Not ten minutes ago I walked down the hall of my office building and scrunched up my face in preparation to utter: blech! Fish. I don't know what kind; I don't want to know. The Emily Post Institute uses two suites of offices on a floor with two other companies. There are two communal kitchens, and someone from one of the other companies heated up a fishy dish for lunch today. And as a consequence, the whole floor got to enjoy the smell.
This is a hot topic for many offices (no pun intended). Food smells, office refrigerators, and communal kitchens can all be a huge source of unnecessary conflict and annoyance. I've done a few interviews on this subject, my favorite being one with the Seattle Times a little while back. Check it out to hear some of the hilarious--and shocking--horror stories that are out there. In the meantime, here are a few quick tips to keep the peace in the office fridge:
1. Don't bring smelly (and this can be a good or bad smell) dishes to the office. Think fish, garlic and popcorn in particular. (Popcorn isn't offensive, but it is pervasive, and people will want some when they smell it popping. Chances are they didn't bring their own bag, making it annoying.)
2. Be responsible for your food: label it clearly (especially salad dressings and peanut butters that hang around for a while) and throw it out when it starts to go bad. Keep a sharpie and some masking tape on the fridge door to help make it easy.
3. Don't hog shelf space, and remember to play nice in the freezer, too! With so many people stocking office freezers with frozen lunches, space can be at a premium. Don't keep more than a week's supply on hand at the max.
4. If it's not yours, DON'T EAT IT!! Duh.
5. When it comes time to clean out, send an e-mail a day or two in advance, letting everyone know to label their food as "keep" before the deadline, or it will be thrown away.
So what's your fridge horror story?
What if it's Lent? Surely etiquette allows for the preparation of fish during Lent.
Posted by: Alessandro | February 22, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Pretty good tips, Anna!
Posted by: Stephen | March 04, 2008 at 04:41 AM
Pretty good tips, Anna!
Posted by: Stephen | March 04, 2008 at 04:41 AM
I remember that; I felt like I was going to pass out. It smelled so bad that I had to step outside for a few minutes. These are some solid tips for avoiding that sort of thing.
I don't know who had the fish, but you can blame Gahlord for the daily popcorn.
Great blog, by the way. I clicked through from your facebook profile.
Posted by: Scott Nellé | March 13, 2008 at 12:15 AM