and sabotage the fan?

Have you thought of vomiting into her waste bin?

Vomit into her fan, while it's on. That'll learn her 😆