Birthday Cake Drama

[onesteponepunchoneroundatatime]

At work we have a birthday cake rosta. The person whose birthday it is has their cake by the person whose birthday is next.

The person whose birthday was offsite, but the person who made the cake was on site at morning tea. Another member of staff (who is not on the rosta) said that as the person who baked the cake said it was OK then she could have a (huge) slice of the cake.

I was appalled and made my feelings about what I perceive to be good birthday etiquette very vocal that the cake belongs to the person whose birthday it is not the person who baked it. Then I (light-heartedly) shit-stirred and dobbed them in to the birthday girl.

So my AIBU is- is it OK to eat someone's else's birthday cake if they are not there?

For anyone who is worried about the person who ate the cake she didn't care one bit. And when no one else had a piece of the cake she said she felt guilty- and I said 'Good-you should' and then we all laughed our heads off.

Do you ever get any work done?! All sounds very complicated.

Apologies the person whose birthday it is has their cake baked by the person whose birthday is next.

I think it was rude, but I’d move on

Is this for real? No you don’t even cut the cake. It’s for the birthday girl and they cut it and if they want can give whomever a slice. If someone made me a cake and then showed up with one partially eaten I wouldn’t be happy!

Do you ever get any work done?! All sounds very complicated.*
*
Yup I am skilled enough to multi-task by working and shit-stirring at the same time

You didn't answer the AIBU? Would you eat someone's birthday cake without the em being there/having permission?

Once the cake has been given to the birthday person and they've had a chance to have first bit then it's ok to eat some of their cake, even if they aren't there. If they haven't had any yet it's only ok to have some if they specifically say you can.

And you should never ever eat the last slice of someone's birthday cake .

Birthday cake eater was really rude.

How is this being organised without contravening data protection regulations?

#partypooper

Not til birthday person has had some and offers it round

The person whose birthday it is should just bring their own cake!

It's only a works cake, doesn't mean anything.
I wouldn't care, but then I wouldn't be in that group.

What an odd arrangement, it would make more sense that the cake was baked by the person who had the birthday before.

Anyway, etiquette is Birthday person has first slice of the cake.

Cake keeps for a few days.

If you are all good enough pals to have the inclination to bake cakes for each other then presumably you’re also on friendly enough terms that the birthday person wouldn’t mind that the cake baker had said it was okay for someone to have a slice. I wouldn’t, in that situation. Particularly if I wasn’t around to also say it was fine, and the cake eater would be gone by the time I was.

Wow are you allowed to just buy a birthday cake or do you have to try to make one?

So when was the birthday person going to be in the office? Same day...next Tuesday...I think this would help me form my opinion...but may lead to some other questions...

And now I want cake.

What an over complicated, weird palaver. Someone needs to rethink this. What if you loathe the person you're supposed to bake for? What if you're a rubbish baker? The person whose birthday it is, brings cake, (made or bought) when they are there. End of. I've been a PA for 20years in all kinds of industries & never once heard such a weird birthday routine.

I feel like maybe you scared people off from eating the cake lol.

The best work email I ever saw when I was a teacher abroad was this:
"To: All staff
Has anyone seen XXX (in X Class)'s birthday cake? It was left in the fridge in the primary staffroom. We have gone to put candles on it and found it's gone."

Turned out some thoughtless secondary teachers ate a 7-year-old's birthday cake during morning break (primary and secondary took different breaktimes so no one in primary knew) and a teaching assistant had to go in a taxi to get another one before the end of the school day.

Some people are just rude and selfish, so YANBU.

best should have been bizzarrest thanks autocorrect.

We can buy and we go for the preference of the persons whose birthday it is i.e vegan, gf etc... it's quite nice to have someone do something for you. No one has been a dick so far (though the boys usually just buy one).

The birthday girl was a bit miffed when she got back especially as the person chose not to be on the rosta.

So she has hidden the rest of it

Is rosta like a hybrid rota and roster? 🙂

Honestly I think this kind of set up is almost designed to create failing relationships and awkwardness.

Let people celebrate their birthdays by bringing in cake/treats if they want to. if they don't want to then fair enough. No skin off anyone else's nose.

This also ensures that those with dietary resctrictions can eat without defending their choices.

Would you eat someone's birthday cake without the em being there/having permission

I wouldn't but seeing as you all laughed your heads off, yanbu.

Cake eater was disgustingly greedy. It’s just a cake, surely she could wait until the birthday person returned. If not then she has bigger problems than just greed.

What a great palaver it all is, glad I don't work with anyone. It's just as well, as I never eat cake stuff.