Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

to be sick to death of the 'staff fridge police' at work?

39 replies

RebelFromTheWaistDown · 12/09/2011 13:31

I'm sick of some people at work who think they have the right to throw away out of date items in the staff fridge that don't belong to them!

These wasteful people think they are so much better than those of us who are trying to save money by buying reduced items on their last legs and eating it before it really does go off!

They piss me off! AIBU?

OP posts:

MrsRobertDuvall · 12/09/2011 15:37

I am glad I work from home.
I would be rearranging everyone's food on the shelves otherwise

freesiaLiliy · 12/09/2011 15:51

put stuff in a carrier or box that you can't see through and stick a BIG label on it with your name, date and message to NOT remove without your permission, worked for me like the use it by friday close of business or its gone idea, will try this too. thanks

CoffeeDog · 12/09/2011 15:52

I expressed breast milk after i went back from mat leave and left it in a clear plastic bottle with my name on and please do not touch in the fridge....... checked every half an hour... then went on a super ranty hissy fit screaming about weido's and didnt people know thats my babies dinner that stoped the fuckers stealing my milk again :) job done:)

silverten · 12/09/2011 16:29

I am the fridge police where I work.

I do it because I got sick of the entire kitchen stinking because the fridge was 1/3 full of imminently exploding yoghurt and ready meals. We sent a few emails trying to sort stuff out amicably and sensibly to no avail.

One day two of us snapped and spent four hours (so that's a total of eight quite senior staff hours) scrubbing the place from top to bottom- it is quite a small basic kitchen so that might give you an idea of how bad it all was. My tolerance to filth is quite high but even I was retching at some of the stuff we cleaned out.

Now the place is plastered with notices making it absolutely clear what people are supposed to do (basically, clean your stuff, don't leave food to rot) as though we are a bunch of twelve year olds who need to be reminded of the need to sling our dirty skiddies in the washing basket. Things are better but there are still regular deposits of abandoned cups and festering food. I've thrown things out without warning since, which seems to stop most of the grot from returning. Many, many people have said how nice it is to have the place clean again, but it is basically due to sustained, regular effort on my part that it stays that way.

The irony is, we work in a Public Health department...

Thumbwitch · 12/09/2011 16:34

YANBU but it does depend on how long the stuff is left in there.

HOWEVER - they should just leave a note on it, or on your desk if they know it's yours, or you should just put your name and a fuck-off-do-not-touch note on it.

Honey - love the visual of you sticking your yoghurt spoon into thicko workmate's head

Coffeedog - PMSL!!

ivykaty44 · 12/09/2011 18:07

Doesn't breast milk have a sell by date...?

gasman · 12/09/2011 20:20

This is really common in hospitals.

Policy is usually well publicised and often draconian eg. items not labelled with an owners name will be discarded regardless of use by date.

it is enforced for several reasons: general hygiene, specific food hygiene rules and space in the fridge.

TBH if it is well publicised I don't really mind although I've lost my dinner a few times (I often buy ready meals on offer if they are date expired and then freeze them, fridge cleaner then finds them horror stricken when I decide to use them as they are marked several months out of date). I now write very clearly on the packaging - "Dr Gasman's. Bleep X, This has been frozen and was defrosted on X date".

pigletmania · 12/09/2011 20:35

YABUif its stinking and mould infested it will be thrown away.

TidyDancer · 12/09/2011 20:46

Yes, I work without someone like this. She takes things out of the fridge she doesn't like, but also removes anything from the general office area that she deems to be no longer suitable. It really erks me.

TidyDancer · 12/09/2011 20:47

Argh, I work without someone like this?! I bloody wish! I meant that I work with her. Grrr.

StealthPolarBear · 12/09/2011 20:48

you put your bleeper no on your ready meals? :o
PAGING DR GASMAN. THE MICROWAVE HAS DINGED, YOUR LASAGNE IS READY

BetsyBoop · 12/09/2011 21:00

In my last job the fridge was emptied on a Friday evening by the cleaner & given a quick clean, so it never got grotty. Everyone knew if you wanted stuff to take it home with you on a Friday, as when you came in on Monday it would be gone

I have also worked in places with mould and bacteria infested fridges having a clear out once a week is a much better idea IMHO (obviously wouldn't work in hospitals etc where people work 24/7)

Ginger4justice · 12/09/2011 21:28

oh no.... this just reminded me of somewhere I used to work (traumatic temping) someone once put a dead rabbit in the fridge until it could be sent away to be tested to find out if it had been poisoned or had a disease. Next to our lunches and milk. Person responsible didn't see the problem as it was in a carrier bag.

FabbyChic · 12/09/2011 21:32

Leave a post it note on it then! Some people don't like off food being with their fresh stuff, you have a problem with stale stuff being thrown bring it up at work rather than moan on here about it and pretend like fuck all is wrong when you are at work.

Flip

1 2