My colleague has thrown my lunch in the bin

[DidYouBINmysushiyouTWAT]

What is the correct etiquette please?

You need not quote directly from Debretts.

If I weren't in the queue for the soggy salmonella sarnies left in Tescos- I'd write a longer OP.

Part Two here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/a2631196-My-colleague-has-twat-me-over-the-head-with-a-courgette - edited by MNHQ

Work fridges are tricky. I used to work in the offices of a police station. The fridge was actually padlocked overnight!!

I'd just be replacing her lunch with something .. 'Alternative ' - like paper clips . Or really really confuse her and replace her chilli with tuna pasta bake . Put her dinner in a different container elsewhere in another fridge , and put her one back in with a different meal in it . The fun I could have .

I used to work in a building where two fridges were used for about 400 people , and loads of people's food was going missing - it being a 24 hour building , the fridges were always full of food . So they put cameras in, and caught one of the security guards happily fridge surfing .

Padlock your lunch to the shelf.

If ever there was a time for the MN buzzword 'entitled' here it is! She sounds like a nightmare!

Dh threw my left over pizza away today claiming a fly had landed on it. I was planning on having it for dinner. I cried big, snotty, sobby, ugly tears. I'm 11 weeks pregnant and not fully capable of cognitive thought today. He looked a bit worried and went to the pasty shop sharpish.

This thread is the best thing to happen on here in AGES. :D

Make little holes in each meat pack and dunk each pack in the loo. Put it back in the fridge.

When I was at uni one of my friends had a fridge rage incident in their halls and ended up wiping some cheese round the loo, drying it off and putting it back.

We have another Fridge Hound who seems to think it's her job to police the fridge. She likes to commentate on what she's binning or removing though "this lunch box is too big for the fridge! Ridiculous! Well it can just stay on the side I'm sorry!" Or "This goes out of date today, who's is it? (Waits a nano-second) No ones? Ok in the bin!" Etc.

She likes to parade out of date items around the office before binning them so people can pretend to be disgusted by it. Didn't go down well when it was the bosses dinner that he'd picked up that lunchtime.

She also goes through colleagues desks binning things (not food items) when they are on holiday.

Just make yourself a sandwich out of her shopping.
Your excuse:
'Well someone threw away my lunch so I've made a sandwich out of the contents of the COMMUNAL fridge. First come, first served. Do you want me to make you one whilst I'm at it. It's communal don't cha know?'
Then laugh in her face as you eat in front of her.
And just keep at it.
Either that or randomly steal things from it throughout the course of the day.
Or both.
This bitch has to be stopped.

I was evil in my work paybacks.

Crack all the eggs but leave them in there.
Open everything but leave it intact.
Open the fridge in front of her and have a coughing/sneezing fit all over the contents. Close it and walk away humming happily.

Hide all the shopping around the building and leave a treasure map in the fridge.

Where are you OP????!!!

OP I need this story to end with a sour face on that cheeky bitch!!

You must work in my old workplace...there was a woman exactly like this there.

It's been ages since I've been in a good PA fridge war

The tactic I used was marvellous. About once a week, something of mine was getting binned/opened/damaged. I knew who it was...the lady who did daily shopping for her large family each morning, leaving about half a shelf for the rest of us. I'd tried asking her (she brazenly denied it) and speaking to management (couldn't do very much without proof). In the end I decided that every day I'd pick whatever looked like the most expensive item in her shopping (usually meat or a big lasagne, that kind of thing) and I cut a massive cross into the top of the packet, leaving it in the fridge with other stuff piled on top to make room for other people. She got gradually more agitated every day and after about 3 weeks burst back into the office shouting and demanding to know who'd ruined her side of salmon. The manager did have a very stern word after that incident and she was told in no uncertain terms that if they really needed to get involved with fridge politics she'd be the first one they'd approach.

Me and some other colleagues actually went out for victory drinks

The problem is that if you truly want to resolve the problem (without putting yourself in hot water), you need to refrain from the retaliation and simply report it to manager (or higher) and if need be, point out that it's theft. The moment you do something stupid back to her, you lose all high ground and place yourself (and possibly your own job) in jeopardy.

I'm at all these suggestions.

limitedperiodonly My cat can dexterously and daintily remove the top half of a ham sandwich, in order to eat the ham, and lick the mayo. Perhaps he is your ham-stealing co-worker. He is a sinister bastard, so I let him get away with it.

Once, in my younger days, I was a proficient fisher-woman. I forgot I'd left a bagful of sprats (non gutted, bought for bait) in the work fridge, before a week's leave. I had some hard-stare looks when I returned.

Nobody ever nicked/threw away my lunch though...

Yes, GingerIvy , but where is the fun in that?

Aramynta Oh, I know, I know. It's all fun to plan insanely evil things to do. Quite another to follow through.

Get someone ( possibly a mumsnetter:) to turn up in a police outfit and interveiw everyone.

Failing that, tell your manager to sort it out/ get her her own fridge.

Or take a few days off with food poisoning from someone keeping raw meat in the office fridge. Go to HR and say they have a duty of care and you plan to sue. ( also update your cv at the same time)

Unapologetic place mark. Love the head in the jar idea.

I cannot take credit for this idea...saw it on FB.

A note was left after a lunch had been stolen (a sandwhich). The sandwhich kidnapper (who did it all the time) would post a pic on the fridge with a bite taken from it. Then another note would be left demanding it back.....this then continued until all the sandwhich had gone.

It stopped when HR, left a note...telling the kidnapper they would be fired....

This thread is the best one for ages! Lol I'm only here for the courgette cock! Classic. Please please please update us tomorrow!!!

The treasure map and mumsnetter in police uniform are GENIUS 😂

This should be in classics...

Some of these ideas are brilliant I think I will refer to this thread often when I eventually return to the workplace!

I absolutely LOVE the suggestions on this thread! I love a bit of revenge. How about printing a note tonight from your home computer to say something along the lines of 'Once upon a time, there was a lonely prince named (insert food of choice here - I'm going for Prince Pork Chop), in the kingdom of Fridgetopia. It was a dark, cold mysterious land, thieves lurked in the shadows and rumours of kidnappings were rife. One day however, a lovely fair maiden named Sushi wandered in the town and he knew instantly he was in love, he would do anything to make her his princess. Suddenly out of the darkness, a bright light blinded him.... he couldn't focus... a rush of warm air... a strange creature appeared seemingly ripping his world apart... then.... DARKNESS. He jumped up and tried to gather his thoughts, it was then he saw something terrifying. The beautiful maiden had been taken, 'The rumours are true!' he thought. He gathered everyone he could find, Mrs Pea and all her children, Dr Stilton and the Steak brothers all came running to his aid. With one mighty push they opened the crack where the creature had appeared moments before and went off searching for the young maiden. They vowed to never return and would encourage all their fellow foodie friends to follow them until the maiden returned.'

Ok I have too much time on my hands

Comedy gold! This thread has cheered me up after a grim day. Looking forward to update and 'revenge' story.

I saw that FB one - it was totally genius. I'll try and find it.