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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:
CatThiefKeith · 31/07/2014 22:38

Or buy a little plastic clicky thing full of sweeteners.

Camping is about roughing it anyway, so if you're not keen on sweeteners look on it as doing your bit for discomfort and not getting sacked

wiltingfast · 31/07/2014 22:42

What a bonkers thread. I take sachets of pepper everyday that I don't use and throw out Shock

How much sugar are you planning to take that you're so worried about it? What on earth do you think will happen if they see you with some sugar sachets?!?

People take them and don't use them, take them and leave them on the table, take them and play with them, take them and throw them out. Some don't take any ever. Swings and roundabouts, your few sachets will not impact the viability of the canteen.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 31/07/2014 22:46

FFS just take the arsing sugar OP.

starkadder · 31/07/2014 22:47

I seriously cannot believe people have an issue with this. Take the sugar! Obviously! It's not like it's someone else's personal stash and you're depriving anyone of it.

They'd have to be completely insane to even tell you off for it, let alone sack you. (I'm pretty sure it would be illegal for them to sack you for removing 24g if sugar from the building).

matildasquareded · 31/07/2014 22:54

Did you not see my message about the person getting sacked for "stealing" a half carton of old milk? This was upheld by the tribunal. That astonished me too. I would have said, surely that's unfair dismissal? But no.

So yeah, most of us would get away with borrowing some sugar packets, pens, etc. But it's like the one time an employer has it in for you, it can be used as a pretext.

That said, in all honesty I would take the sugar packets and then work an extra 5 minutes some day to make up the time.

Sicaq · 31/07/2014 23:09

Fair enough Matilda, but most UK employees work extra unpaid hours each week, not 5 minutes.

Swings and roundabouts ...

mignonette · 31/07/2014 23:11

Stark

It is not illegal to sack you and if you take property from somewhere without permission or authorisation, you are stealing according to most companies protocols. The arguments are all moot points, the moral relativity is a moot point. If they want to make an issue of it they can and they will and you will have not one leg to stand on.

Again, I am referencing occupational law and not my own personal feelings.

mignonette · 31/07/2014 23:14

And taking home a packet of sugar that you have left over after buying a coffee is totally different to helping yourself to the company food stash/other items and taking them home when no financial transaction has taken place.

To the FF sakers- NOT the same.

aurynne · 31/07/2014 23:19

I think you may discover the other side of this matter if you ever start a small business and have have a look at he expenses and the amount of money you lose when people nick things "because everybody does it".

It may just be "5 or 6 sachets of sugar" for you, it will be thousands a year for the company kindly supplying them for free. Which may eventually end up with "no free anything" at work.

milkysmum · 31/07/2014 23:21

Who in their right mind calls taking a few extra sugar sachets gross misconduct??!! Take the sugar!

matildasquareded · 31/07/2014 23:31

The employment tribunal. Good reading skills! Really makes a substantive contribution when you fail to read, then add a comment with lots of punctuation.

MrsCakesPremonition · 31/07/2014 23:34

OP - I have the solution.

Make yourself a free coffee. Help yourself to your usual 2 sugars. Don't put the sugar in the coffee. Let the coffee get cold. Change your mind about drinking it. Bin the coffee. Keep the sugar.

Simple and not at all peculiar.

Mandatorymongoose · 31/07/2014 23:42

I wouldn't take the sugar I would happily pinch a couple in a cafe though, but that's just the sort of person I am, playing fast and loose with the rules but then I also work for the NHS and I've known people disciplined in reasonably similar circumstances.

forago · 31/07/2014 23:42

Oh fgs just pick a couple up in pret or Starbucks!

Call it corporation tax owed in Starbucks

SqueakySqueak · 01/08/2014 04:15

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!

That's why I said, if she got fired over taking sugar packets, it's not because she took the sugar packets. An employer would not throw out a good employee over a packet of sugar. Now if she was on the line, or not rubbing the right way and they wanted an excuse to get rid of her, or they just needed to downsize, that's a pretty handy excuse as it can't come back to them.

I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that someone could actually get fired for some of the petty things I've read on here. Every company I've worked at has had the policy of take what you want, but use what you take. We never had a problem with scarce supplies.

matildasquareded · 01/08/2014 05:57

Right, that's what I said too. Someone needing to downsize, or maybe just a crazy supervisor trying to throw weight around.

Where I work now no one would give a fuck if I took home some extra supplies. But I did once have a crazy/bully supervisor who went around monitoring pens. And who told me off for making pens available for clients to fill out forms. Pens ordered in bulk at 5p each. What a loser.

Bardette · 01/08/2014 06:36

So to summerise: it's okay to steal things from work as long as they're small (pens, sugar, post-it's, possibly up to loo roil size), you only do it occasionally and you're not going to get reported/caught. It's okay to steal things to recompense for any unpaid overtime.
Also it's okay to steal small things from large corporations as long as you've bought something else but not okay to steal from small, independent businesses.

matildasquareded · 01/08/2014 06:44

Good reading skills!

parallax80 · 01/08/2014 06:48

Bardette that does seem to be the consensus.

I wouldn't (NHS too - obv we're all a bit jittery!). But then I also wouldn't call in sick if I wanted a "duvet day", or lie about my kid's age to get into Legoland for cheap, which loads of people think are fine. So can only assume i'm a po-faced goodie-goodie .

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 01/08/2014 07:00

I prefer to describe it as being 'more honest than average' parallax.

I think stealing toilet roll is a bit much though, although I suppose it falls into the category like food where it might be OK to do if really skint/desperate, but not just being tight.

I have a particular bug bear against the loo roll thieves because that's the reason why office/public toilet roll is in those bloody awkward dispenser cages where it is difficult to actually get at it to use.

WeAreEternal · 01/08/2014 07:06

We have a large Tupperware box full of sachets of sugar, sweetner, salt, pepper, vinigar, sauces and salad dressings.
Every time we go to a cafe/pub/etc that has a selection of satchels I always take a few more than I need and pockets them.
I'm not one of those people that takes hundreds, just one or two.

They are perfect for picnics and camping and substantially easier to transport.

If I could buy them I probably would but I don't really see it as stealing because you pay for the satchels as part of you coffee or meal, they aren't free.

OP I think taking some when you at work is wrong, but if you buy a coffee you would be entitled to take as much sugar as you like.

parallax80 · 01/08/2014 07:09

Yes, I would definitely feel differently about food if someone is starving etc. It's a pretty arbitrary line that separates 'acceptable' from 'not'. So unless you believe in moral absolutes, it's just where your personal conscience puts the line.

SirChenjin · 01/08/2014 07:09

Oh wow - this is MN at its best

Take the sugar and don't even give it a second thought. Honestly. In fact, take extra in case you run out.

mignonette · 01/08/2014 07:31

I think there are a lot of people who are terribly ignorant of what is it like to work in the NHS here. And people who cannot bear to take the word of the NHS workers on here who are telling it like it is.

Fact is they (managers) may turn a blind eye but if somebody complains or reports it, they haveto be seen to be doing something- even if that worker has been exemplary and this nurse was (three commendations in two years!).

Ever heard of being made an example of?

backbystealth · 01/08/2014 07:35

Oh my actual God!!!

Agree SirChenjin only on Mumsnet!

The first response on this thread is why this site is such a laughing stock in some areas of the real world.

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