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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"Stealing" free things from work

229 replies

FickleUsernameChooser · 31/07/2014 15:48

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.

OP posts:
slithytove · 31/07/2014 19:07

Go to a supermarket cafe.

Buy a tea.

Fill your boots.

suziepra · 31/07/2014 19:09

The point is they are not free, they cost. If everyone stole them it would cost a lot!

Original poster
FickleUsernameChooser · 31/07/2014 19:14

Isn't it as bad to pilfer all the cafe's sugar if you've only paid £1 for a cup of tea? Surely their business model is just as affected?

OP posts:
BeerTricksPotter · 31/07/2014 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AnAwfullyGoodOxymoron · 31/07/2014 19:28

Go to a supermarket cafe, order a coffee and take free UHT milk/sugar sachets from there instead.

slithytove · 31/07/2014 20:55

£1 for a cup of tea is shocking. They will be making plenty of money.

And taking 3/4 sachets is just fine.

mum9876 · 31/07/2014 21:28

I dunno. Theft is theft to me. You get a cup of tea, you're expected to take none, one or two sugars. That's what the service has been based on - somewhere someone will have had to tender, quote and base it on reasonable use. If everyone just stole them all it all breaks down.

It's a bit like fare dodging on the trains. It's fairly easy to do. But who are you harming? Those people who work all hours to service and run the railway. It's not free. You're stealing from those people by not paying for the service you are using.

Yes it's only a few packets of sugar. But if everyone did that, somebody might lose out massively. Often catering tenders are from small companies with small margins.

matildasquareded · 31/07/2014 21:45

Just the other day I was speaking with an employment solicitor who's represented a few clients who were sacked for stealing food from work.

One of them had taken home an unused half-carton of milk that would have gone bad over the weekend.

She said that despite her best efforts they didn't stand a chance. Stealing was gross misconduct and so their dismissal stood.

To me it's astonishing. If I had a half-way decent employee who due to a lapse of judgement or misunderstanding made off with a cheeky sandwich or some leftover cookies, wouldn't I want to give them a second chance at least? It's such a huge hassle to hire and fire people!

But no, some people just take the hard line--or were maybe looking for excuses to downsize.

Anyway, back to you, OP: no. Don't put yourself in that vulnerable position.

CatThiefKeith · 31/07/2014 21:50

I worked for a large restaurant chain a few years ago that fired a colleague for eating a gummy worm she stole off a child's dessert.

Just take a few extra each time you buy a coffee from somewhere.

BristolRover · 31/07/2014 21:55

the MN ethical compass is all over the shop tonight. Leaving a restaurant without paying = theft. Taking a few sachets of sugar which are given away free = theft. Keeping a pair of £25 shoes when the shop failed to charge = absolutely fine and dandy.

Smoolett · 31/07/2014 21:59

Haha take the fecking sugar. No one will notice, miss it or care about it.

HappyGirlNow · 31/07/2014 22:03

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA @ gross misconduct/theft..

Get. a. Life.

Ffs

HappyGirlNow · 31/07/2014 22:03

Yip take the sugar! Grin

matildasquareded · 31/07/2014 22:04

Hey HappyGirl, I was as shocked as you! That was my point!

I'm thinking an employment solicitor knew what the law was.

But, hey, stay happy.

AndIFeedEmGunpowder · 31/07/2014 22:05

I worked at a company where if you wanted to get personal post franked/take stationery home/take an emergency loo roll you could put the money for it in an honesty box.

Money went to charity at the end of the month if stock takes weren't way out. Smile

JassyRadlett · 31/07/2014 22:06

This thread is crazy. That said, I'd probably put some sugar in one of those tiny plastic weaning pots. They're dead useful for picnics etc.

matildasquareded · 31/07/2014 22:06

I like that!

HappyGirlNow · 31/07/2014 22:11

Thanks Matilda I will Grin

BornOfFrustration · 31/07/2014 22:26

I'd shake a couple under the mangers nose and say 'can I have these for camping?'. They'll not say no.

It was a free for all where I used to work, reams of paper, sun cream, all kinds of personal protective equipment, tools, one guy even ordered a gas barbecue - he got his trade card taken off him for that one.

I miss the de-icer and rock salt in winter, and the suncream and insect repellent in winter.

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 31/07/2014 22:26

I'm assuming that if you put sugar in your hot drink, you have sugar at home?

So just put a few spoons in a little plastic tub, or even a freezer bag.

Saves all the hand wringing over the legalities and morality of nicking it from work etc.

BornOfFrustration · 31/07/2014 22:27
  • in summer
ICanSeeTheSun · 31/07/2014 22:30

I wouldn't this is a perk of the job and if everyone started taking a small handful here and there the perk can be taken away.

QuintessentiallyQS · 31/07/2014 22:31

Give up sugar! It is not good for you.

Sicaq · 31/07/2014 22:34

Take the sugar!

Sicaq · 31/07/2014 22:38

As an aside, our work canteen chucks out £100s worth of cakes each week (God forbid we should get offered it before it goes in the bin) which may have coloured my views on taking a few grams of one of the cheapest foods in the UK ...