Worker Admits They're Tired Of Their Co-Workers Stealing The New Pens & Sweets In A Candy Jar They Buy Themselves
Most of their co-workers just take from their desk without permission.
Tirachard Kumtanom | Shutterstock An office worker has sparked a discussion about the importance of setting boundaries in the workplace after admitting that they don't trust their co-workers.
In a TikTok video, a content creator named Kat Marie insisted that they're sick and tired of being ripped off by the people they share an office with.
The worker admitted they're tired of their co-workers stealing the new pens and sweets they keep on their desk.
"I need somebody out there to tell me if I am missing an office life social cue here. I went and I bought myself some very nice and very unique pens to put on my desk at work for me to use," Marie, who uses they/them pronouns, stated.
They explained that within a couple of days, all of the new pens they'd spent money on suddenly disappeared from their desk. They decided to casually mention to their other co-workers that some of their pens were missing, allowing anyone to say they might've just grabbed one by accident and were planning to return it. Being both professional and polite, Marie was then frustrated when their kindness wasn't met with their pens being returned.
"The other day, I see one of my co-workers with one of my pens in her hand, and she's writing [something] down. And when I said, 'Oh hey, that's my pen.' She says to my face, 'Oh yeah, I had to write something down while I was at your desk, and I thought, dang, that's a really nice pen, so I kept it,'" Marie recalled.
Taken aback by the blunt response of her co-worker, Marie told her that it was fine if she used the pen, but they would need it to be returned to their desk once she was done using it.
In theory, Marie shouldn't have even had to ask since they'd spent their hard-earned money on those pens and kept them on their own desk. They shouldn't have to accommodate co-workers who just take without properly asking.
The best way to avoid this type of practice, which is probably quite common in office spaces, is to set strict boundaries with work colleagues about the personal belongings that are either in or around your desk.
It doesn't have to be a confrontation but it can be a simple conversation of saying, "Please don't take things from my desk without asking me first," or "If you do take something from my desk, please promptly return it."
Karolina Kaboompics / Canva Pro
If that doesn't work, you can also try locking up anything that you don't want anyone else to take and keeping the key on you whenever you're not physically at your desk.
"Because again, I spent a little bit of money on these pens, and they're really nice, and I don't like that they're just disappearing. And I figure you probably know where this is going. The pen never returns," Marie continued.
Marie was forced to hide their office supplies at work.
Unfortunately, this incident didn't just happen with Marie's pens, but again when they bought themselves a candy dispenser for their desk full of M&Ms. They recalled that as soon as their other co-workers saw it, their eyes immediately widened, and they all started grabbing for the candy.
"Just like stuck their grubby hands all over it. Not a single person has said, 'Oh, M&M's, can I have some?'" Marie said, emphasizing their shock.
"Everyone just decided that this M&M dispenser appeared out of nowhere, became community property, and then this morning, I came in with a note on it that said this is broke, please have maintenance fix it ... what?!"
It's definitely understandable why Marie would be frustrated by their co-worker's disrespect for their personal belongings — things that they spend their money on. They are entitled to keep pens and sweets on their desk without fear that they will be taken.
The best plan moving forward, which Marie has already implemented, is keeping all of their things away from the sticky fingers of their co-workers, and if push comes to shove, they shouldn't be afraid to take this issue up with management or HR because any kind of theft in an office space, even if it's just pens and chocolate, should be taken seriously.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.