The daily grind compounded with overtime and extended work weeks are driving the dissatisfaction of workers to an all time high. Missing the creature comforts at home, an affordable means of solace is to bring leftovers from the last meal at home to work with you. It allows a person to escape while refueling for the day. The problem with this comes into play when others see these tasty morsels and take them for their own. Serenity is lost when opening the refrigerator door makes the discovery of the theft. A few times of this can drive the desperate to means of unusual revenge to prevent future thefts.
Seeking to defend what is one’s own, a highly visible note is plastered to the outside of the container. Whether in offices, factories, or any other communal working place, most of us have seen these and gotten a chuckle. Sometimes the messages are angry while others rely on their quirkiness in the appeal to the would be food absconder. A Reddit member who goes by the handle Phanton0591 shared an image of the very end of a new mother’s battle with a coffee creamer poacher. Using a neon yellow attachable note, she proudly declares that the contents of the bottle were in fact her breast milk. With more that a little mirth, she informs the person of the organic nature of the product that has been stolen. In the comments following the thread, an aspect of liability by the person who did this is discussed.
An unintended ramification of this revenge could be that the new mother could find herself out of a job. Commentators discussed how the human resources department might not look favorably on this situation. The issue revolves around the thief being unknowingly and with malice of forethought been exposed to bodily fluids. Is there a reasonable expectation for a potential infectious material to be found in an office refrigerator? Does this risk in punishment meet the crime involved? A complex question for any morals class but one that is probably quite straight forward in the eyes of the company.
The most prudent and easiest path for the company would probably be the dismissal of both parties from their employment. No one likes their personal property stolen. However, there are avenues for this that do not involve exposing the thief to bodily fluids. Take notice of this and travel the high road when it comes to bringing that little piece of home to work to munch on at lunch time and discovering that it is gone.
