I Refused to Eat Meat at a Work Lunch, Now HR Is Involved

All you had to do was order a salad or something else w/ out meat, then it wouldn't have turned out so awkward. Geez

I hate when family and friends mention I am a vegan. I do not go by titles at all. If I want to tell ppl my business I will but they always feel the need to speak for me. I lie make up things because you have dumb dumbs thinking like your better than them. Then meat eaters just act so ackwards after they find out you don't consume flesh. Perfect damn example right here. I get it I'm not gonna work for a fast food chain restaurant so I get why the guy did that but just for one person though. I say this because I dealt with this too many times keep your business to yourself

Do what your conscious say, being a vegetarian or vegan shows your compassion towards animals, I really appreciate your gesture as you told honestly that you are a vgan and didn't hide it, I am a strict vegetarian and trying to be a vegan, all the animals have a right to live, from INDIA.

Yes you were. Since you weren't fired consider yourself lucky. Did you not note read up on the on potential client. Not only that I know there were other alternatives but for whatever excuse you chose a very important meeting to show yourself. MAKING YOUR COMPANY LOSE MONEY!

Potato and salsa

You have framed this in your mind as a "I am vegan" issue. What we are trying to tell you is that this is a serious lack of professionalism. If you have a specialized diet, you need to at least let your direct report know. He would not have invited you if he knew. The minute you found out it was a steak house, you should have texted your direct report if you did not have a cell number for the other diners from your company. Then before the waitress came back, you could have an emergency you needed to take care of. You could smile and say at least he knows you will turn down a steak dinner to work his project as well. No customer needed to know your dining preferences, but YOU told them. What's more they want to move part of their business that way. You are obviously someone who does not think before you speak. You embarrassed your boss with this poor choice of person to work this account and now you severely limit your career.

Instead you informed the client, a meat eater in a steakhouse, you were vegan and you would have a juice. You stopped conversation while simultaneously make the customer question this company., manage to put you are a vegan out there in what I promise always sounds snobbish and self important and most important, you lost your seat at the table. You can have any kind of diet you wish, I am a vegetable eater. What you do not get to do is make this about you. This is about helping the customer make the right choices at this turbulent times. There was a salad bar or salads available, and other sides you could order. Who wants you looking at them as they eat. It is not only uncomfortable for them, but also it just changes the whole lunch vibe..

If you want to be a "big dog", then you are going to stop thinking about you and your rights and instead look at it as a business decision on how you handle this in the future. Then I would think of a way to turn this into a positive by looking at vegan companies you could help. That or dust off your resume.

So this steakhouse didn't have a single salad on the menu? No veggie plate nothing vegan? On the whole menu????

This person is the worst and is definitely in the wrong. Can you imagine giving your business to a company whose representative sits at lunch with arms crossed across chest and lip trembling with a cup of juice while everyone else eats?! NO. I did not eat meat for years and I'm from a small town where schools and businesses close for deer hunting. I never mentioned it and when we ordered lunch at office I'd order what followed my beliefs without saying anything. There would be a lot of confusion when people noticed-well what do you eat then? I'd tell them tacos, pizza, same stuff you do and smile it off. I would Never refuse to order when taken out for a paid meal and sit there like a baby. This person deliberately drew attention and caused a scene costing their company a ton of revenue. There is no working to fix this or apologizing, they are 100% in the wrong. You do not challenge a good ol boy in a steakhouse. Whatever their industry is, it's clear the poster is not adult enough to work in it. Where are sense and social skills going?

I call foul (or fowl?). I have worked with vegetarians and vegans for years. Some of their favorite places are steakhouses because of the sides that are otherwise what they regularly eat. They order 3-4 sides, ask that they be brought as a meal on one plate and no one notices the difference.

Yes, you should have ordered a salad and explained you were on a 'diet'

Well that's on this person for advertising their veganism.

Just say you're not hungry. Don't advertise veganism. People are weird about it and it does nothing but create friction.

Lesson learned hopefully

This is for sure made up for sympathy points.

Good grief this almost sounds made up. If this story is true, the client is free to take his business wherever they want. If they want to hire a firm with all carnivores whatevs. I think the core of this issue is the OP blindsiding their employer and placing them at a disadvantage in a business setting. Doubtful the employer gives two rips about OP's lifestyle choices, they just care about losing money. Agree with other posters OP should have handled the sitch differently, like not attending the event, or coming up with a polite way to avoid tension at the meal. Juice cleanse, recovering from a large lunch, ordering a salad or another vegan option, any excuse would have done. But OP decided to openly let it be known they are averse to eating meat products in front of a client whose business is ..meat.

How could a steakhouse not have a salad on the menu??? That's imposdible!! They all do....I know that for a fact..

They asked you answered. You had no idea how the client was going to take it. You are not a mind reader. Do not feel guilty. Your boss wanted you to go on that restaurant so they should have asked you what your food preferences were before you went to the restaurant. You shouldn't have had to tell them.

There may not have been salad on the menu. Give her a break. They obviously don't know much about her in work but if they did her boss could have given her the heads up. Otherwise they could have made some excuse as to why she could not join them. I would not take that guilt on board.

Don’t put your personal preference on food out there … instead order a salad…. Be a vegan but being around one when no one else makes us uncomfortable when it is all put out like that so maybe grow up order a salad and be professional …

Sad part about most of these comments are stating "have a salad". It's not about what they eat, it's about not wanting to be anywhere meat is served. As for the client he did not have enough sense to know that just because one person has different life choices, doesn't mean that the entire company shares the same choices. By pulling away from a potential deal he showed the boss that he would leave over something else further down the line.

Everyone has a dietary preference, not just vegans. I love a good steak, she doesn't. She didn't show much foresight, but you all need to cut her some slack.

Seriously??? Being Vegan is fine, being a martyr is being a pain in the A@$ . You couldn't order a salad? A baked potato? Several vegetable sides, bread? Yes, you are the reason why the client didn't want to go with your company because difficult people are not who they wish to work with. And frankly if you aren't smart enough to be able to order from any menu and adjust to your dietary 'preferences' then you are a difficult person.

You could have ordered a salad or something and kept your mouth shut. The client chose the steakhouse, obviously they like meat. You did not have to draw attention to it or say anything at all. I agree with the comment that said this is why people don't like vegans. There was no reason to say that.

This sounds like bs.

Way to start an important business lunch/meeting by making it all about YOU being vegan. This is why people don't like being around vegans.

All the OP had to do was order a salad, dressing on the side. Instead, she made it all about her having to "just have juice" like the good vegan martyr she is.

Although you could've made different choices, I'd say your company sounds great considering how they handled it. I've put my foot in my mouth many times. Learn from it and move forward. If you haven't already and you feel awkward, tell your boss how you would've handled it if you had a chance to do it again. Make sure yall are one on one, and keep it short. That addresses the elephant in the room and considering he didn't berate you, he'll smile and offer kind words, which could help you feel better. Keep your head up!

🤪 WoW

This isn't about being a vegan or meat eater. This is about knowing anything about a potential client.
You should have researched the potential client before you went to lunch. Had you done your due diligence, you could have broached this issue with your boss and possibly come up with an alternate plan.
Instead, you blindsided and embarrassed your boss in front of a potential client, not by being a vegan but by demonstrated to that potential client that you wouldn't be a good advocate for their business.

I would say, more meat for us, rather than complain about the person whose dietary choice did not include meat.

Find a new job. This place SUCKS!

First, i'm sorry that happened.. Honestly, I fail to see any communication here.From the clients point of view.
1. No communication between the employees or supervisors in a perspective firm? I would also be moving on.
2. It is your responsibility to inform your boss or coworkers of your dietary restrictions. No one reads minds.
If you are invited somewhere and one only wants a drinks? This leaves questions about the food. So the clients would wonder why they were brought there.
I could say you're employer could have asked you questions, but again as an adult I would expect you to speak up before the event.
Hey, just a warning, I am vegan.
Not speaking up leaves questions as to why and can you speak up and handle projects?
3. I have never been anywhere that only serves meat.

That's extremely toxic to force someone to go to a steakhouse and don't offer a salad for the person who is vegan and they have to sit there drinking orange juice and being asked why they didn't order any food, but the group going totally silent is manipulative and if that was me I'd left.