I’ve been vegan for years without issues at work — until now. My coworker Mark eats heavy meat dishes right at his desk, just feet from mine. The smell makes me nauseous, and after weeks of trying to ignore it, I finally asked: “Mark, could you please not eat meat so close to my desk?”
I thought I was being polite. Instead, the next day HR called me in — Mark had reported me for “harassing him” and trying to control his food choices. I explained I wasn’t banning meat, just asking for a little consideration in shared space. HR said they’d “look into it,” but now Mark smirks at me like he won. Honestly, I’m worried this will hurt my reputation more than his.
