While Aotearoa is a marine-loving nation surrounded by sea, the report revealed nearly half of respondents chose not to bring fish to work to avoid judgment from colleagues.<\/p>\n
Two-thirds (67%) of respondents said fish was judged harsher than other workplace meals \u2013 most acutely seen in Wellington, where 43% of those surveyed considered it \u201cunacceptable\u201d for colleagues to reheat fishy leftovers.<\/p>\n
A new Sealord report reveals a stark divide in attitudes to fish in New Zealand workplaces. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
While 55% believed the judgment lay around the smell, 33% also thought fish didn\u2019t reheat well and 17% felt embarrassed.<\/p>\n
One in 10 respondents said their workplaces had implemented official or unofficial policies that barred employees from consuming fish.<\/p>\n
The survey says fish-based leftovers proved to be 3.6 times more contentious than fast food, and 58% of respondents ranked it highest among the most socially risky meals to eat at work \u2013 compared with the 16% who felt the same about fast food.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think it\u2019s time to ask whether the workplace has gone too far,\u201c Sealord\u2019s general manager of marketing Melissa Butler said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody is putting up signs telling people not to bring in boiled eggs or last night\u2019s boiled mutton, but fish seems to have become the lunch everyone thinks they can police.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tinned fish managed to dodge the worst of the flak, but respondents were still divided over when and where it is acceptable to crack one open, with 21% finding it unacceptable if a colleague did so while nearby or at their desk.<\/p>\n
And while most respondents (55%) said they\u2019d be comfortable with the act, the tolerance dropped significantly for reheated fish, which they found most likely to draw side eyes and stares from fellow workers.<\/p>\n
Perhaps less surprisingly, 40% of people surveyed who didn\u2019t eat fish at all found it a no-go meal for the office \u2013 double the national average.<\/p>\n
In response to the report, Sealord said it was launching a new anonymous reporting scheme for Kiwis to flag examples of \u201cfish discrimination in their workplace\u201d, with prizes on the line to encourage participation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want Kiwis to be proud to love fish,\u201d Butler said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo enjoy every deliciously salty, savoury and gloriously succulent bite without worrying about whose nose they\u2019ve offended.\u201d<\/p>\n