Boomer Secretary Shows Her 'Entitlement' By Stealing From All The Desks In Her Office
Her younger co-workers couldn't believe her actions.
stockfour / Shutterstock Boomers and younger generations are notorious for arguing over almost everything. Recently, this arguing bled over into a workplace dispute between the only boomer in the office and all of her fellow employees.
A boomer employee stole from all of the other employees in her office.
An employee posted on Reddit to share her office’s recent experience and see what others had to say after their boomer secretary was caught stealing from everyone in the office.
“There’s one boomer that works in our department,” she said. “She’s the secretary, so she comes in at 7:00 a.m., and everyone else comes in at 7:30.”
“The other day, she was late (rare occasion), and as soon as she came in, she came to my desk and took one of my K-cups,” the employee explained. “She then proceeded to try and use it at my Keurig on my desk. I asked her what she was doing. She said because it’s out, she figured it was for anyone. I said, ‘No, the things I bring in and pay for and leave at my desk are not for everyone.’”
At that point, this employee decided it was time to discuss the situation with her co-workers. “I told some co-workers what happened, and they all said they would come in and get the feeling someone had been rifling through their things,” she said. “So, we decided someone would come in early and sit in the conference room looking over our desks and see what was going on before we came in.”
The office’s small undercover operation paid off. “We discovered she would come in and take things from people’s desks,” she said. “She makes coffee from my machine, makes an oatmeal packet from a box someone leaves at their desk, [uses] honey from someone else’s desk, and in the meantime goes desk to desk and goes through people’s things.”
The group of employees talked to their boss about the situation. “We went to our boss and had a meeting to discuss what we knew was going on,” she said. “This lady saw no fault in what she did. She kept saying if it’s out, then anyone can use it. Why leave it out if you don’t want people to touch it?”
The boss told the secretary to stop using other people’s things, but no one thought she would heed those instructions, unfortunately. The group is now locking up their personal belongings in their filing cabinets. But the story didn’t end there.
“After that, we realized all the other liberties she takes with people’s things. Using hand lotion without asking, taking candy off someone’s desk, using someone’s creamer in the fridge,” she said. “We keep telling her enough is enough, but she really thinks she has a right to these things.”
The employee couldn't believe the behavior she witnessed. “The entitlement is unreal,” she said. “I’ve never in my life worked with someone that behaves this way.”
Why are there so many differences between millennials and boomers that are difficult to overcome?
Forbes pointed out that there is an apparent “power struggle” between millennials and boomers.
“Some of the perceived generational conflicts [come] from real demographics. Millennials are already the largest segment of the workforce, and that dominance will only grow in the coming years,” the outlet explained.
Adding, “On the other hand, top leadership tends to lean more toward baby boomers … Therefore, it is understandable that people might latch onto a narrative that the growing power of millennials in the workplace is somehow a threat to baby boomers.”
If millennials and boomers are engaged in a power struggle in the workforce, this secretary, as the only boomer in her department, is likely to feel outnumbered.
She may be resorting to sneaky tactics as some kind of coping mechanism. Or as part of the generational divide, she may truly believe her actions are innocent.
While her behavior is unacceptable, meeting it with a little kindness wouldn’t hurt.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.