Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Someone at work tampered with my food and Baby's EBM!!! ---- Long post.

125 replies

Ice · 14/10/2004 02:47

Before I go on, I just want to let you all know I am a regular but have changed my name as I may be recognized if anyone who works with me is a mnetter

I am very upset, this happend yesturday(tues) We have a fridge in chamging room at work. I leave shopping in there and lunch etc. And most of all my expressed breast milk. For some time I have noticed that when I leave shopping it looks like it has been moved/touched. So yestueday I wanted to save some of my meal for today, I tied up the bag and put a bow in with a mark in the middle of bow so that I'd know if it had been touched. Later on, I expressed and tied the bag up and put it in fridge behind my shopping.
At the end of my shift I went to the fridge and there was my bag, ripped open!!! I was shocked and looked at it, I then looked at the milk bag and saw the milk was a funny colour, I opened it and it looked funny. I informed the shift manager and showed her the bag, I told her to come and look at the milk, she saw it and was very upset. I threw the food away as there is no way I was going to eat it. I said there's no way i'm givin my baby the milk. She then looked at her shopping and saw that some was missing, so the stupid b who messed with my stuff must have pinched her stuff too.
I was so angry I was shaking. to cut a long story short, they are taking this very seriously (as they should) There was only 4of us females working that night, so that leaves 2 suspects, 1 of them i doubt would have done it and she finished 1/2hr before me. But the other one finished an hour before, she is very horrible and does not like it if I give her a job to do. Everyone at work says she weird.

I am soooooo upset about all of this and ended up crying today at work. One of the managers and another colegue consoled me, hugging me etc. I just feel like what if the milk has been tampered with before, and I have given it to baby!! Infact I am almost crying now as I think of it. Manager in charge that night is trying to see if I can put milk i the canteen fridge which is locked, in the mean time, I have brought some ice gel packs and put the milk in a cool bag with them today.
Big manager talked to me today and there have been team briefings, manager breifings and the like.

I really need some kind words and even some advice as to where I go from here. I am worried what I will do when I see her next, I know I have no concrete evidence it was her, and that a male could have gone in there, but I just have a feeling it was her, should I say something? the next time I see her will be on Sat. I feel like just not going in cos I dont know what I will do. But why should I stay at home when I haven't done any wrong!!

Sorry it was such a long post!!

OP posts:
almost40 · 14/10/2004 03:02

Sorry Ice! Horrible. I don't understand why someone would tamper with your EBM? I would just advise that you just use the coolbag and gel packs and not use the community fridge. It sounds like you are certain who it is, but I think if you haven't seen her do it, you can't confront her head-on. How would you feel about asking her whether she noticed if anyone had gone thru the stuff and see how she reacts? Sorry not much help. . .

Original poster
Ice · 14/10/2004 03:20

almost40--- thanks for replying. I dont know if I could keep my cool. I really dont know how I'll react to even seeing her. I will have to be very calm because I dont want to end up in trouble. I just want to get to the bottom of all this.
I really hope managers find out who it was.

and you are a help

OP posts:
AussieSim · 14/10/2004 03:46

Do you have a HR team Ice. Your Manager and a HR rep should interview all the people who had access to the fridge. Even if the culprit is not found it will let them know that the matter is being taken very seriously. HTH

jabberwocky · 14/10/2004 04:03

How horrible for you! I used the cool bag and gel packs the entire time for my EBM and it was fine. It sounds like that is the safest thing for you and will ease your mind about this not happening again. I hope they nail the b*h!

Stripymouse · 14/10/2004 08:31

That is awful. When you say it was a funny colour, you don?t think she actually tampered with the contents? If she did, this is so very very serious. I dread to think about what she/he might have put in there - TBH I would have insisted that my manager call the police. Someone has committed a crime by stealing and potentially done a lot worse by trying to hurt your child. If they had been involved from the start they would have sent your milk off to be analysed at the hospital to identify the contents for peace of mind/knowing one way or the other.
You must talk to your boss again and let them know how strongly you feel, how frustrating it is that it is so difficult to resolve and that you have a lot of issues about working with these women that are clearly under suspicion. Be honest, lay it on the line and see what they suggest - diff. shifts a possibility?
Sorry to sound dramatic but I think it is really really awful am still amazed that the police weren?t involved - hugs are all very well but they haven?t sorted it out. Sure, the police may not have caught the person doing this but if only two women are suspected, they could have frightened whoever is doing it and had it all on file in case there are any future problems.
What about asking them to get one of those small mini fridges that are lockable? Don?t cost a lot and could put one in the locker room rather than having to wander through the canteen with EBM.
Whatever you do - don?t confront her. If it isn?t her then it would be awful. It is is, then she is a sick person with problems and by confronting her you could make her worse - no win IMO. Sorry
Hope you sort it out soon.

handlemecarefully · 14/10/2004 08:41

This is awful and leaves me cold so god knows how you must be feeling. I'm with Stripymouse - this IS a matter for the police and they should be called in.

melsy · 14/10/2004 08:53

Im so sorry Ice , I just read this and felt so upset for you. Thats just the most base revolting thing to do. I hope your company are able to repremand the whomever is doing this as that is surely akin to poisening?

Unfortunately I think there may have to be visual evidence of tampering brought to the police to press any charges. Its possible that you may have to set it up again to see what happens withught the person knowing the managment have been informed.

pamina3 · 14/10/2004 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pixiefish · 14/10/2004 09:02

I agree with Stripymouse that you shouldn't confront her but should leave that to your bosses. Also agree that the police should have been called. One point that you bring up is whether she's done this before or not- can I console you and say she probably hasn't- you'd have noticed the colour- the baby's ok as well so she probably hasn't.
I use a cool bag at work and that's ok- some people are a bit funny about ebm- I know they weren't keen on me using the communal fridge!

Pidge · 14/10/2004 09:04

Don't know what to say except I'm really shocked. I left EBM in my work fridge for months and months, it's just horrifying to think that someone could tamper with the milk.

coppertop · 14/10/2004 09:10

What sort of a lousy low-life would you have to be to tamper with a baby's milk FFS!??!!

Sorry you've had to go through all this. xxx

Chuffed · 14/10/2004 09:23

Ice - big hugs. Everybody has given great advice and I can't really add to it but just remember how great a mum you are that you listened to your gut instinct and followed through and have proved that this has happened.

Fennel · 14/10/2004 09:26

that's so awful . I hope they take it seriously. not sure what to suggest but I hope it's made clear to everyone how much it matters.

(((hugs))) from another who keeps EBM in a communal fridge (hidden in a tesco bag).

Angeliz · 14/10/2004 09:32

I agree with Stripmouse, it should be a police matter as it could be VERY serious obviously.
What kind of sick freak tampers with babys milk!!??
Please let us know how you get on++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Papillon · 14/10/2004 09:37

She is truely a weird and strange character if she has been tampering with you expressed milk!

Perhaps rather than accusing her with no evidence - you should let her know what happened to you and how upsetting it is that someone did this and how could they do such a thing unless they are sick in the head. She probably won´t confess but letting her know in a roundabout way that actions have consequences and that management is treating the issue very seriously might put the wind up her skirt.

Wonderful that the management is supporting you. Take care.

Oooggs · 14/10/2004 10:53

That is sick . I hope this get taken to the top. Your poor baby, I am glad you noticed and the feed wasn't used. I agree the police should be informed. I hope you are ok. Keep us informed of progress.

bundle · 14/10/2004 10:55

this is v serious, a disciplinary issue imo

Marina · 14/10/2004 11:02

Ice, you've had great advice here, just so sorry and shocked for you about this. Makes me realise how lucky I was to be able to trust my colleagues. Please let us know what happens next. Huge hugs to you, it is so hard to combine paid work with continuing to b/f without this scary hassle.

Kayleigh · 14/10/2004 11:08

Ice, I am so shocked that this could happen, just can't believe that someone would do this to a babys milk FFS . Am glad your company is taking it seriously. What a horrible situation for you.

NomDePlume · 14/10/2004 11:17

This is terrible, I would be shaken too in your position . Hope it all gets sorted out soon. Hugs

sobernow · 14/10/2004 11:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bundle · 14/10/2004 11:24

also cool bag not really good enough, though, i believe employer providing suitable storage ie fridge for ebm is a legal requirement

sobernow · 14/10/2004 11:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KangaMummy · 14/10/2004 11:48

I am so shocked

Is there any way of getting CCTV put into the room where staff belongs are kept what happens to handbags coats etc? I know that will not help by saturday

Could you put some ink or something on the inside of the bag so that when she unties the knot she gets ink on ther hands and then you will know. Could use food colouring maybe yellow or the same colour as bag red on red bag. It would stain the hands and then would be obvious.

Does this woman have children? I think she must be weird to do this.

hana · 14/10/2004 11:53

Ice, that's awful. So sorry and I hope there is a resolution soon.

Swipe left for the next trending thread