Is this stealing?

[KristiMc]

Anyone who works in a big institution like a courthouse, a school (particularly a public school), a hospital, a state university, any kind of govt agency-knows this dynamic. We call the staff who make the whole thing move every day: receptionists, food service, sanitation, grounds, security LIFERS. Because they are. They come in in their 20's and leave in their 50's and 60's with a pension. They tend to be very rigid. If the food trays are coming at 7am, they will not bring you one at 6:30am. Things have to be a certain way. In order to work with them over the years, I learned to ask about their children and who is graduating and who is in Afghanistan and who just had a baby and of COURSE I want to see pictures. This way, whenever I needed something off schedule or requiring extra work, I had an extra pair of hands. Creamer Lady will respond to being super nice.

This is very insulting. I work in a school kitchen and I and most of the other ladies that work with me are not LIFERS as you put it. I actually have a college degree but chose to stay home with my kids instead of putting them in day care. Now that they are older and in school, a job at the school is perfect to have to still be able to get them to and from activities. How you treat your fellow co-workers is rude.

 

[low-key]

Anything taken from the workplace is not stealing, it just getting a fair compensation for your underpayment

 

[CarolAnn856]

Anyone who works in a big institution like a courthouse, a school (particularly a public school), a hospital, a state university, any kind of govt agency-knows this dynamic. We call the staff who make the whole thing move every day: receptionists, food service, sanitation, grounds, security LIFERS. Because they are. They come in in their 20's and leave in their 50's and 60's with a pension. They tend to be very rigid. If the food trays are coming at 7am, they will not bring you one at 6:30am. Things have to be a certain way. In order to work with them over the years, I learned to ask about their children and who is graduating and who is in Afghanistan and who just had a baby and of COURSE I want to see pictures. This way, whenever I needed something off schedule or requiring extra work, I had an extra pair of hands. Creamer Lady will respond to being super nice.

Wow. How incredibly condescending.

 

[bcla]

Anything taken from the workplace is not stealing, it just getting a fair compensation for your underpayment

There was a well known ice cream place in Oakland that burned due to arson. Apparently the night manager and an accomplice had removed some equipment first. Of course there were allegations that the owner encouraged them to do it for insurance money because they couldn't otherwise afford to remodel.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/2-year-sentences-in-Fentons-arson-case-2-year-2653946.php
https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/fire-and-ice-cream/Content?oid=1075299&showFullText=true

 

[sunshinehighway]

I like to nail people like this down right away by killing them with kindness. Just ask her if there is a charge for the coffee creamer with your nicest voice. Because there is most certainly NO charge for the creamer, she will have to look you in your polite, honest, smiling face and tell you so. A big 'ol thanks and a smile and it won't come up again. Honestly, some people get hung up on the pettiest things.

Yes, it's clearly other people who are petty.

 

[kimmar067]

NO, it's not stealing.
That said, I think the issue is that you take several back to your room rather than just taking your coffee to that central place and adding in the creamer you want right then. if you had been putting creamer into your coffee instead of your pocket I doubt anyone would care at all

....I was just going to suggest that to the OP - bring your cup of coffee THERE and use the creamer. This way, you cannot be accused of 'stealing', either by innuendo, or outright.

 

[thinkerbell]

Thanks all for your input. Lunchroom manager is nice enough and we are on good terms. She likes my husband more, I think, because he jokes around with her. I like the idea of taking my own cup down and putting the creamer in there. Not sure why that never occurred to me. Well... I guess I never thought of it because dropping it in my pocket was working really well. If I have too much other stuff in my hands to carry it, I guess I could always get a child to hold my stuff or my cup if necessary.
I'm glad to know others don't see it as stealing. I've just got to drop it and stop dwelling on it. I wanted to talk to her about it but I am a little afraid that would probably make it a bigger situation than it has to be. I normally am not a worrier. I just hate someone thinking something about me that is not true.

 

[thinkerbell]

My only question is where does the money come from for the cafeteria coffee, cream, and sugar? If people who drink that coffee usually put in a dollar a week or otherwise contribute to a fund, and you don't, I can see how she would consider it stealing. If the coffee, cream, and sugar are provided by the PTO (or the principal, or cafeteria manager) for use by all employees, it's not stealing.

Money comes from school funds. Not sure if it is cafeteria, PTO, or general funds but I'm 100% sure it is not her own money. This has been done for many years and she has been in this position for two years.

I'm going to be the lone wolf and say YES. Especially if it's frequent if it happens by more than one person.

Cafeteria prices are low for a reason. But as the number of people who do it increases, the cafeteria prices go up. If you need a few packets.... drop a dime in the tip jar for each one.

We don't have a tip jar. That would make it a little easier, I guess. Then I would have been paying for it all along...or drinking my coffee black.

 

[soccerdad72]

There was a well known ice cream place in Oakland that burned due to arson. Apparently the night manager and an accomplice had removed some equipment first. Of course there were allegations that the owner encouraged them to do it for insurance money because they couldn't otherwise afford to remodel.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/2-year-sentences-in-Fentons-arson-case-2-year-2653946.php
https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/fire-and-ice-cream/Content?oid=1075299&showFullText=true

What does this have to do with the topic in any way?

 

[bcla]

What does this have to do with the topic in any way?

There was a comment that stealing stuff from the workplace was just compensation for being underpaid. I guess a jukebox and ice cream equipment were what they considered compensation.

 

[mom2rtk]

There was a comment that stealing stuff from the workplace was just compensation for being underpaid. I guess a jukebox and ice cream equipment were what they considered compensation.

Yeah, I think that was a joke.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Don't give this one another thought OP, your CM is a bit punishing. Ignore and move on. COFFEEGATE2017

 

[bcla]

Yeah, I think that was a joke.

I got that. But some people have actually stolen stuff from the workplace because they felt their compensation was inadequate. I knew someone (a loan officer) who went to jail because he cashed checks written by clients. He asked his clients to sign checks without a name for "appraisals" and he wrote in his name. He claimed that he felt he was underpaid.

 

[sam_gordon]

I got that. But some people have actually stolen stuff from the workplace because they felt their compensation was inadequate. I knew someone (a loan officer) who went to jail because he cashed checks written by clients. He asked his clients to sign checks without a name for "appraisals" and he wrote in his name. He claimed that he felt he was underpaid.

So you knew it was a joke but decided to respond with "facts", and then doubled down when asked why you responded with facts?

 

[littleblackegg]

This is very insulting. I work in a school kitchen and I and most of the other ladies that work with me are not LIFERS as you put it. I actually have a college degree but chose to stay home with my kids instead of putting them in day care. Now that they are older and in school, a job at the school is perfect to have to still be able to get them to and from activities. How you treat your fellow co-workers is rude.

I am truly sorry for offending anyone.

 

[here757]

If you never bought your own.. then yes
But I read you normally keep a bottle in your room,when you run out then u get a few? So no.
The person who brings a gallon size ziplock and fills it up to take home is the thief