When was the last time you were at work, and someone said, “Hey guys, I think we should call a meeting to talk about all the destructive, unnecessary comments that I hear you make to each other around meals at work”? NEVER, right? Not even the HR department will take that initiative, although there is room to improve mental health in the workplace if they would.
Today’s topic is about so many things that I have encountered and thought about since my very first job after college. Every single place I worked, I always found people’s behaviors and comments about when, how, or what people eat to be bizarre. It became increasingly odd to me as I worked more and more places over the years too.
The accepted behaviors around meals in offices and what is considered “normal” raises red flags for me. In this episode, I’m pointing them out so that we can each try to make sure that we’re not the ones making normal things like eating lunch, unnecessarily stressful for other people. I’m also breaking it into two categories — the things that employers do, and then the things that co-workers do/say to each other.
Some highlights in this episode:
• pitfalls of workplace wellness challenges
• why flu shots don’t belong in offices
• pitfalls of team lunches/dinners
• respecting the privacy and boundaries of others
• subtle, but inappropriate behaviors when eating with co-workers
• being judgemental about food in the workplace
• why I will never bring doughnuts/treats to the office (it has nothing to do with nutrition)
Questions, thoughts or comments?
You can contact me about this episode in two ways. Messages might be played or read on the show but will be kept anonymous.
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The information shared is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as an intent to diagnose, treat, cure, heal or prescribe.