vegan in an omni workplace
I've had this question at the back of my mind for some time, but it seems especially relevant after
lizardphunk's post...
I'll keep it short and sweet:
As vegans, have you ever had to take a less-than-vegan job? I'm in a small cafe right now with an occasionally self-righteous omni owner. Thankfully, Boss makes sure to only carry certified organic and fair trade everything, and the menu is local in summer and always equipped with veg and veeg lunch options. I chose the spot because I try my hardest to opt for more environmentally conscious workplaces, but there's something that still bothers me.. My boss is the micro-managing type, and has a habit of trying to regulate the way that we (myself and the other barista) interact with the customers. To appease my vegan side, I prefer to ask "milk, cream, or soy?" when a customer orders a regular coffee, and "is your drink dairy or soy?" (or occasionally, "cow or soy?") when a customer orders a latte, cappuccino, macchiato, whathaveyou.
Reasonable, right? So when my boss demanded that I stop offering soy to customers, I asserted that customers have been appreciative of my attention to detail, and besides, the majority of north americans are lactose-intolerant anyhow, so they're happy to hear that we have it.
His response: "I just don't think soy is that healthy and I don't want to push it."
me - "But I only ever mention that we have it available?"
Him - "Just don't talk about it."
Is it just me, or is this excessive? The community's always been great for thinking up polite and reasonable ways to be vegan in any situation.. Is there a way out of this? Should I just get hunting for a new job that's easier on the ethics?
lizardphunk's post...
I'll keep it short and sweet:
As vegans, have you ever had to take a less-than-vegan job? I'm in a small cafe right now with an occasionally self-righteous omni owner. Thankfully, Boss makes sure to only carry certified organic and fair trade everything, and the menu is local in summer and always equipped with veg and veeg lunch options. I chose the spot because I try my hardest to opt for more environmentally conscious workplaces, but there's something that still bothers me.. My boss is the micro-managing type, and has a habit of trying to regulate the way that we (myself and the other barista) interact with the customers. To appease my vegan side, I prefer to ask "milk, cream, or soy?" when a customer orders a regular coffee, and "is your drink dairy or soy?" (or occasionally, "cow or soy?") when a customer orders a latte, cappuccino, macchiato, whathaveyou.
Reasonable, right? So when my boss demanded that I stop offering soy to customers, I asserted that customers have been appreciative of my attention to detail, and besides, the majority of north americans are lactose-intolerant anyhow, so they're happy to hear that we have it.
His response: "I just don't think soy is that healthy and I don't want to push it."
me - "But I only ever mention that we have it available?"
Him - "Just don't talk about it."
Is it just me, or is this excessive? The community's always been great for thinking up polite and reasonable ways to be vegan in any situation.. Is there a way out of this? Should I just get hunting for a new job that's easier on the ethics?