What did you bring to your office’s holiday potluck? Perhaps some freshly baked cupcakes, mac and cheese made with your grandma’s famous recipe, or a delicious platter of chocolate chip cookies? Or maybe just a Tupperware container to steal food from everyone else…
Below, you’ll find a story that was shared on Reddit detailing how one company’s holiday party turned into a memorable event where the company “snack stealer” finally got called out for all of her entitled actions.
Holiday potlucks are all about sharing a lovely meal with others
Image credits: Phil Denton / flickr (not the actual photo)
But when one woman decided to let greed cloud her judgment, her colleagues made sure that her theft didn't go unnoticed
Image credits: YuriArcursPeopleimages / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: NotARobotDefACyborg
"She was an older woman with some significant health concerns, so of course, at first, no one thought she could be responsible for the disappearing snacks"
We reached out to the woman who shared this story in the first place, Reddit user NotARobotDefACyborg, and lucky for us, she was kind enough to share a few more details about the situation with Bored Panda. The OP noted that she was inspired to tell this story after reading another post about people in an office setting helping themselves to desk snacks.
We also wanted to know more about Susan (which apparently wasn’t her real name) and how she managed to get away with this behavior for so long. “[She] was a long time employee, and we worked in a government office,” NotARobotDefACyborg shared. “She was an older woman with some significant health concerns, so of course, at first, no one thought she could be responsible for the disappearing snacks and drinks.”
“After all, why would she steal?” the OP asked. “And the answer to that was, apparently, a ridiculous sense of entitlement to other people's things. But I'm pretty sure that her long tenure played a significant role in her not being caught until that one holiday party. Seems she just couldn't resist her own greed and entitlement.”
"She made 5 times my pay and could very easily have gotten any of these things herself"
Image credits: Alpha / Wikipedia (not the actual photo)
Thankfully, NotARobotDefACyborg shared that this was the only job that she’s ever had issues with a colleague taking some of her things. “It was especially impactful because I was very young, it was my first ‘real’ job, and this woman helping herself to my little treats reached my pettiness threshold, since she made 5 times my pay and could very easily have gotten any of these things herself.”
“The other young coworker who sat across from me turned out to be the other person most stolen from (she was the girl who kept her Diet Cokes under the desk),” the OP continued. And as far as what she thought of the responses to her post, she shared that “overall, they were very positive and supportive.”
While the idea of stealing from a colleague probably sounds ridiculous to most of us, it turns out that Susan isn’t the only snack thief in the world. According to a survey from Business Wire, a whopping 18% of employees admit to having eaten someone else’s lunch right out of the communal fridge. And while this isn’t the only issue that can stir up conflicts within an office, it’s certainly an easy way to get on a colleague's bad side.
If food theft is an issue in your workplace, don't hesitate to reach out to your manager or HR
Image credits: Sora Shimazaki / pexels (not the actual photo)
Insight reports that two thirds of employees have actually experienced significant conflicts in their workplaces. As far as what's most likely to create beef between coworkers, opposing personality types, lack of communication and differing management styles are the top reasons cited for issues. And while we all try to remain professional in the workplace, these issues can often inspire workers to find new employment, as 15% revealed that they’ve actually resigned from a job due to conflicts in the office.
When it comes to dealing with a food thief in the workplace, you might not want to react too quickly. After all, once or twice someone may have accidentally grabbed your yogurt instead of their own or forgotten which things in the fridge were up for grabs. But if it’s a recurring issue, Kate Palmer, an HR advice and consultancy director at Peninsula, told Metro that the employer may need to address the issue to ensure it stops. After all, if you’re repeatedly spending money on food that vanishes and leaves you lunchless, that can become a serious problem.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Susan the snack stealer in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever had to deal with a similar situation at work? Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing food theft at work, look no further than right here!
Amused readers shared their reactions to the story, and the OP joined in on the conversation
Some even had similar stories of their own to share
