We have a repeat offender in the office who puts things in the microwave and forgets about them.
By @milosorta · Work
It happens at least twice a week. Today it was some kind of fish, and the entire floor smells horrendous. Management won't do anything besides send a 'gentle reminder' email.
The full story
I work in a relatively standard, open-plan office. For the past three months, someone has been nuking their lunch, getting distracted by a call or a coworker, and then completely abandoning it. The microwave will beep for an eternity, and then the smell just permeates everything. Most of the time it's just annoying—overcooked soup, or something with way too much garlic. But today, it was fish. It smelled like a processing plant threw up in our kitchen. The smell has clung to the air all afternoon, and people are genuinely getting headaches. The worst part is the corporate response. Our office manager just sends these toothless, passive-aggressive emails to the all-staff list titled 'Kitchen Etiquette Reminder.' It changes nothing. A few of us have a theory on who it is, but we have no proof. I'm at the point where I'm considering unplugging the microwave and hiding the cord. Is that taking it too far?
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 34% (54 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 41% (66 votes)
- You’re Fine — 25% (40 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 41% — 160 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@reeseyk — Unplugging it feels a little dramatic when you could just throw out the food as soon as the microwave beeps.
@nick — It's clearly weaponized incompetence; they know someone else will eventually deal with the noise and the smell.
@willakindof — We had a person do this at my last job. They microwaved a burrito for 15 minutes and the fire department actually had to come.
@ashlately — Not cooked at all! You would be performing a public service because your management is completely useless.
@elijahbye — I'd find out who it is and put the burnt fish remains in their desk drawer. Let them deal with the smell privately.
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