Picture this. You are in a pleasant office environment where everyone gets along for the most part. It’s an office full of mostly women, a few men here and there, but the estrogen in the air usually makes the male species run for cover. There is no drama, well almost none, and the office politics are cut down to a minimum. Everything is groovy….
But you are short staffed and must hire someone new to pick up the slack. A smooth easygoing guy comes in and has the qualifications and instincts to get the job done. You do a check of his references and contact his last employer and all is good, so you decide to give him a job offer which he accepts.
He starts the next week and amazingly, he fits right in. And not only that, but he’s a hard worker and is able to cut through his stack of files in record time.
The perfect ending right?
WRONG.
You and your co-workers notice that things are starting to come up missing. Your bestie in the office brings in a Lean Cuisine every day for lunch and when she went in the break room fridge that afternoon, it was GONE.
Office supplies are being used in record speed. Where is all of the ink and toner and staples going?
The last straw was when the secretary could not find her wallet. It was in her purse when she arrived at work but now is gone, without a trace.
Could it be?
The aforementioned scenario happened a few years ago in the office I was working in. As the HR administrator, it was my job to check out the situation, hear all of the stories, and base everything on fact and the employee handbook and nothing else.
Come to find out that this employee we hired was stealing everything in the office that was not tied down.
Of course he was fired.
In an office with many people, there is a factor of trust that must be taken account. You are with these people eight hours a day, sometimes more, and without trust, how can you work efficiently? Thievery in the office is more common than most people think, and must he handled before it gets out of hand.
Be smart. Never leave your purse or important personal items and things of value unattended. If you have an office, when you leave, lock the door. Even if it is for a bathroom break. Never leave valuable items in your office overnight. Keep an eye on your surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to your supervisor, management, or building security.
Cubicle Chicks and Dudes, always keep your eyes open and never let your guard down. Being smart can avoid this type of workplace drama.
this is one thing I have never been comfortable doing—leaving my purse unattended at work. You just never know what your co-workers could be going through, so I never take that chance
Yes! I think some people get relaxed in the workplace and begin thinking it's okay to let their guards down. But you can't do that. Someone is always looking to take advantage.
I've worked in a number of offices, and my experience is that this kind of thing is not rare, but not all that common either. But stolen food from the fridge & freezer? I've seen that everywhere!!