During pregnancy, heightened sensitivity to smells and severe nausea can make everyday situations challenging. Managing these symptoms can lead to difficult interactions in shared spaces, as pregnant individuals navigate their discomfort while balancing respect for others’ choices. This can sometimes result in conflicts and misunderstandings.
OP, in the first trimester of pregnancy, is dealing with severe nausea and a heightened sense of smell, making it difficult to tolerate strong odors. A coworker regularly eats tuna with tomato puree in the break room, which has a strong smell that exacerbates OP’s nausea, causing them to vomit frequently. One day, after another episode of vomiting, OP asked the coworker to eat something else, leading to the coworker getting upset and leaving the break room. The situation escalated to HR involvement, with others calling OP an AH for trying to dictate what someone else eats. Scroll down to know what happened next.
1. OP asked a coworker not to eat tuna in the break room due to pregnancy nausea. People think OP was wrong for making this request.
2. OP is in the first trimester, constantly nauseous, can only tolerate cold foods, and has a heightened sense of smell due to pregnancy.
3. OP’s coworker loves tuna, especially a strong-smelling Spanish brand. He doesn’t refrigerate it, making the smell overwhelming, especially during summer, which bothers OP.
4. Usually, OP manages the smell, but lately, it’s unbearable. After barfing again, OP asked the coworker to eat something else due to discomfort.
5. The coworker left the breakroom upset. Now, others call OP an AH, saying OP can’t dictate food choices. HR is now involved.
6. OP acknowledges being TA. The break room generally avoids heating fish or eating stinky food, but the coworker ignored this and never got in trouble.
7. OP has no issues with the coworker, admits snapping, and regrets not asking him privately to refrigerate the tuna. OP later apologized for the outburst.
8. OP’s part-time airport job limits break options to the break room inside the security area; there’s literally nowhere else for OP to go.
9. HR dismissed the complaint. OP apologized, but the coworker still seems off. HR noted others complained about the tuna, regardless of OP’s pregnancy.
Reflecting on the situation, OP realized they should have approached the matter more privately and sensitively. OP later apologized to the coworker and explained the situation, but the coworker remained distant. HR dismissed the complaint, noting that other employees had also complained about the tuna smell. OP acknowledges that their sensitivity to smells is not the coworker’s problem but regrets how they handled the situation.
Now that you have read the story, it’s time for you to see what Redditors had to say about the story. Don’t forget to share your own opinion at the end of this article.
10. You should have approached your coworker privately and more sensitively. Your public request was harsh, and you should have considered how it would affect him
11. It’s not unreasonable to expect basic consideration, especially with strong smells in a shared space.
12. The coworker should be more considerate of the general break room rules, regardless of your condition.
13. “You’ve been struggling with nausea and asked nicely before. It’s understandable to snap under those circumstances.
14. Even if you’re struggling, it’s not fair to dictate what someone can eat, especially in front of others.
15. Not everybody can change their lifestyle for you.
16. Given your situation and the general break room policy, asking your coworker to change what he eats in the shared space was fair.
17. OP can go somewhere else as an option.
18. The coworker’s habit seem a little unreasonable.
Despite OP’s understandable discomfort due to pregnancy, the approach to addressing the issue with their coworker was problematic. A more private, considerate request might have avoided conflict. Apologizing and understanding both sides is crucial, especially in shared work environments where everyone’s needs and sensitivities should be respected.
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