“Devious Lunch Revenge: How I Turned My Office Kitchen into a Culinary Trap!”
When certain coworkers make other people’s lives needlessly difficult, it’s not uncommon for them—and might even be advisable—to address the issue with their superior. After all, managing people is usually part of their job description.
“Superiors need to help create norms in the workplace of treating each other with respect. That is their job,” Dr. West said, adding that they should make sure that the same way people don’t steal ideas and credit and petty cash, they shouldn’t steal food, either.
“We take food theft at work lightly, but I do think it’s a sign of character. Imagine, for a moment, that you went on a date with someone and found out that they were a chronic food stealer,” West suggested. “Would you go out with them again? Or you were interviewing someone for a job. Would you hire them? I wouldn’t. This is one of those small behaviors worth a thousand words.”
Dr. Robertson seconded the idea that it is imperative that the supervisors take an active interest in the problem, which should include taking steps to identify the perpetrator—if not known—and to punish them (when identified). “Failure to do so will likely contribute to negative attitudes about the supervisor and maybe even the organization as a whole,” he added.
Talking about the victim taking revenge on the food thief themselves, the expert noted that retribution of any kind is risky, given the potential for escalation that could lead to very serious outcomes, such as workplace violence, for example.
“In any case, messing with the food is a relatively passive-aggressive approach to addressing the problem, and likely to be less effective than a more direct, assertive confrontation that addresses the issue head-on,” Dr. Robertson said, pointing out why taking the same approach the OP did might not always work. Some redditors in the comments also suggested that it’s better not to mess with food at work, even if it’s yours.
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