Office Refrigerator Vent

[jbdreamer]

So how many personal items can you put into the office refrigerator?

I work in an office with about 40 people and share just one refrigerator. For the past two weeks there has been 20+ cans of coke just sitting in the refrigerator, not in a box, and the supply never seems to diminish. Well yesterday I was really in the mood for a soda, so I asked a couple of people about all the coke and no one knew whose it was. We assumed they were left over from an office lunch and were free to take, so I took one.

We'll today I got yelled at by a co-worker for taking something that wasn't mine. Well one, they weren't labeled, two, they are taking over a whole shelf of the fridge, and three, they haven't moved. It's not like I stole a lone can from someones lunch, there is a whole supply taking over a shared refrigerator.

Was I completely rude? I personally think the coke owner is the one without manners. There should be a limit of what you put into a fridge.

 

[Christine]

So how many personal items can you put into the office refrigerator?

I work in an office with about 40 people and share just one refrigerator. For the past two weeks there has been 20+ cans of coke just sitting in the refrigerator, not in a box, and the supply never seems to diminish. Well yesterday I was really in the mood for a soda, so I asked a couple of people about all the coke and no one knew whose it was. We assumed they were left over from an office lunch and were free to take, so I took one.

We'll today I got yelled at by a co-worker for taking something that wasn't mine. Well one, they weren't labeled, two, they are taking over a whole shelf of the fridge, and three, they haven't moved. It's not like I stole a lone can from someones lunch, there is a whole supply taking over a shared refrigerator.

Was I completely rude? I personally think the coke owner is the one without manners. There should be a limit of what you put into a fridge.

You were fine. We have the same issues here. About 60 people sharing two refrigerators. Two weeks ago, someone stored a leaking gallon of milk in one of them. They obviously put it in there on a Friday. When we all came to work on Monday, there was a rotting milk smell. It had leaked all over the refrigerator, somehow gone under it and sat around the heated part at the bottom. It took DAYS to get the smell out and no one would fess up to who did it.

But we have constant problems with people bringing in GALLONS of milk, OJ, dozens of eggs, a weeks supply of frozen dinners, etc. The rules are that you should bring enough food in to get you through the day and that's it. But these people are stockpiling.

 

[kelleigh1]

I do agree that the fact that it's taking over the whole fridge is a little ridiculous. This person really should only put a couple in each day and leave the rest at their desk or something. There's no reason for it to take up all that space. And they should always label their stuff.

But...I think you were in the wrong in taking one without knowing for sure that they weren't left over from a meeting. It may have been better to send out an email to the office to everyone just to check. At my old office, I had butter and jelly that I kept in a bag in the fridge and it drove me nuts when I'd discover that someone else used either one or both items - especially when I was finding crumbs in the butter and butter in the jelly - especially since my purpose for bringing these items in was to save myself a little money. And it was always labeled, although that didn't seem to deter this one person from taking whatever they found.

Good rule of thumb...if you didn't put it in there yourself, you should never assume that it's community.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Good rule of thumb...if you didn't put it in there yourself, you should never assume that it's community.

I have to agree with this...unless there is a 'help yourself!" sign on it or it's for the department (ie - individual creamers)...no touchy.

I bring in my lunch every day.
I put my bag in the fridge.
I MAY leave a yogurt in there over night if I dont' eat it that day.

some people leave 2 weeks worth of food in there. I find that wrong! Like someone else here said - bring enough food to "get you through a day"...don't stockpile the fridge like it's your own.

And to the person who decided to GROCERY SHOP on her lunch break and put EVERYTHING in the fridge...c'mone...couldn't that have been done after work?

omg...someone is BEATING UP our vending machine right now...I can hear it and i sit far away from it...

 

[Maleficent13]

We'll today I got yelled at by a co-worker for taking something that wasn't mine.

Just because I'm curious, how'd this coworker know you took it? If no one you asked knew who it belonged to, how'd someone know who to tell on you?

 

[jbdreamer]

Just because I'm curious, how'd this coworker know you took it? If no one you asked knew who it belonged to, how'd someone know who to tell on you?

The conversation came up because someone brought free bannanas to share this morning (we often have free food) and I mentioned all the soda just sitting there. A co-worker yells, "that's Barbs pop!" And then lecutred me about "stealing."

I don't think Barb (the Coke owner) even knows I took one.

 

[Laura]

Well, I can understand why you took it, but you really shouldn't have. You should apologize and replace the can. But, definitely, there shouldn't be tons of soda cans in there belonging to only one person. We have stockpiling issues at work; some people order from Market Day and have tons of food in the freezer, so much so that I almost can't put my own little frozen meal in there! The fridge is always stuffed full of food, with people keeping a week's worth of yogurt or deli meat or something in there. We have a huge set of fridges in the cafeteria where people can keep that stuff, and they're always 90% empty.

 

[Maleficent13]

A co-worker yells, "that's Barbs pop!" And then lecutred me about "stealing."

This made me

Dontcha love the office police who aren't even involved? But...I would replace Barb's pop and even go so far as to tell her what happened...maybe she'll get the hint she's taking up too much room!

 

[minniecarousel]

I usually work half days, but I'm helping with testing this week. I placed my lunch in the refrig in the staff lounge (in a small corningware dish - with my name on the top!) Glad I don't have to use that fridge very often - pee-yew! it stinks! Must be time to clean the darn thing!
Instead of helping myself to a can of soda, I think I would have left a note, asking who it belonged to. Was it taking up to much room? - no room for other things? Or was it a fairly empty refridge? If it was taking up valuable, needed space, I would want that person to only keep 2-3 cans at a time in there.

 

[ducklite]

The joys of only having eight people in my office and one large fridge. We've all got a ton of stuff in it--the freezer is full of frozen lunches, 1/2 gallons of ice cream, and who knows what else.

The fridge has at least two half gallons of milk plus a quart of non-fat 1/2 & 1/2. There's salad dressings, a few jars of pickles, containers of yogurt, jello, who knows what else.

In the cabinets in our kitchen are boxes and bags of snacks of all types, packets of Kool-Ade, cereal, oatmeal, all sorts of stuff. You could live off the food in this palce for a week or two on any given day.

We all just clean up if we see something that needs cleaning--be it the fridge, the microwave, whatever.

It's actually nice, and we all pretty much share and share alike--although we would never just helpourselves to what is obviously someone's lunch. The other day I brought in a box of Girl Scout Cookies and a canister of Crystal Light "packets"--we have a couple of pitchers in the kitchen to make it in.

Anne