Called “greedy” at work

Maybe they weren’t hungry after having lunch once but still felt entitled to a share to have later on so wanted there to be something left.

you can’t judge how much someone has by the number of visits. On occasions such as this I would do what the OP has done. Have a small amount, then a bit more and again, then a flapjack. It’s not like the plate was piled high 4 times.

But at that point it was 4pm and they'd had most of the day to go up multiple times if they wanted to. That's what a buffet is for.

It sounds like when OP went up the third time, all the others noticed and agreed amongst themselves that they’d like to take a share home. If they hadn’t been up a second time at that point and OP was on her fourth visit, they probably just used kids as an excuse to make it sound a bit nicer when they pointed out she was taking way more than her share.

Similar situation happened at the funeral of my step-dads father. Organisers from the church hall the wake was being held at were told that IF there were any leftovers, they would be able to take some home. The ghouls immediately began portioning off and hoarding whatever they wanted to take home, even before the food had been served. My mum had to step in to prevent them taking whole trays of food away. It still makes me angry 15 years later.

I also think an agreement like this is unfair on employees who don't have children. Not fair that food is given to some people to enjoy, and not others.

It wasn't you being greedy. They were being greedy. How childish and petty that someone would make that remark.

Some things from a buffet will survive for a few hours but not all! Anything left out gets aged and I don't fancy my chances if the fillings are fishy or dairy
It should be eaten in a time frame/window and if it is not fridge-d i would not give it to anybody after an hour - 2 in air con but take your chances
Just me X

I'd be really upset with those comments tbh. The food is there to be eaten and it's a bit shallow for those being the food police to be making you feel this way. I'd be giving them a cool shoulder for a while and if asked tell them that it made you feel like a greedy shit. Unnecessary behaviour from so called adults...

I’ll be honest I wouldn’t have gone up to a buffet three or four times because I’d worry people would think I’m greedy but that’s absolutely a me problem and me worrying too much about what people think. They were probably jealous they didn’t go up more often themselves.

You eat it and enjoy yourself, if it's there then it's there to be eaten, not to be saved for other people's kids.

There was plenty to go around, it's not like she troughed the lot and none left for anyone else.
When I go on AI holidays, I go up to the buffet 3 or 4 times !! Granted my plate isn't piled high, but I have about 4 different main courses, plus chips etc etc, that doesn't include dessert. So am I greedy ?
Not as if people can say look at thst fat heffer, iam 8st 11 and not fat, I just love food

SAME! We had a holiday cookie exchange (everyone could take a little plate of leftovers home if any were available) until the year two cheeky f*cker coworkers (who hadn’t contributed at all) filled up large Tupperware containers first thing in the morning. They were told to put the cookies back, as they were brought in to share with the office, and they didn’t. I had to go over to their desks and take their Tupperware. It was ridiculous.

That was the year everyone decided to eat as many cookies as they wanted (and, to be fair, we were sneaking “leftover” plates to a lot of people) so, by late afternoon, no cookies remained.

Would you believe these two had the audacity to complain to HR that I had taken the cookies back and now, at the end of the day, there were no cookies left for them to take to a party they were attending that evening? The HR person could not stop laughing at them.

The following year, those of us who contributed just brought in little plates to share with each other. When asked why we weren’t having a whole free-for-all, we reminded everyone that Alexis and Valerie ruined it for everyone last year and then had the nerve to complain. Yes I’m using their real names & I hope they see this. The both of you suck.

Exactly. Bite back (pun intended) and confront this nastiness before it escalates. They were rude, their issue but don’t be afraid to show your feelings back.

basic etiquette, have lunch during the lunch hour and don’t go for seconds… yes it’s greedy to fill your plate several times and demand to take some home too.

It's a buffet, surely the idea is that the food is eaten?

Fuck them kids and eat the food, if the kids are that hungry then the parents can cook them something.

Here's s different point of view. How does any work get done in the office if people are keeping track of how much food everyone is taking? I was at a picnic recently and if there was leftovers everyone took home what they contributed or offered it to others(which most of us did). I think the greedy people were the ones who decided to give the food away to a select few.

I work in a kitchen and often able to take stuff home and could take for my son and girlfriend, I don't because it's been there a while. Why would anyone wanna take for there kids. Bet was ppl with kids commented while thinking could of taken that bit home

I’d guess by somebody with kids (who really just wanted the food for themselves…) Lol 😝

Really weird they deciding to take food home to kids....because kids don't really.need sandwiches and cold meats that have been sat around all day in a warm room.
They were just being spiteful and wanted to make you feel bad. The food was.going in the bin as soon as everyone left

It does seem quite odd to be going to a buffet 4 times, I honestly can't see the need at all.
I wouldn't have said anything tho as I'm generally not rude

It was there to be eaten. And who the hell decided the people with kids were going to go home with a boatload of food ?
That's an absolute liberty.
It was a work colleagues leaving lunch not a kids birthday party
Don't lose any sleep over it.
Grown adults fighting over a bit of party food....Good Lord.

Sounds like some people at work were looking for an opportunity to have a dig and their dig hit the spot.

Workplace dynamics is my bread and butter. In one workplace, this is a bit of unpleasant but accepted banter. In another it is bullying. Only you can know.

If it fits with the usual pattern of "banter", perhaps you can just informally ask her not to do it again. Thank God this workplace style is dying, but then I've been saying that for 20+ years. Show me a workplace with "banter" and I will be able to expose bullying, exclusion and low productivity without much effort. But some folk just can't let go - they understandably don't want sterile and think this is the only alternative, so we still have this nonsense to contend with.

Otherwise, if you think it is bullying, report what was said verbatim to HR. If your HR team is focused on culture, inclusion or similar, they will be in like Flynn. They may be only too willing and eager to deal with it.

I wouldn't mind but that taking stuff home to the kids was bullshit - it was people wanting the oink out on Wotsits and mini M&S Swiss Rolls on the way home without the eagle eyed commentary from Little Miss Eyeroller. What kid views a curly cheese sandwich and a sweaty Babybel with excitement? Even in the seventies we'd have scoffed at second hand homemade party food. "Take it home if you have children" my big fat arse. "Take it and scoff it in the car"? Much more likely.

Sounds like you work in a very bitchy place.