Called “greedy” at work

[HamOnBeth]

Yesterday we had a lunch buffet for a staff member who is going on mat leave. Usual routine is the buffet comes out at lunch time and everyone brings something such as sandwiches, sausage rolls, flapjacks, etc etc … basic party food. We do a little gift and card giving presentation then everyone gets tucked into the buffet. After lunch the food stays there and people just pick at it during the afternoon whilst they work.

So after lunch we got back to work and I walked across and got a few more sandwiches (other people were also going back up). An hour or so later I went back and got a few more bits - certainly not platefuls - just a couple of sandwiches, a couple of (bite size) flapjacks and a muffin.

We leave at 5pm. At 4pm someone said “there is so much food left”. That’s all I heard so I assumed it needed using up so I went back and got a few more bits. At this point someone said “Jesus Christ Beth, are you hungry?!”

I said “well it needs using up doesn’t it?” And laughed trying to keep it light hearted. Someone else then said “there is going to be none left for people to take home! No need to be greedy with it”.

Long story short it was apparently agreed that whatever was left would be taken home by those with kids. I did not hear this. I said I hadn’t heard this so someone said “Well no, you won’t have” and rolled their eyes.

was I really out of order here?? The food was there, lots of it. Nobody else was bothering with it. I’m embarrassed but I still don’t really think I did anything wrong? It’s not like I scoffed it all as soon as it came out.

She only went up the last time because there was so much food left.

If I saw that I would be glad the food was being eaten, not begrudge a colleague food.

She only went up the last time because there was so much food left.

Yeah but it will been noticed about the three times before, rightly or wrongly. It does seem excessive to go up that many times.

There is a reason why hotels and cafes remove most buffet food after it has been out for a while, I think health and safety states that it can only be out of the fridge for two hours.

I would not want to take left out buffet food home with me, cakes maybe but not sandwiches or pork pies etc.

Multiple sandwiches and cakes after lunch? Yes, that's greedy. Would I say it? No! They were rude.

So gross the way people can't help themselves when something is free. And so odd to say people with kids should take it home....why would you take food which had come from an unknown source and then sat around all afternoon home?!

My reply would have been " I assumed this was a work buffet not a kids tea party" and then picked up something else and ate it. But then i'm petty :)

Thing is, not everyone loads their plate.

I’m wary of wasting food so I’ll often just take one or two small triangles of sandwiches. Where as others will fill a plate.

And then go back if I’m still hungry.

It doesn’t mean that I’m necessarily eating more than others, just that 8mm taking smaller portions to avoid potential food waste.

Sorry but ai wouldnt be taking old sandwiches and sausage rolls that have been out all day, pokes then stuffed in a bag home yo my kids 😂
I would however have gone up for seconds if there was some left and I was hungry

So you went up FOUR different times and helped yourself to food? Yes it’s really greedy.

Lemme guess, the person who called you out had kids (and had earmarked the leftovers for themselves?)

the person getting personal calling you greedy I'd have reminded them that personal insults are not nice and had they never been told as a child that if they don't have anything nice to say then stfu?

& came up with a similar personal insults to them to hammer home the point.

No its not. Mention of a couple sandwiches (usually cut into 1/4), a few flapjack bites and bits

Not greedy by any means

In our office we do buffets quite often, make an occasion of it, we team up with the office next to us and everyone brings in food, and we take an hour to have a social and eat the food. Nobody takes the piss and everyone brings in something and the left overs are put into the communal kitchen so we can have more if we want. Its a mix of men and women probably 70/30 more women.

Another team have asked to join us when we do them but to be honest we dont want to as its mainly all men and we have observed that when its a full office meeting (as in retirement/maternity etc) we all bring food in except the men from that office but they are all first in the queue eating loads of food, piling their plates high. We do a list so we know who is bringing what to save on duplicates and they never contribute. They have access to the list and their contribution is blank next to their name.

I would never keep score of how many times someone went up to the buffet or make a comment, and as for "taking it home for the kids" who decided that? Not very fair on the people who dont have kids.

‘Why, do their children work here?’

I have a young family on a tight budget but I absolutely don’t see why people with kids should be a priority in this situation. In fact, it’s often more of a pain and more expensive to sort meals the whole time when you’re single.

4 visits to a buffet just because its there and not because you're hungry is greedy.

to say so is rude.

So between 12 and 5 you ate: Lunch and then:

Three more sandwich triangles after lunch

An hour later, more sandwiches (assuming three triangles) two bit sized flapjacks and a muffin.

At 4pm, more bits, assume as above.

I think that is greedy, yes and represents gratuitous eating. However, I don't think you should have been called out and I don't get the food being divied up amongst those with children u less they are families who are dependent on food banks.

I'm not sure I'd notice. If I did I might think 4 times was a lot. It's not so much the taking food that was there to be eaten, as how you could eat so much in an afternoon, but I wouldn't say anything unless it was someone I was very close to and knew the "banter" would be well received. E.g. I have one friend who is proud of his enormous appetite. I wouldn't define it as "greedy" though, even in my head, I'd just be surprised at the healthy appetite.

I do love leftovers to take home so I don't have to do dinner, or if there are some treats to surprise DC with, but I wouldn't dream of complaining that there were none, if it all got eaten during the day.

How petty and greedy of THEM.

It sounds like a lot of food to eat in what a four hour period? If lunch was early at 12 and your fourth attempt at the buffet was at 4 it really does sound like a lot and people had noticed.

You don't actually say how much you had at lunch time but if you consider "a couple more sandwiches" and "a few more sandwiches" plus flapjacks bites and a muffin to be not very much then I am guessing the actual lunch itself was a lot bigger?

So potentially you could have had what 8-10 sandwiches plus extras with lunch plus more flapjack bites and a muffin and you were still keen to go for a fourth round.

Yes it does sound a lot!

They wanted to give their kids the stray bits from the work buffet that had undoubtedly been touched by multiple people, coughed over and left out all afternoon? In my mind that's akin to dumpster diving! I'm not sure people are aware how many people forgo washing their hands after using the loo, men in particular!

Same!

I would think you are being very greedy going back 3 times and getting sandwiches too each time. But I would never say it out loud. I do think it makes sense to give it to those with kids though, although it should be agreed with everyone

In what way does it make sense?

Buffets at your work must be absolutely rank. OP was happy to eat this food herself though

People are weird about food. Some like to feed other people in an overbearing way, some are trying restrict their own eating and observe anyone who eats more, some obsess about the price of food and want to snag any freebies, some won’t eat in public, some have faked being vegetarian for years, some feel guilty about eating unhealthy food. All of these examples are people I currently work with. Post an example of your lunch/your kid’s lunch on here and all the food weirdos come out of the woodwork. I’m probably one myself!

Four different plates of food is greedy. Very greedy. People in the office have obviously noticed. Hence the post.

I am going to hedge a bet that this is one of those threads the OP doesn't return to.

Tbh I would have thought you were greedy going to the buffet four times although I wouldn’t have said it out aloud.
Unless you literally only had a couple of little sandwiches each time, you have probably eaten more than your body needs, which is surely the definition of greedy?