A Malaysian employee recently received the shock of their lives when they were allegedly handed a warning letter for not joining their colleagues for lunch.
Taking to the 莲摸鱼都加薪 XiaoHongShu (XHS) page, the employee anonymously shared how they would bring lunch to work in an effort to save money, and that this has never been an issue at the previous company they worked with.
This image is for illustration purposes only.
The XHS user wrote, “I am a person who often brings my own lunch to work. So, in my previous workplace, I can say that I basically never went out for lunch. This way, I can save money and be free.”
However, this apparently became an issue at the XHS user’s new company, as it apparently negatively impacts the team’s morale. This ultimately led to the individual receiving a warning letter over it.
“I was completely dumbfounded”
This image is for illustration purposes only.
“When I joined the new company, this habit was immediately seen as something negative. My HR sent me a warning letter saying, ‘We have already notified you several times, but you didn’t join your colleagues for lunch. This is a negative action because it affects the team’s emotions‘,”
“I was completely dumbfounded. Do they know what they’re talking about? Not having lunch with colleagues will affect the team’s relationship? Be kind, everyone. I am here to work, not to participate in activities or play ice-breaking games,” they added.
What others had to say about this
Netizens offered the employee some humorous suggestions on how to respond to the company’s HR department over the warning letter, including asking the HR department for lunch money or free lunches in order for everyone to participate equally.
Others recommended that the employee refer to their employee handbook and contract, and to ask the HR department to point out where it states that eating lunch with colleagues is mandatory.
What would you have done if you were in the employee’s shoes? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
