My Coworker Thought Tossing My Lunch Was Harmless—But It Backfired Hard

In every workplace, people come together with different habits, cultures, and tastes. What one person finds comforting might seem strange to another. But what happens when curiosity turns to cruelty? One of our readers, Ananya (27, F), shared her workplace story.

Here’s her story in her own words:

I’ve lived away from home since college and started cooking for myself because I missed my family. When I started working, I continued to bring homemade food for lunch. It reminds me of home, my roots, and the care that goes into each meal.

Not all my colleagues were receptive.

At my workplace, we tend to eat together in the pantry. Those of us who brown bag our food keep it in the common refrigerator until lunchtime. I tend to go heavy with spices and aromatics in my food, it’s just how I like it. I’ve worked in this office for the last 8 months, and no one has ever complained about my lunch until a new co-worker (let’s call her Karen) joined the team. One day, as I placed my lunchbox in the office fridge, she walked in, wrinkled her nose, and said loudly, “What a disgusting smell! Is that even food?” Her words hit me harder than I expected. I explained, politely, that it was a homemade dish where garlic was the main ingredient. She just rolled her eyes and walked away.

She decided to take matters into her own hands.

That day, when we ate lunch, she kept complaining about how disgusting my food looked and smelled. She was loud enough for everyone to hear, saying things like, “Who even uses that much garlic in food?” and “I can’t stand this smell.”

It didn’t just stop at lunch that day. This went on almost every day, no matter what I was eating. I could tell everyone was growing tired of her rants, but no one said anything. A few days later, I opened the fridge and my lunch was gone. I found out she had thrown it away because she “couldn’t stand the smell.” I was angry, embarrassed, and hurt. But instead of arguing, I decided to wait.

I decided two could play the game.

The next day, she found her lunch missing. In its place was one of my lunches. She tried to confront me, but I played dumb. She glared around the office, but no one took her side. Her frustration grew until she finally stormed to HR to complain.

Her karma came in the form of an email.

Unfortunately for her, HR already knew what she had done. Apparently, another coworker had reported her earlier after they’d seen her throw away my food. Soon after, she received an official warning email. Since she was still on her probationary period, I know this email may cost her job, but honestly, I don’t feel guilty. I didn’t report her, and I feel like she got what she deserved. Does this make me a bad person?

Thank you for sharing your story, Ananya. Workplace conflict is common but not unfixable. Here’s our advice for you:

• Don’t take matters into your own hands: HR exists for a reason. They’re trained to handle workplace conflicts fairly and confidentially. Reaching out early provides an impartial third-party resolution and can prevent situations from spiraling out of control.

• Support makes a difference: Colleagues who witness bullying or disrespect shouldn’t stay quiet. Calling out bad behavior helps create a safer, kinder workplace.

• Food is part of identity: Mocking someone’s homemade meal isn’t about taste, it’s disrespecting who they are.

Having good coworkers makes work life a little better, but we’re not always lucky! Here are 13 stories about coworkers who took workplace drama to whole new levels.