How do I deal with my co-worker’s hard-to-swallow lunch habits?

This piece was first published on October 2, 2012.

Dear Aunty B,

My co-worker just sat down and ate an entire roast chicken he bought from the supermarket at lunchtime. This is bad on a few fronts.

Firstly, it’s made everyone else in the office crave roast chicken.

However, watching and listening to him undertake this feat has probably put me off roast chooks for the rest of the year.

Having a sandwich at your desk I can understand. Even eating last night’s pasta is OK. But grossing out the whole office with an entire member of the poultry family? Please Aunty B, it’s too much!

Give him the bird,

Sydney

Dear Give him the bird,

I’m not sure whether to be disgusted or impressed. An entire chicken is just … well, I don’t know what to say.

However, as much as I might secretly admire the eating of an entire chook, I you must do something about the location of his gluttony.

Yes, we all had a laugh at the BHP policy that came out a few months ago banning people from eating certain foods at their desks (hot soup bad, cold soup good). But the basic idea wasn’t silly – if you want to eat hot food, you do it in the lunch room.

Maybe come up with a simple rule: If it’s hot or fragrant (in a good way or a bad way – remember, not everyone loves the smell of curry) then you don’t eat it at your desk.

Simple and effective – and it won’t leave the office smelling like a tuckshop.

Be smart,

Your Aunty B

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