Office Etiquette

wonderwoman

Cathlete
Hope everyone is having a great day!

My office has 8 people. 3 women and 5 men. Including 2 male supervisors. We are all very tight and friendly with each other and all have a great relationships. We spend so much time with each other (8hrs a day) 5 days a week we do get on each other nerves every once in while. We have a fridge in our office and a microwave so we all buy food and share with each other and whoever finishes something he/she had to replace ex. milk, mayo, salad dressing etc.

One of the girls in my office bought a kureig coffee machine from home so we could use it and we all gave her 20 bucks each. We also take turns buying the coffee pods and half&half. Now every once in a while we will get a supervisor who strolls in here and helps themselves to coffee and half&half whatever!
This one supervisor has come in here twice already and the first time he came in to talk to our supervisor but he helped himself to some coffee brownies that we had on the desk went into our frige and used my skim plus milk. We were all like holy cow did he just do that?????? Us 3 gals are the only one's who have a problem with this of course the men don"t!!!
The second time he came in today and made 2 cups of coffee and again goes into our fridge and uses our half & half! WTH I want to open my mouth and say something but he is a high ranking supervisor and I dont want to seem petty. It happened twice this week with this guy. We are freaking out! (us 3 girls) My supervisor knows but he says " What do you want me to say he is 3 ranks above me!!!!!
 
I don't really see a problem sharing, but I do see where he's taking it for granted that he can just use what's there. You'd think he would at least ask. Does he know that the 8 of you have personally bought all of the ingredients he is using? Maybe he really doesn't realize it.

If he does know it, and is just plain taking advantage, what about putting a change jar beside the coffee maker and label it something like, "Contributions to buy more coffee/half & half/etc."? Maybe he'll get the hint, or at least contribute money to the cause.
 
That sounds like a good idea. On monday I will bring in a jar and label it and put it right by the coffee machine. The girls think we should keep our coffee pods in our draws.
 
I would guess that he doesn't realize your using personal money.

How about asking your supervisor to budget some money (petty cash perhaps) to cover "visitors". Most offices have to provide coffee, etc. to sales reps or some customers.

If that doesn't fly, then how about asking the guy what he would like you to stock for him, and then ask him for his money to pay for it. (Of course, the downside is you have to do his shopping essentially.)
 
Yeah, I think I would just make the coffee "unavailable" to him when he comes looking for it. If keeping the pods in your desk would do the trick, then I would go that way.

In my office, a "contribution jar" would go completely ignored.

Good luck!
 
If your boss can't contribute some amount for the supervisors, I'd post some kind of highly visible note, not ASKING for contributions, but announcing that the coffee, etc., is only available to those who contributed (but putting it more tactfully, which I can't think of right now).

Or something like "remember to pay your fair share by the end of each week" (okay, that's lame,...brain really not working well right now, LOL!.. but something to that effect). Those who are contributing/have contributed would know to ignore it.
 

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