Colleague eating egg mayo sandwiches - to say something?

[DontGiveUp90]

As above really…my colleague is lovely but insists on eating the most foul smelling egg sandwiches for her lunch. It lingers all afternoon and makes me feel sick.

Would I be unreasonable to say something? We don’t have a break out area where she could eat them as only a small office.

Open the windows and spray some room scent spray or febreeze. You cannot police what she eats

It's true that you can't police what she eats, but I don't see a problem with asking politely. I'd be happy to change my sandwich choice if I knew I was making my colleague feel nauseous all afternoon - but obviously I wouldn't if I didn't know.

Open a window or something.

I agree you can't police what she eats and unfortunately egg mayo is such a common sandwich filling, you'll see it as a meal deal in all the supermarkets. It's not like she's microwaving fish or something.

Yes you should ask, not unreasonable to eat somewhere else. Or something less foul smelling.

Gosh I'd be vomming.😳 I know everyone's going to jump on this statement but that sounds revolting.

Oh I don't think i would be brave enough, but feel your pain. It's called smelly egg sandwich for a reason.

You have my sympathy. I used to share a small office with a woman who would eat a scotch egg every day then go out for a cigarette, leaving just me in the room with the foul smell. I would die of embarrassment every time someone else came in to the office in case they thought the smell had come from me. I don't know what the answer is though, you can't tell her what she can or can't eat!

I remember when a colleague of mine decided to microwave haddock in the office kitchen every lunchtime. One of the team was pregnant and would turn visibly green. We did have to have a word in the end.

Just to clarify, it isn’t a shop brought sandwich, but ones she makes at home and they are full to the brim 😷

For some reason shop bought egg sarnies don’t smell like home made ones.

I think you have to get on with it honestly. I'm fine with egg mayo but I find it really uncomfortable when the person next to me turns their desk into a standing desk and I feel loomed over or someone sprays perfume in the toilets. It's just part and parcel of having to share a workspace.

Our office kitchen has a passive-aggressive sign up about not microwaving fish.

I think this is quite amusing. I love an egg sandwich. Never occurred to me that my colleagues would have an issue with it 😂

My eldest only eats tuna in sandwiches so I’m always sending her places with smelly fish sarnies. Sorry everyone!

Just say loudly ‘this office always smells like farts’ 💨

YANBU but you'll probably just have to accept it. I personally can't stomach the sight or smell of egg mayo sandwiches after an unfortunate incident about 40 years ago involving a classmate, an egg mayo butty, and an overheated coach on a school trip 🤢🤮. They're the devil's work.

YABU

I hate the smell of curried foods but I wouldn't dream of telling my colleagues they shouldn't eat them.

The smell from the staff room microwave can actually turn my stomach some days, but I still wouldn't dictate what they can/can't eat.

Yet she's brave enough to stink the whole office out

Someone once complained about my sardine sandwiches. It had never occurred to me they might be a problem, but once I knew I never took them to work again.

Fart Sandwiches again for lunch Mary?

This is a radical idea but.... just say to her "do you mind not eating those sandwiches in the office please, they stink the place out".

Not hard.

I don't know, depends how bad it smells. It's hard to know if they actually reek or if you're just sensitive. Every food smells to an extent. When I was pregnant I'd nearly be sick every time I smelt one of my colleague's coconut scented body spray.

It's probably because they are still cold. Smells develop more when it's warm.

OP you could ask colleague to keep them in the fridge if you have one.

I love an egg sandwich and fish but always announced it because some don't like the smell. To much hoots and hollering, I worked with men so much jollity was had at my lunches expense!

YABU. I also would hate the smell but it’s absolutely not my place to dictate what other people choose to eat for their lunch.

I have genuinely never thought the smell of an egg sandwich is that bad! I used to have a colleague who couldn't stand the smell of bananas and eggs, and would insist no-one could eat them within about 20m of her, but had bloody microwaved mackerel often for her lunch and used to stink the whole floor out.

You could ask nicely but tbh if that's your colleagues favourite sandwich filling it's a bit mean!