To think don't keep taking my drink at work?

[openitsoicanseeyousmile]

I'm known to bring a can of drink in everyday for lunch. It's kept in the shared fridge at work - Everyone knowns it's mine as there's a little section box for each person with their name on.

A colleague of mine is pregnant and for the third time has taken my drink and not bothered replacing it. When questioned, she says something along the lines of "Sorry! Bad sickness. This helps. I'll get a new one for you tomorrow".

She always does, it's there the following day. But it means having to go out at lunchtime to get another one. The local shop is only 2 minutes away but it means eating up time I don't have since I have 30 minutes lunch.

I'm really not sure how to go about it. If it was the usual person, I'd tell them to stop the cheek and buy their own to bring in! But she's pregnant and suffering from sickness. I had HG with my son so I feel awful at the thought of telling her she can most certainly never take from me again without asking

I remember the horrendous feeling of needing something sweet and fizzy to curve the sickness and it did often help, so I imagine it's very helpful to her.

Perhaps I should buy a multipack and suggest she goes half's so we can both enjoy them during the week? Or is this too doormat like?

I'm really not sure how to go about it. I don't think she thinks she's being cheeky in the slightest, and is an otherwise lovely colleague.

What would you do? I usually have no issues being assertive but I feel as if the lines have been blurred.

She’s taking the piss. Nothing to stop her buying a multi pack is there. I’d get a cool bag and keep your drink in there under your desk, just to break the cycle.

Pregnant or not she’s a cheeky fucker. Either tell her not to touch your things again or don’t use the shared fridge.

Tell her to bring her own in if she knows she needs one or tell her you're diabetic and its there in case you have a hypo!

She's being a cheeky cow and taking the piss. Why doesn't she just bring her own in the morning??

She's pregnant. She can buy her own drinks. If she buys one to replace yours, she can just buy one for herself. Tell her to stop being a CF.

I know she feels rough, many of us have been there but you still can’t help yourself to someone else’s drink! Especially on more than one occasion , she needs to get her own drink.

Well in all honesty a multipack is only £1.50 for a pack of 6 (I think), so it really is a bit pointless her replacing a singular drink the next day for the same sort of price as a pack of them.

Perhaps I'll just remind her it's cheap to just keep a pack in the fridge for herself

Coolbag is a great idea .

She should bring her own bloody drink in! Just because you are pregnant doesn't mean you are allowed to steal!

I’d suggest politely but firmly that she brings her own drinks in as it is getting very annoying. I remember how hard it is being pregnant but I would have never done this.

It’s just pure cheek. I had HG with ds and I still wouldn’t have helped myself to someone else’s stuff without even asking first. You could be diabetic and keeping a can incase your sugar drops. If she knows that’s what helps she should have one on her or keep a few at work it’s not like a bug where it comes on randomly.. your pregnant, you have morning sickness, you cram a few plastic bags/mints/whatever else helps in your bag and repeat until you’re 100% that your ok.

Once is an accident, twice is cheek. Tell her to bring her own.

I can't actually believe people can be that entitled and cheeky!! No one in my office team would think to do this.

Also, if she is buying one for you, she can just as easily buy an extra one for herself.

She doesn't have HG, just some sickness but has never actually been sick or had to rest a while for it - She's her upbeat and happy self and often boasts how lucky she's been so far with it all I am envious since I was vomiting in labour even

Come to think of it, she's never told me she's taken it. I just see her with it and must look a bit puzzled - She then confesses

When questioned, she says something along the lines of "Sorry! Bad sickness. This helps. I'll get a new one for you tomorrow".

Your answer to that should be "I don't want a new one tomorrow, I want to drink the drink I bought and paid for now, how are you going to resolve this?" Her pregnancy sickness issues are down to her to solve, not you. Your colleague is aware of this and should plan accordingly by providing her own drinks for her own consumption. It is beyond cheeky to just help herself to your drink without asking and pregnancy is no excuse.

No jury would convict you if it's Diet Coke .

This is so cheeky! Once, if desperate, is understandable. Three times is a piss take. I cant imagine anyone being this entitled tbh

What is the bloody point of her buying a replacement drink instead of simply buying some for herself whilst she is there?

Tell her to stop it immediately. It is theft.
Tell her to buy her own.

Buy the multi pack, its not doormaty it’s kind

I’d be telling her no, in advance. So can is in the fridge, tell her she cannot take it. If she does, go to her and tell her to bring her own in and that stealing yours is not acceptable. Cheeky fucker is what she is.

Come to think of it, she's never told me she's taken it. I just see her with it and must look a bit puzzled-She then confesses

That is unbelievably cheeky! Put your can in a cold bag under your desk instead.

Buy the multi pack, its not doormaty it’s kind

In that case there's nothing stopping the colleague buying one then, is there? Being pregnant isn't a free pass to taking people's stuff.

Pregnancy does not mean she gets to be a CF without consequence. You have two options here, you either do something to break her cycle of stealing (such as keeping the can in a cool bag at your desk so she has no chance to take it) or you confront her and tell her not to do it.

Buy the multi pack, its not doormaty it’s kind
This ^

Do you never buy a packet of biscuits or bring something to share then?

Oh you can get combination lock fridge boxes. It’s clear she’ll can see it but it’s locked safely away. Cool bags are never fridge cold to me.. Maybe I’m a fussy shit.

As a one off I would have let it slide but now it is becoming a regular occurrence I would suggest that she bring her own to keep in the fridge for these emergencies. She knows now that when she feels sick a fizzy drink will help. That means it is on her to keep one at work, even if it sits in the fridge for a week, it is there when she needs it and she isnt depriving anyone else of their stuff.

I work in a supermarket and I still keep a small bag in my locker with a couple of cans of pop and some snacks - bar of chocolate/cereal bar etc - for the times I'm asked to stay late (so I get a short break) or when I'm going straight from work to an appointment. I could go back into the shop but when I only get a 15 minute break I dont want to waste 10 minutes going to get money from my locker, going back to the shop floor and then back up to inhale my snack in the staff room in the remaining 5 minutes.