M’sian employee allegedly warned by HR for affecting team morale by not eating lunch with co-workers

HR gives warning letter to employee for not eating lunch with co-workers

A recent post on social media platform Xiaohongshu related the story of an employee in Malaysia who received a warning letter for not eating lunch with their team members.

According to the anonymous contributor, the letter from the human resources (HR) department cautioned that their actions may affect team morale.

However, the employee was staunchly against this culture, saying that they were hired to work, not play ice-breaker games.

Eating lunch alone seen as a ‘negative action’

In the post, the worker explained that they often eat alone to save money.

They also added that they enjoyed having lunch on their own.

While this was never an issue at their old job, things took a turn when they began working at a new company.

Some time after joining, the employee received a warning letter from HR.

“We have noticed on multiple occasions that you do not eat lunch with your co-workers,” they said, allegedly quoting the letter.

“This is a negative action because it affects team morale.”

Left dumbfounded, the employee added that they did not come to work to participate in social activities.

They then shared the experience online, hoping to gather opinions on whether the response from HR was justified or slightly heavy-handed.

Netizens weigh in

Commenters offered suggestions in support of the aggrieved worker.

A couple of netizens suggested that HR should either pay for the lunches or offer them for free if having meals with co-workers was important.

Another Xiaohongshu user advised the worker to refer to the employee handbook and contract and check if there are clauses stating that eating meals with co-workers is mandatory.

In a separate incident, one Singaporean similarly asked netizens for help after struggling to eat with co-workers because of financial reasons.

The employee was met with mixed responses when they shared their story online, with some saying that it is a worthwhile investment to foster workplace relationships.

Also read: CBD office worker worries if it’s ‘antisocial’ to skip pricey team lunches, asks netizens for advice

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