At your workplace, what would you do if someone kept eating your lunch while you weren't looking?

Question

There is a man that keeps eating my sister's lunch at work, because he gives the excuse that he thought it was left over from a luncheon. How would you go about handling this situation? The containers are clearly marked with her name, too...but that doesn't seem to discourage him!

Answer 1

i'd talk to him first. if after that he still continues to eat my lunch, i'd just prepare 2 packs then charge him for what he eats. its not like he's starving or destitute cos he has a job.

Answer 2

I'd put a special ingredient in my food sometime (nothing dangerous, but something enough to either make the food taste disgusting while still looking & smelling normal, or something to keep the person on the toilet for a while). Mark it carefully with your sister's name as usually. He shouldn't be touching food that clearly doesn't belong to him.

I know someone who put an old sponge into a cake, covered it with cream and put it in a box marked with his name. The person who had been stealing his food for weeks never did so again.

Answer 3

Technically, that is Workplace Theft. He is stealing from your sister, and he could lose his job because of it.

Threaten him with that, and tell him you will bring it to the attention of your, your sister's, and/or his supervisors.

Or, if you don't want to do that, I like Canela's laxatives idea a lot. Have your sister make two lunches, one that looks just like what she brings now (labeled with her name and everything), only loaded with ex-lax (LOTS - enough to make it REALLY affect him); and one lunch without her name on it. IMMEDIATELY after he has eaten the laxative-laced lunch (and before he has to run to the restroom - so he knows you are telling him the truth), tell him what he has just eaten. Also tell him that every once in a while, in the future, your sister will do the same thing she did today (even if she never does - but he doesn't have to know that). After he is finished passing everything, I'll bet he leaves your sister's lunches alone from then on.
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Answer 4

When I worked at a school, people would "accidentally" take my pens, scissors, etc. Most didn't mean it, but still, I was buying new pens and stuff all of the time.

To remedy it, I put labels on everything saying "Stolen from Julie". Maybe your sister could put a bizillion labels (maybe using florescent labels!) on the bag, the sandwich wrapper, the bag of chips, etc.

If this doesn't work, I'd talk to HR. But I'd not make a fake lunch and have it full of nasty stuff. That kind of stuff could bite you in the a$$.

Answer 5

If the behaviour is repetitive, I'd probably sit down one-on-one with the offender outside of work and if that failed seek help from above.

If it's just a one-time thing, I'd eat some of his food in response [eye for an eye] or something equivalent. Something small, not too destructive, and recognizable [to the offender, at least] as a warning.

Answer 6

Next time she should leave a container with her name on it in the fridge with a really tasty sandwich in it , with a big cockroach hidden in the middle. Hee hee!! Okay not a cockroach, but something that will taste really bad and disgusting, like some slimy rotten sprouts or a big lump of Marmite.

Answer 7

I guess it would be inappropriate if she had someone knock the s*&^ of of him. What a moron!! What if she didn't mark it? If that doesn't help, report him to HR or buy a cooler and keep your lunch at your desk.
Sorry, that there are so many rude and inconsiderate people out there.

Answer 8

Buy some Blair's 2am or Dave's Ultimate Insanity hot sauce. A few times getting a hold of that stuff might make him think twice. If he happens to have a reaction to it, maybe he shouldn't be getting into other's belongings.

Answer 9

Don`t say anything more to the creep ! Put dead flies in the sandwiches , or whatever , every day , Tell your sister to keep her real lunch somewhere else .

No matter what , she should deny knowing anything about this !

Her problem should be solved !

Answer 10

This used to happen where I used to work and the person did just as many other answerers have suggested....tainted the food. In her case I think she made laxative brownies or something, but he definitely got the point and it didn't happen again. Best Wishes!