Internet Horrified by Co-Worker’s Unusual Lunch: ‘Power Move’

A worker has shared their shock online after opening the communal refrigerator at work and being greeted with a seriously unusual lunch.

Reddit user u/ChelseyBea shared the now-viral picture on the r/mildlyinteresting subreddit. Explaining that she worked at a surgery center, the picture of the inside of the break room refrigerator featured a plastic bag with a whole crab inside.

With 21,000 upvotes and over 1,000 comments, Redditors were also amazed at the unusual lunch choice.

“The guy eating a hot pocket must feel like a real low life,” joked one Redditor on the post, while another said: “That’s a power move.”

Others were quick to check if the crustacean was definitely lunch: “Are you sure it’s lunch and not a pet?” asked one reply, while another said: “Really shouldn’t assume someone’s lunch… Claude could just be taking a break.”

Not everyone was so impressed by the idea of an entire crab in the office, though.

“Everyone’s going to know if they put it in the microwave,” said one Reddit user.

Cooking fish in the microwave at work is a well-known office faux-pas, and founder and CEO of premier recruitment agency Polo & Tweed Lucy Challenger told Newsweek more about the dos and dont’s of office food etiquette.

“The most important thing is to respect that strong smells in the workplace are a no-go,” she explained. “You may like a really strong-smelling curry or something which has a very strong smell, but your coworkers may not.”

Many people avoid bringing fish, strong spices and boiled vegetables in the office.

“It is particularly important that you respect that not everyone likes strong smells,” added Challenger. “If you are going to bring in a strong-smelling food, maybe find a quiet place or pop outside to eat it.”

Another important consideration is allergies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that food allergies affect an estimated 15 million people in the U.S. and are responsible for more than 30,000 emergency department visits each year.

“Some offices will have policies not to bring in common allergens,” said Challenger. “Like nuts, for example. Leaving something that could cause a reaction unwrapped or unopened could contaminate someone else’s food, and obviously, could even kill. So that’s particularly important.”

As well as avoiding strong smells and potential allergens that could be a danger to co-workers, messy foods are also best avoided.

Despite evidence of the negative health impact, many people will eat at their desk, making tidy lunchtimes even more important. “Eating a Sloppy Joes or something like that that is particularly runny and messy should be avoided,” said Challenger. “You don’t want to end up with that all over your workstation.”

She suggested opting for something easier to eat, like sandwiches or a cup of soup that is unlikely to cause a mess or too many unwanted smells.

Newsweek has reached out to u/ChelseyBea for comment via Reddit.

Have you had a workplace dilemma? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.