13 Things You Should Never Do in Your Office Kitchen

At first glance, the modern American office doesn’t appear to be too difficult to navigate. You show up in the morning, do your work, eat something, do some more work, and go home at night. But there are dozens of unspoken rules that we all have to abide by, and if we fail to follow just one of them, people will notice, and it won’t be good.

If you put something in your office fridge, you should plan on eating it within a day or two. After a week, even if you had every intention of eating it, it’s not worth it anymore. Throw it out. You’re not going to suddenly feel motivated to eat that month-old yogurt.

This is basically the number one rule of the office kitchen, yet it’s still broken so often. If your food has any kind of strong odor, you probably shouldn’t eat it in the office. Any you definitely shouldn’t heat it up! Even a tuna sandwich can be noxious enough to nauseate your coworkers. That leftover salmon you just microwaved? Even worse.

Yes, there’s a sink in the office kitchen, but it’s a kitchen sink, not a bathroom sink.

*Unless you’re sharing it with the entire office.

Microwaving last night’s lasagna will probably make some of your coworkers jealous. Heating up last month’s lasagna will probably make some of your coworkers want to murder you.

The office kitchen is a shared space, so use it accordingly. Just like nobody wants to hear you arguing with your kids from your desk, nobody wants to hear it while they’re trying to eat their Lean Cuisine in peace.

Sound tends to travel a lot farther than you think it does. If you want to gossip, do it at the bar after work — or better yet, don’t do it at all.

Why do we even have to say this? If it’s not yours, don’t take it. If there’s an office lunch thief, here are some good ways to deal with them.

It’s just not the right venue.

If your bowl of chili explodes inside the microwave, grab a paper towel and wipe it off. It seems like every office microwave is encrusted with years of goo.

If you want to let dirty dishes fester in your own sink at home, go for it. But your mother doesn’t work with you, so clean up after yourself.

In a perfect world, he who finishes the coffee with replenish the pot.

Trust us, we know that it can be exceedingly difficult to find a spot for a private powwow in an office. But just wait until the conference room is available if you need to have a conversation that you don’t want anyone else to hear. Nobody wants to be treated like a pariah in their own office kitchen.