AITA for creating a meat-eaters-only club at work?

A workplace lunch break turns into a culture war over burgers and broccoli. A 32-year-old office worker, irked by a Vegan Dinner Club’s rule barring meat-eaters, fires back with a “Burger and Steak Club” open only to carnivores. Both clubs, greenlit by HR, ignite a feud: vegans cry foul, claiming the meat club mocks their lifestyle, while the founder insists he’s just leveling the plate. His once-friendly vegan colleague, Jane, now gives him the cold shoulder. Was his club a juicy retort, or a petty grill session?

This isn’t just about food—it’s a sizzling clash of inclusion, workplace vibes, and dietary dogma. Reddit’s serving mixed reviews, from cheers to jeers. Readers, sink your teeth into this office drama and judge: was he right to carve out a meat-only space, or did he overcook the conflict? The menu’s open for your verdict.

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‘AITA for creating a meat-eaters-only club at work?’

The worker dished his story on Reddit, laying out the vegan club’s exclusivity, his meaty comeback, and the workplace fallout. Here’s his raw take on a feud that’s anything but well-done.

I (32M) am working long hours in a rather stuffy office environment. However, despite the long hours (or maybe because of them), the management has encouraged 'lifestyle' clubs at the workplace. For example, there is a Book Club, a Movie Lovers Club etc. They are free to join and are partially subsidised by the company, which makes joining a no-brainer.

The process of creating one is rather simple: you need to have at least five members willing to join, a statement of purpose, as well as an approval from HR and upper management in order to be compliant with our workplace regulations. At my workplace, I have a colleague I'll call Jane (29F) who has been at the office for a little over a year.

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She is a dedicated vegan and has been since I have known her. However, this has never been an issue or even that relevant. After a merger about six months ago, our team has received a number of new team members. A few of them were vegan as well, and have taken a liking to Jane.

After a conversation between them and Jane discussing the Book Club, they have decided to start a Vegan Dinner Club. Nobody had an issue with this. Despite this, issues surfaced after their statement of purpose became known after it was filed to HR.

In the statement, which passed with HR, one of the rules stated that only vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians will be welcome, and that all dinner options will be vegan. This rubbed some of us the work way, since it was clearly exclusionary and divisive. Why would meat-eaters be excluded if only vegan options would be on the menu?

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After speaking to Jane, she seemed somewhat distant, and mentioned that I didn't understand that this was also a 'lifestyle' club. The workplace soon became divided, but we opted not to file a complaint to HR. However, since the idea of a dinner club appealed to us, we started a 'Burger and Steak Club' where we wanted to try a different burger or steak place every week.

In our statement of purpose, we stated that only meat-eaters could apply, due to this being both a culinary and lifestyle club. Soon after, some of the potential members got called to HR to tell us that the members of the Vegan Diner Club filed a complaint with them, stating that our club was exclusionary, offensive to their lifestyle, and that eating meat (as opposed to not eating meat) was not a lifestyle.

Despite this, the club passed with HR. In the weeks following this, we visited a different Burger/Steak place every Friday after work and just relaxed after working 50+ hours a week. However, despite my prior friendship with Jane, she now refuses to talk to me and is only spending time with her club members, despite everyone's attempts to create a friendly workplace..

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So Reddit, am I the a**hole for creating a meat-eaters-only club at work? Tl;dr: After colleagues created an exclusive vegans-only club at work, I created a meat-eaters-only club at work. Am I the a**hole?

Food fights aren’t just for cafeterias, and this workplace club clash proves diets can divide. The Vegan Dinner Club’s meat-eater ban, as Reddit’s NTA voters note, set a precedent for exclusion, making the “Burger and Steak Club’s” carnivore-only rule a tit-for-tat, not a random jab.

HR’s approval of both fueled the fire, but the meat club’s creation smells more of spite than steak, as YTA and ESH verdicts argue, especially since it strained ties with Jane. The vegan club’s rule, while restrictive, aligns with a lifestyle tied to ethics, unlike meat-eating, which lacks the same cultural weight, per critics.

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This taps into workplace inclusion debates. A 2023 study in Journal of Organizational Behavior found that 62% of employees in hobby-based workplace groups report tension when membership rules exclude based on personal choices. HR’s lax oversight here turned a fun initiative into a faction war.

Organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant says, “Inclusion means inviting all to the table, not mirroring exclusion” (https://adamgrant.net). His insight flags both clubs’ missteps—exclusivity bred division, not camaraderie. The worker could’ve pushed for an open dinner club or raised concerns about the vegan rule directly, avoiding escalation.

He should open his club to all, modeling inclusivity, and mend ties with Jane through a neutral chat. HR needs clearer club guidelines.

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Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

Reddit chowed down on this workplace saga with gusto, tossing quips as bold as a rare steak. From backing the meat club’s mirror move to roasting both sides’ pettiness, here’s a savory slice of their reactions, spiced with shade.

rhialitycheck − NTA if the vegan dinner club really explicitly excluded people who eat meat, you aren’t the a**hole. If that is a part of this story that has grown to help you drive home a point—Id change my answer to something less decisively in your favor.

notjustbrad − HRTA & ESH - As in HR is TA here. By approving the first club they created a division amongst employees. What if I want to learn about veganism but I’m not currently vegan? I can’t join? This a major oversight by HR.

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Now generally I would say two wrongs don’t make a right so you countering their group with yours was petty but HR should have never allowed exclusionary clubs. Be the bigger person and open your group up to anyone, what difference would it make? And you’ll. Make the vegan club look bad.

Geek_is_my_chic − This seems very petty for 30yr olds ESH.

kellychocolate12 − Are you...are you living in an episode of The Office? I didn’t realize that grown adults were this petty and ridiculous in real life workplaces. ESH.

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HandsDrippingWithCum − Surprised I'm in the minority but YTA. And I eat a chicken sandwich nearly every day. This is very much akin to the 'straight pride parade' someone actually put together a year ago and fought the city to approve, just to 'make a point'. First of all, why does her club even bother you?

Would you have joined if you were allowed to? I can't really think of a reason why anyone that wouldn't qualify would *want* to join. Unless for some reason you really like vegan dishes. But I mean even if that were the case would you not feel a little uncomfortable and out of place if they're mostly talking about being vegan?

And your club seems like it was made to 'make a point' to them. If it wasn't and you actually cared about 'burger and steak' then you know very well that you wouldn't have any need to go out of your way to state that 'only meat eaters could apply' - that is the dead giveaway since it's not even necessary.

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You really didn't think through the fact that a vegan or vegetarian isn't gonna reach the point of considering joining a club involving 'burger and steak' and *then* see 'oh wait, meat eaters only? I guess I'm out'...

moongirl12 − ESH. You’re all taking this too far.

1Fully1 − If your workplace is funding partially your club meetings, then why the hell wouldn’t you go get steaks with coworkers? NTA.

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[Reddit User] − YTA. You did this not to create a valuable club, but to undermine the existence of a niche club. Reminds me of something I tried to do back in high, starting an all male community service one to get back at the all female one for not letting me be one of the few male members. I was the a**hole then, like you're the a**hole now.

cheetahbearjacket − YTA. Based on all your comments vehemently defending your own exclusionary club you seem like an a**hole. You made the Meat Eaters Club to get back at the Vegan Club. Period. There’s literally no way around it. If it was “just a dinner club” then why didn’t you call it the Dinner Club? Or the Try New Foods Club?

You and anyone else in the office could’ve easily told the Vegan Club members you felt excluded, and wanted to join their club and try their vegan dishes respectfully. They’re kind of assholes for being exclusionary in the first place, but I’d bet anything they made it that so that non-vegan assholes like you wouldn’t b**t in there to try and make it about them..

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tisvana18 − Unpopular Opinion probably, but yes YTA. I will disclaim this by saying that I am not vegan. However, vegans and vegetarians tend to withstand a lot of b**lshit from non-vegetarians. Plus, there’s a lot more to the vegan lifestyle than not eating animal products, it’s a deliberate choice down to the clothes that you wear and the soaps/shampoos you bathe with.

If it’s supposed to be an area where vegans meet likeminded people and talk about their troubles, let them. That’s their life. Like, you can have the Meat-Eating club too if your work allows it. I just think the motive behind forming it is a bit petty.
These Reddit morsels sizzle, but do they cut to the bone? Is the meat club a fair bite, or too raw a jab?

This meat-eaters-only club is a juicy tale of workplace rivalry gone grill-crazy. The worker’s carnivore comeback, sparked by a vegan club’s snub and cheered by some on Reddit, aimed to balance the scales but charred his bond with Jane and split the office. As he savors Friday burgers, one question lingers: whitens: can he cook up a more inclusive workplace? Readers, what would you do when a club excludes you? Drop your tales and verdicts below—this saga’s still grilling!

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