And my co-worker just told me .....

[kwelch10377]

Then let it go. I like pakey's "red herring" key solution.

I am going to say something to my boss, more so because of how funny it is, but I dont' plan on filing a report of anything. My boss knows how ridiculous my coworker can be so she knows that there is really no threat. If she says anything to her it wil be about her going into my cube and taking it, not what she said.

I do like pakey's idea too.....hmmmm off to go find a key that look like that one.

 

[C.Ann]

I would get a key that looks the same but doesn't open the door and leave it where she can easily find it. Then I'd watch the frustration and enjoy it.

Love it!!!

On a more serious note, that definitely sounds like a "threat" to me - and I can think of any number of places where someone would be fired for making said threat..

Good luck - and please be sure to let us know if you trick her with a "fake" key.. Priceless!!

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

We can't. I work for a huge company and there are lot of regulations for keys to offices and storage closets.

I would be very careful. I know that you feel that she isn't a threat, but the fact that she takes a key that she isn't allowed to have would make me incredibly cautious.

I'd be more afraid that this key is going to wind up missing and you'd get blamed for it. Where I work, whoever is responsible for the key would be held responsible if something happened. That worries me more than the "take it outside" comment.

 

[kwelch10377]

Yes yes make a fake key with the same keychain! Wonder what she is stealing from the cabinet. I probably would have told her to go on outside and tell her Id meet her out there then watch from the window to see how long she waits. Silly girl. How old is this woman? She sounds a bit " off" . I think you should file a written report about the key going missing, so when it disappears again (and it will, now she will be rifling through all your belongings to find it). She seems to lack boundaries.

Oh she is totally off, but I am pretty sure she isn't taking anything. The only think worth any value in there are the coupons, but I would know if some where missing. I have sat next to her for about 3 years now and I know more about her personal life than I ever want to. I think I could write a daily post about her and her drama. I think she is 38 or 39.

 

[jen0610]

Oh she is totally off, but I am pretty sure she isn't taking anything. The only think worth any value in there are the coupons, but I would know if some where missing. I have sat next to her for about 3 years now and I know more about her personal life than I ever want to. I think I could write a daily post about her and her drama. I think she is 38 or 39.

You could keep us entertained daily, like Evil Genuis use to. But, all good things came to an end when she switched jobs, and she left her crazy co-worker behind.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I would be very careful. I know that you feel that she isn't a threat, but the fact that she takes a key that she isn't allowed to have would make me incredibly cautious.

I'd be more afraid that this key is going to wind up missing and you'd get blamed for it. Where I work, whoever is responsible for the key would be held responsible if something happened. That worries me more than the "take it outside" comment.

THIS!!!!!

If you are the 'keeper of the key' to the storage closet... Then you need to take responsibility for that, and not leave it openly available for those, like your coworker, who will make off with the key, and whatever else they wish to pilfer from the closet.

You really, REALLY, need to be CYA here.

She TOOK the key (which you admit is subject to company policy).
And, she issued a threat.

You do not need to be laughing this off..
I would documenting EVERYTHING.
And, again, secure the darned key.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'd take that as a threat too. I'd report it to HR.

I agree with this. Physical threat, not cool.

 

[LisaNJ25]

You could keep us entertained daily, like Evil Genuis use to. But, all good things came to an end when she switched jobs, and she left her crazy co-worker behind.

That was a sad day

 

[kwelch10377]

Everyone that reports directly to my boss is allowed to have access to the closet (we just can't have more than 2 keys for it), there just really isn't anything in there for people to really need to go in it on a regular basis. There are old files, some office supplies that don't fit in the cabninet that is out in the open, older computers and just random stuff. People would notice if she or anyone else was stealing stuff out of there. The reason why I have one of the keys at my desk is because I have to go in there almost daily for what I have stored in there and it wouldn't make sense for anyone else to keep it at their desk and me having to keep going to ask them for it.

This girl tends to hoard things and typically results in her putting stuff in the closet, not taking anything out. She also spends a lot of time trying to reorganize things in there because of all the crap she puts in there.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Access to the closet, and access / ability to make off with the key are two very different things.

Seriously, if everyone was allowed to have keys, there wouldn't be a two-key policy.

 

[disykat]

Wow - I never even thought of the fight meaning of "take it outside." I was assuming she didn't want to be overheard in a cubicle farm.

 

[sunnyday123]

I would've taken off my earrings and heels and said, "let's go."

Seriously though, I'd tell my boss asap, it would really tick me off that she was going through my stuff, and that was an out and out threat.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Wow - I never even thought of the fight meaning of "take it outside." I was assuming she didn't want to be overheard in a cubicle farm.

Generally, when there is a disagreement and the phrase "take it outside" comes into play, it usually means a physical altercation... formerly taking squabbles outside to a back alley or whatnot, as long as it didn't occur in a bar/place of business.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I would talk to your manager.

But also, it seems to me that your environment is not set up efficiently. If there is stuff in the closest that only you should have access to (coupons? I'm not sure), but other stuff that everybody can use, then the stuff only you should have access to should get moved to a different location. That way anyone can get to the storage closet for what them need.

 

[disykat]

Generally, when there is a disagreement and the phrase "take it outside" comes into play, it usually means a physical altercation... formerly taking squabbles outside to a back alley or whatnot, as long as it didn't occur in a bar/place of business.

Oh, I've heard the phrase before. It just didn't occur to me that someone would actually use it in the workplace! My mind simply didn't go there. I was thinking more along the lines of "this is not the place for this conversation."

 

[Belle0101]

Everyone that reports directly to my boss is allowed to have access to the closet (we just can't have more than 2 keys for it), there just really isn't anything in there for people to really need to go in it on a regular basis. There are old files, some office supplies that don't fit in the cabninet that is out in the open, older computers and just random stuff. People would notice if she or anyone else was stealing stuff out of there. The reason why I have one of the keys at my desk is because I have to go in there almost daily for what I have stored in there and it wouldn't make sense for anyone else to keep it at their desk and me having to keep going to ask them for it.

This girl tends to hoard things and typically results in her putting stuff in the closet, not taking anything out. She also spends a lot of time trying to reorganize things in there because of all the crap she puts in there.

Just because I'm curious - Where is her hoard coming from? What kind of stuff is she hoarding?

 

[kwelch10377]

I would talk to your manager.

But also, it seems to me that your environment is not set up efficiently. If there is stuff in the closest that only you should have access to (coupons? I'm not sure), but other stuff that everybody can use, then the stuff only you should have access to should get moved to a different location. That way anyone can get to the storage closet for what them need.

There is no other location to move the stuff too. It is the only locked closet that my team has the ability to use. There are boxes of these coupons so it isn't as easy as just putting them in a drawer that locks either. There really in nothing else in that closet that people need to get to. It is rare that anyone else other than her needs to get in there and like I said the reason why she needs to go in there as much as she does is because she is constantly putting any free crap that she get from other depts in there. Her reasoning for always wanting all the free stuff is "just in case we need it". We never need it.

I did say something to my boss, she laughed very hard about her comment. We both know it would never be threat that would be carried out. She was ticked at the fact that she went in my cube without me there and didn't return what she took even after I previously said something to her. My boss told me that she would let her know that going foward since she could not return things back where they belong she would let her in the closet when needed.

This was never an issue about her not being allowed in there since she is allowed access to it she just couldn't have her own key bc each office and storage closests are only allowed 2 keys bc if we just started issuing keys to everyone that might need access the company would never be able to keep track of everything, it was that she went in my cube without telling me and she didn't return what she took.

 

[kwelch10377]

Just because I'm curious - Where is her hoard coming from? What kind of stuff is she hoarding?

One example is a few months ago Staples brand group (I work for Staples) put a TON of free stuff out that anyone could take. I can't even explain to you the amount of stuff that she took. Some of it was useful, most of it was jsut crap that we will never use but because it was free she took it "just in case". We also have a mock store that they set up store layouts and such and whenever they are redoing a set they put out any stuff that we no longer carry and we don't have to ship back to the vendor. We she is always all over that whether or not we need it and guess where it goes.

She has a lot of issues and her hoarding this stuff is part of her issue.

 

[ckret01]

that if I couldn't talk to her in a professional manner we could take out conversation outside.

.

In my neck of the woods, it's called 'Parking Lot Therapy"

 

[C.Ann]

I did say something to my boss, she laughed very hard about her comment. We both know it would never be threat that would be carried out. She was ticked at the fact that she went in my cube without me there and didn't return what she took even after I previously said something to her. My boss told me that she would let her know that going foward since she could not return things back where they belong she would let her in the closet when needed..

Uh oh! Don't go outside alone after work..