How would you like to punish someone who stole your food in the office?

@chiwasaki (4694)
Philippines
February 14, 2017 9:13pm CST
In our office, we have a fridge that can be accessed by everyone. There is a security camera that is closely monitoring the employees who are using the fridge. One time, my colleague brought his favorite meal inside a glass airtight container for his lunch. When he accessed the fridge, his food was gone. So, he requested for the video footages and found out that there is only one girl who opened the fridge and took something from it during that time. The girl denied it but she still returned the missing container which is an actual proof that he stole his food. If this will happen to you, how would you like to punish this thief for stealing your food
7 people like this
12 responses
• United States
15 Feb 17
Well we didn't have a camera, but at the time the custodian came in , and my friends leather coat came up missing after she took out the trash and in the back his lunch.. He thought I was playing a trick on him, I thought maybe he never brought it to work. Well couldn't prove she did it, but it was gone right after she left, very strange. Honestly I can't see how you could punish someone. My thoughts are if they took food they were hungry. It has happened to me before, they don't say they are taking it, but someone did and has eaten it.
2 people like this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
I think the thief was given a warning. I am not really sure if she was terminated.
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
@CookieMonster46 We don't know this employee personally. There are a lot of us in the office and it is not surprising if someone will steal your food for fun.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Feb 17
@chiwasaki Does this person not usually bring l lunch? or in need?
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (457918)
• Switzerland
15 Feb 17
I would do exactly the same as Uncle Joe. I would prepare something I know she loves and cannot resist and put inside enough laxative to let her sitting on the "throne" all the day.
2 people like this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
I love that suggestion hehe.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (457918)
• Switzerland
16 Feb 17
@chiwasaki I am sure she will never try again to steal the food.
1 person likes this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
15 Feb 17
My evil side would like to put poison in my food so the thief won't do it again, literally. Or maybe put pet food inside the sandwich. It's a really disgusting habit to take things that are not yours. Next time don't put your food in the fridge.
2 people like this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
That's why i dont put food inside the office fridge. I know that some employees stole food for fun.
• United States
15 Feb 17
I would be very very very mad. I work third shift though, and so my food is safe. I bring it in the day of, or purchase it there, and no one but my few co workers are there with me over night. I had a co-worker who left a box of food that he could eat over several days. He went back one day and it was gone, he was pissed!
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
I will be mad too if this happened to me specially if that was my favorite food.
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
@ScribbledAdNauseum Stealing food in the office rarely happens but the sad thing is, it do happens. It makes me feel sad both for my colleague and the person who stole his food. To those people who haven't experience this yet in their office, you are lucky as your co-workers are all professional.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Feb 17
@chiwasaki Yes. I don't trust the day shifters with my food, so I always bring it in the day I work.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (134418)
• Roseburg, Oregon
15 Feb 17
I put milk n my lunch once and let it get sour and no one touched my lunch after that.
2 people like this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
Is this normal in the office? Stealing food? Heheh
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
15 Feb 17
It's a different matter when someone steal money or valuables compare to food. Compassion will make me think that perhaps they didn't have the money to buy food. My reaction would be not to embarrass the person and tell her/him quietly I don't mind sharing my food but please leave some for me.
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
The person who stole the food is also an employee and is expected to practice professionalism in the work place. If she is hungry and does not have any money, managers and even co-workers can easily help her with that. This is indeed sad that she resorted into this.
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
@josie_ It is really sad as she might lose her job because of this incident.
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
@chiwasaki _Maybe the person couldn't resist the delicious lunch your colleague brought to work. But now she has to live with the consequence of her actions. Any future theft will have people casting suspicion on her.
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
15 Feb 17
I would do what Uncle Joe and Anna suggested and chuckled reading the answers. The person didn't ask and now your colleague had to skip lunch or ask somebody to share their lunch. I would have been mad, as it would appear I didn't bring any food from home.
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
The food is not expensive and yet he needs to buy his own lunch as someone else stole his food.
@youless (112103)
• Guangzhou, China
16 Feb 17
I just find it hard to believe. Here nobody will steal each other's lunch. We even will not share each other's food so much.
1 person likes this
@youless (112103)
• Guangzhou, China
16 Feb 17
@chiwasaki Since the lunch is not worthy anything. Besides, people may mind eating others' food due to many reasons, such as the flavor, taste etc. So nobody will think about taking away other's lunch.
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
Here in our office branch where there are hundreds of employees sharing the same fridge, it is possible.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
15 Feb 17
(lol) Never ever heard of such a thing as someone robbing my food.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
16 Feb 17
@chiwasaki In a way it could be true as home cooked food is a luxury these days (lol)
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
@allknowing i remembered when this happened. My colleague was really heartbroken. That was his favorite food lol. He was excited to take his lunch and then poof, his food was gone.
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
It seems like it always happen in our office. I laughed at first when i heard it from my colleague but i felt sad for him too
1 person likes this
@just4him (305965)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
18 Jun 21
I'm so sorry that happened. First, I would wonder about her work ethic. If she's stealing food, what else is she doing? She doesn't sound like an honest person. Her work ethic could get her fired. Otherwise, I would talk to her to find out why she took the food. If there isn't a good reason, then I wouldn't bring in anything that could spoil if it wasn't in the fridge and keep it at my desk.
@paigea (35680)
• Canada
15 Feb 17
Tell her she owes me a nice lunch
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
My colleague does not feel that way as he felt betrayed. He probably loves that lunch lol.
1 person likes this
@paigea (35680)
• Canada
16 Feb 17
@chiwasaki I would tell the coworker who stole my lunch that they have to bring me a really nice lunch to replace the one they took.
1 person likes this
@franxav (13602)
• India
15 Feb 17
This time I would forgive her but if she did it repeatedly I'd think of a way to stop it.
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
16 Feb 17
I would let the management to decide. It may be okay for me but it will be them who needs to decide for the outcome if she violated some office rules.