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meeowy · Nov 24th, 2007, 01:41 AM

My poor mom has encountered the most ridiculous discrimination at work. She and a few of her coworkers (all being Asian heritage) were banned from using the microwave or heating up their food because other people claim their food smell. It is just so preposterous. It just breaks my heart because I feel like she is being bullied for being a minority.

Help??

PinkSuadeSoho · Nov 24th, 2007, 01:45 AM

Who banned them? I would head straight to HR. That is not acceptable at all.

meeowy · Nov 24th, 2007, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by PinkSuadeSoho

Who banned them? I would head straight to HR. That is not acceptable at all.

It is a small company, and the big boss banned them. I don't even think they have a HR!

PinkSuadeSoho · Nov 24th, 2007, 01:50 AM

Still not acceptable. It she wants to look for work elsewhere, I would get some legal advice. There isn't much she can do, if it's the boss. That is the strangest thing I've heard. Did he just now decide he didn't like the smell. May I ask what type of business?

samoXenina · Nov 24th, 2007, 01:52 AM

thats how it is at my sisters school...they aren't allowed to heat our food(bosnian) in the microwave...and its a public school

i_wona · Nov 24th, 2007, 01:53 AM

^ ITA - it is absolutely not acceptable to say "Your Asian food smells, so you cannot use the microwave." It would be a different story if they said "You leave a mess in the microwave so you are no longer allowed to use it" or something to that effect.

...and seriously, where does she work? It's not like Asian food is uncommon these days. My mum told me that when she first moved to Australia, the people in her dorms said that garlic smelled like burned rubber LOL - now it's one of the most common ingredients around!

PinkSuade is right; she needs to find out if this is a company-wide ban, or just some oversensitive idiot making up their own rules. Either way, it's not acceptable. I know that office lunches can be a real pain, especially if someone cooks something you can't stand and it wafts through the whole building, but I'm sure your mum dislikes certain things about other people (and I'm not referring to cultural differences in particular here - someone might have a very loud voice, or talk on the phone all the time etc), she's just polite enough to put up with it.

i_wona · Nov 24th, 2007, 01:56 AM

Sorry! the other girls posted while I was posting!

Yeah, if it's the big boss, there may not be much she can do, but it's absolutely ridiculous. It's just so arbitrary - like banning people from wearing a blue tie, or not hiring women because they may fall pregnant, or firing people if they get married... it's medieval!

PinkSuadeSoho · Nov 24th, 2007, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by i_wona

Sorry! the other girls posted while I was posting!

Yeah, if it's the big boss, there may not be much she can do, but it's absolutely ridiculous. It's just so arbitrary - like banning people from wearing a blue tie, or not hiring women because they may fall pregnant, or firing people if they get married... it's medieval!

I still can't believe people are this intolerant. Quite disgusting. What a small-minded person.

meeowy · Nov 24th, 2007, 02:01 AM

Some non-Asians complained to the big boss that the smells were bothersome, so big boss banned all the Asians from using the microwave. The irony is the big boss is Asian herself. The company is in LA, you would think they are more tolerant. I just can't get over how ridiculous this sounds!

PinkSuadeSoho · Nov 24th, 2007, 02:05 AM

Wow, even stranger twist. So, they can't cook anything in the microwave at all? She is siding with the complainers? What next....

meeowy · Nov 24th, 2007, 02:14 AM

No one bullies my mom and gets away with it! I want to consult with a lawyer, but the whole case sounds so ridiculously trivial. I don't even know if any lawyer is willing to take the case. What do you think?

SPOILEDkiwi · Nov 24th, 2007, 02:19 AM

I think maybe your mom should go to her boss and explain to her that it's discrimination and illegal to ban all Asians from the microwave. Perhaps to keep everyone happy the boss can ban smelly foods from the microwave instead. I know lawyers will write a letter to a company stating that what they are doing is illegal, and say that you will take legal action if it is not resolved. This would probably be enough to change the stupid rule, and the fee would be way less than filing charges.

JAN! · Nov 24th, 2007, 02:21 AM

That is ridiculous. I'd understand if the types of food that your mom and friends' put into the microwave caused allergic reactions or something of the reasonable sort, but wtf. I say tell your mom to coat their desks/work spaces with squid sauce.

Zophie · Nov 24th, 2007, 02:24 AM

If my dad got in trouble for heating stinky food he'd never eat, and he's not Asian. I don't see how one person's opinion of what food "smells" can be cause for certain people to be banned from a microwave.

guccimamma · Nov 24th, 2007, 03:06 AM

i can understand the microwave thing, not simply for asian food...but for anything "smelly" that can permeate an office.

i had a coworker who loved fettucine alfredo lean cuisine...it smelled like barf when heated, the whole office would smell like barf. clients would notice when walking in...we all had to be mindful of our microwaving after that.

Nov 24th, 2007, 01:41 AM	#1
meeowy OP Member Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,024	The most ridiculous sort of discrimination My poor mom has encountered the most ridiculous discrimination at work. She and a few of her coworkers (all being Asian heritage) were banned from using the microwave or heating up their food because other people claim their food smell. It is just so preposterous. It just breaks my heart because I feel like she is being bullied for being a minority. Help??
meeowy OP Member Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,024

Nov 24th, 2007, 01:45 AM	#2
PinkSuadeSoho I can't wait, Can U? Joined: Jul 2006 Location: British Properties,Beautiful By Nature! Spectacular by SIGHT! :) Posts: 5,154	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination Who banned them? I would head straight to HR. That is not acceptable at all.
	__________________ Chanel is an institution, and you have to treat an institution like a whore – and then you get something out of her. -Karl Lagerfeld Follow Karl Lagerfeld on twitter http://twitter.com/Karl_Lagerfeld

Nov 24th, 2007, 01:50 AM	#4
PinkSuadeSoho I can't wait, Can U? Joined: Jul 2006 Location: British Properties,Beautiful By Nature! Spectacular by SIGHT! :) Posts: 5,154	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination Still not acceptable. It she wants to look for work elsewhere, I would get some legal advice. There isn't much she can do, if it's the boss. That is the strangest thing I've heard. Did he just now decide he didn't like the smell. May I ask what type of business?
	__________________ Chanel is an institution, and you have to treat an institution like a whore – and then you get something out of her. -Karl Lagerfeld Follow Karl Lagerfeld on twitter http://twitter.com/Karl_Lagerfeld

Nov 24th, 2007, 01:52 AM	#5
samoXenina New Addiction Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Missouri Posts: 857	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination thats how it is at my sisters school...they aren't allowed to heat our food(bosnian) in the microwave...and its a public school
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Nov 24th, 2007, 01:53 AM	#6
i_wona like two plums Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 6,793	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination ^ ITA - it is absolutely not acceptable to say "Your *Asian* food smells, so you cannot use the microwave." It would be a different story if they said "You leave a mess in the microwave so you are no longer allowed to use it" or something to that effect. ...and seriously, where does she work? It's not like Asian food is uncommon these days. My mum told me that when she first moved to Australia, the people in her dorms said that garlic smelled like burned rubber LOL - now it's one of the most common ingredients around! PinkSuade is right; she needs to find out if this is a company-wide ban, or just some oversensitive idiot making up their own rules. Either way, it's not acceptable. I know that office lunches can be a real pain, especially if someone cooks something you can't stand and it wafts through the whole building, but I'm sure your mum dislikes certain things about other people (and I'm not referring to cultural differences in particular here - someone might have a very loud voice, or talk on the phone all the time etc), she's just polite enough to put up with it.

Nov 24th, 2007, 01:56 AM	#7
i_wona like two plums Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 6,793	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination Sorry! the other girls posted while I was posting! Yeah, if it's the big boss, there may not be much she can do, but it's absolutely ridiculous. It's just so arbitrary - like banning people from wearing a blue tie, or not hiring women because they may fall pregnant, or firing people if they get married... it's medieval!

Nov 24th, 2007, 02:01 AM	#9
meeowy OP Member Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,024	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination Some non-Asians complained to the big boss that the smells were bothersome, so big boss banned all the Asians from using the microwave. The irony is the big boss is Asian herself. The company is in LA, you would think they are more tolerant. I just can't get over how ridiculous this sounds!
meeowy OP Member Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,024	Last edited by meeowy; Nov 24th, 2007 at 02:04 AM.

Nov 24th, 2007, 02:05 AM	#10
PinkSuadeSoho I can't wait, Can U? Joined: Jul 2006 Location: British Properties,Beautiful By Nature! Spectacular by SIGHT! :) Posts: 5,154	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination Wow, even stranger twist. So, they can't cook anything in the microwave at all? She is siding with the complainers? What next....
	__________________ Chanel is an institution, and you have to treat an institution like a whore – and then you get something out of her. -Karl Lagerfeld Follow Karl Lagerfeld on twitter http://twitter.com/Karl_Lagerfeld

Nov 24th, 2007, 02:14 AM	#11
meeowy OP Member Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,024	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination No one bullies my mom and gets away with it! I want to consult with a lawyer, but the whole case sounds so ridiculously trivial. I don't even know if any lawyer is willing to take the case. What do you think?
meeowy OP Member Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,024

Nov 24th, 2007, 02:19 AM	#12
SPOILEDkiwi not a kiwi! Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 2,285	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination I think maybe your mom should go to her boss and explain to her that it's discrimination and illegal to ban all Asians from the microwave. Perhaps to keep everyone happy the boss can ban smelly foods from the microwave instead. I know lawyers will write a letter to a company stating that what they are doing is illegal, and say that you will take legal action if it is not resolved. This would probably be enough to change the stupid rule, and the fee would be way less than filing charges.
SPOILEDkiwi not a kiwi! Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 2,285	__________________ “It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure.” --Coco Chanel Last edited by SPOILEDkiwi; Nov 24th, 2007 at 02:21 AM.

Nov 24th, 2007, 02:21 AM	#13
JAN! <3 Joined: Jul 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,196	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination That is ridiculous. I'd understand if the types of food that your mom and friends' put into the microwave caused allergic reactions or something of the reasonable sort, but wtf. I say tell your mom to coat their desks/work spaces with squid sauce.
JAN! <3 Joined: Jul 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,196	__________________ If you don't like how I drive, get off the sidewalk.

Nov 24th, 2007, 02:24 AM	#14
Zophie I <3 my Maltese! Joined: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 8,490	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination If my dad got in trouble for heating stinky food he'd never eat, and he's not Asian. I don't see how one person's opinion of what food "smells" can be cause for certain people to be banned from a microwave.
	__________________

Nov 24th, 2007, 03:06 AM	#15
guccimamma guccimamma Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Wooo Hooo! Posts: 4,228	Re: The most ridiculous sort of discrimination i can understand the microwave thing, not simply for asian food...but for anything "smelly" that can permeate an office. i had a coworker who loved fettucine alfredo lean cuisine...it smelled like barf when heated, the whole office would smell like barf. clients would notice when walking in...we all had to be mindful of our microwaving after that.

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