Handling People Who Take Your Stuff at Work

[pr1nc355]

At work, each employee has a designated drawer in the kitchen in which to keep their personal stuff, such as snacks, etc. I keep snacks, paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, and cups in mine. I've been noticing that my supply has significantly dwindled lately. I bought a huge 100-plate pack a month ago (which I expected to last at least 3-4 months, since I use only one at a time and often go out for lunch), and I noticed that I'm down to 3 now! Once, I saw my boss go into my drawer to take some plates and another time, someone came in to ask if anyone had plates, and she pointed to my drawer and said, "Down there" (of course, the guy took about 10 of them). I never said anything, worried about looking petty. But even after those situations and my own use, a lot more have disappeared. I suspect that people have found out about my supply, and maybe thinking it was company property and free for anyone to use, have helped themselves to it. I notice the same has happened to my forks, but they're not disappearing as quickly as the plates. I'm considering writing a note and leaving it in my drawer, but would that be petty?

[redney]

If I were you I'd forgo the note and just keep my paper products in/at/around my desk area.

Writing a note may be useless because it'll likely just be ignored.

[Pursegrrl]

Are the drawers marked with names? Since yours is so well stocked it might look like a common use drawer instead of your own personal one.

[print*model]

I think people are just plain rude. Do you have a drawer at your desk that you can keep your things in? That's what I would do.

[chantal1922]

^^ I agree. Just keep the plates at your desk. I think you co workers think the plates are for everyone. I am sure if they knew they were your plates they would ask.

[Aslan]

Originally Posted by redney

If I were you I'd forgo the note and just keep my paper products in/at/around my desk area. Writing a note may be useless because it'll likely just be ignored.

I agree. I keep utensils and stuff locked in one of my desk drawers. We have a pantry at work as well. Most people label their stuff, but still, every once in a while someone accuses others of taking their stuff.

[juneping]

i won't be bother leaving a note. just put it at your desk area.
someone at work put her name down on the bottle of her tea...it was taken...so...
gosh...it's just so annoying when ppl do that.

[Cheetah7]

Agree with others. Put it in your desk, preferably with a lock on it. I doubt writing a note will help your situation because they will probably just ignore it. Gosh, people can be so rude!

[Cornflower Blue]

Originally Posted by pr1nc355

At work, each employee has a designated drawer in the kitchen in which to keep their personal stuff, such as snacks, etc. I keep snacks, paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, and cups in mine. I've been noticing that my supply has significantly dwindled lately. I bought a huge 100-plate pack a month ago (which I expected to last at least 3-4 months, since I use only one at a time and often go out for lunch), and I noticed that I'm down to 3 now! Once, I saw my boss go into my drawer to take some plates and another time, someone came in to ask if anyone had plates, and she pointed to my drawer and said, "Down there" (of course, the guy took about 10 of them). I never said anything, worried about looking petty. But even after those situations and my own use, a lot more have disappeared. I suspect that people have found out about my supply, and maybe thinking it was company property and free for anyone to use, have helped themselves to it. I notice the same has happened to my forks, but they're not disappearing as quickly as the plates. I'm considering writing a note and leaving it in my drawer, but would that be petty?

Just imagine work as being an extended flat/shared house that you used to have at college. It's a mistake to believe that people grow up and become mature (some do but lots don't I've found, in the workplace anyway!) Nobody will give a damn on the whole whether it belongs to you or not, they want/need it they'll take it, in my experience anyway.
If possible, lock it up.
Never quite found the solution for milk though.....

[ilovepinkhearts]

grrr!!

and yeah agree with the others, as annoying as it may be that you have to make room at your work area for your lunch stuff...seems that people have no common sense. i bet they wouldn't be too happy if people were taking their stuff...

how big is your office? lots of employees? if not maybe you could talk with them and switch off on who buys some plates/silver wear and what nots, so that way it's community property and then it can all be shared. and not just one person is stuck having to supply them for everyone.

[Louiebabeee]

Id put your things at your desk if its a large office. If its only a few workers than you could try putting your name on your stuff....this happeneds at my one job. Im still in school, but also have two jobs and one is in an office setting. there are only two other women in my office. they are both in their late 30's and i am 20. we have a fridge we share and i bring lunch, a yogurt and 3 waters. for two weeks every one of my waters left the fridge and went onto the one ladys desk. ...and then my yogurt....and she KNOWS they are mine. but she thinks she can help herself. I felt petty but I now write my name on my waters and yogurt.....it works.

[PrettyInPink]

I'd keep the items at your desk too. It sucks that you have to do that, but sometimes RUDE people ruin things for others. I can't stand when people take things that don't belong to them!

[HandbagLuvr]

Yup I agree with those who say keep it at your desk. Everyone at my last job kept their plates, utensils, snacks, etc at their desks. We actually did have a lunch stealer though. It was a pretty large corporate office with several breakrooms. It was always the same MO, usually between 10 and 11 but happened at a different breakroom each time (we started asking people in other areas as we did not think someone in our area did it). Turns out it was a young woman (who worked one floor up in another dept) and this was her first job out of college. She said she did not have enough money for lunch everyday because her mother lost her job and she was paying the bills. While I felt bad for her situation she totally could have brought her own lunch and the cost would not have been much. PBandJ, bologna, whatever, you just don't take other people's lunch.

I did have a coworker eat my stash of chocolate I had (in a box and they were my fav and hard to find in stores) in my cube and left a $5 bill in the box. I was actually out of the office when it happened and only found out when I loudly asked why there was a $5 instead of my chocolate in my cube. I didn't understand why she had to eat my chocolate when the vending machine was a 2 minute walk from our desks.

[talexs]

I'd keep it at my desk, I wouldn't do a note bc no matter how polite you would be inevitably someone is somehow offended and who needs that? I don't get people some days; I can honestly say I would never ever dream of using something that was not my own without asking first.

[MichaelJr1186]

I would lace those plates with rat poison....but that's just me.