"Stealing" free things from work

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WIBU to pocket about 6-8 sachets of the free sugar that comes with the free tea and coffee at work for when I go camping next week?

It feels wrong although I'd argue if I was here I'd be using them anyway (and possibly more) and it is offered free anyway. Seems a bit pointless to have to pack a bigger container of sugar.

The point is, I suppose, whether yiu are using it for the intended benefit within work, or for your benefit outside work.
Devils advocate would also suggest that if all take over the odds, the generous gesture by your employers may end for all.....

I've done the water bottle thing too! That's surely not counted as stealing though, is it?!

There is definitely a line though. Our company has bottles of squash. Drinking loads of it during the day, fine - taking a whole bottle home with you, not fine.

Printing a personal letter using the work printer, fine, printing hundreds of pages (or taking a ream of paper home), not fine.

When we go to hotels and such we always bring home all the unused sachets of tea, coffee and sugar! not the towels though

Maybe just take a few packs of sugar at a time and build up a stash? Then if you handbag was searched a couple of teaspoons worth of sugar would not be a reasonable thing to sack anyone for. Just say I must have put them in their by accident. Sure a tribunal would say employer being very U!

BTF yes that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. Trifling nature as opposed to taking the piss.

Is it just me that's jealous of drinks stuff being provided free at work - I've never had that anywhere I've worked......

I wouldn't even need to build up much of a stash. Similarly, how would they be able to prove that the generic sugar packet was from work and not one of the cafes that the more moral people nick get theirs from?

BackForGood we get free pizza every friday too :)

it IS stealing.

But would be pretty petty for anyone to get into a tizz over. I'd just have a few extra cups of tea and each time collect an extra sugar/go without a sugar but take one anyway and put it in my pocket.

If my assistant asked me if they could do this, I'd say of course. Ditto if I asked my boss.

I've even let staff take home emergency loo rolls before. Guess that makes me a 'soft touch'.

Free Pizza???

Honestly if they like you that much they will be happy for you to take a few packs of sugar.

FFS, take it. Will anyone actually see you? Do you get frisked on your way out of work?

To be honest, I probably would have just taken a handful of sachets without even thinking about it. If anybody appropriate was around I might have asked "is it ok if...?" . On the other hand as you are clearly not entirely comfortable with it, why not just put a bit of sugar in a resealable plastic bag?

Why don't you just ask if you can take a couple of sachets for camping?

Or fuck it, just take them. I would.

Where do you work? Free pizza on a Friday and free tea? I'm all over that!

Free PIZZA

Any vacancies ?

It's funny that some people are telling you it's wrong. Just take a few sachets, it's free anyway, and hardly the crime of the century.

A nurse I worked with was sacked for taking home three out of date dressings. She was reported by the total bitch of a cleaner who saw her.

Fact is, you WILL have no comeback.

I reckon that those ebay sugars have been filched from work anyway...

Brave

LOL all you like- under company rules theft is theft whether it be a sachet of sugar or £30 from the petty cash. They may turn a blind eye until that day when they cannot. And if you have any enemies at work, then I would give them no opportunity to get one over on you which is what happened to my colleague. Whether it is petty or not is up to your morality- fact is if we all did it, then it would be less inconsequential.

I personally don't care either way. But it IS gross misconduct in the NHS. It is theft of company property.

Would not cross my mind that it was wrong in any way, unless I was planning to go camping every weekend.Just take the sugar!

If you get fired for taking some sugar packets, it's not because you took the sugar packets.

As long as you don't make it a habit of freeloading off the office no one will care. I've borrowed pens, notebooks, and sticky notes before. Mostly it was taking them to work with at home and forgetting to return them, or forgetting I stuck a pen I was using in my purse. Really though, you're only suppose to take them as needed, so try not to abuse it or next time you need something it might not be there.

Squeaky

wrong, wrong, wrong. Not in the NHS and not with the wrong managers. This nurse had never filched anything before and as for pens, the drug companies give them to us so no need to 'take' company stock. Never had a single disciplinary against them. It happens.

I would just decant my own sugar into the small container you'd invariably end up transporting your nicked sachets in. You sound tight as arseholes!