https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 20 May 2026 19:57:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819250 Sun, 29 Apr 2018 19:39:02 +0000 FaithFertility 2819250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is so crazy to me! If it was a call for left overs WHO cares?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819206 Sun, 29 Apr 2018 06:35:37 +0000 Ms.Mermaid 2819206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I’m taking something home it’s because I’m encouraged to do so or there is way too much leftover, but at my offices we have one fridge where the leftovers go and everyone just snacks on them for a week. We do huge Office potlucks though. Sometimes if you brought a thing and there are leftovers you take it home. </p> <p>BUT I would expect a 3pm announcement of leftover food to imply that you could come take it home if it’s chicken and rice. </p> <p>Nonetheless, I would stop doing it for now. It’s clearly an issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819173 Sat, 28 Apr 2018 21:06:08 +0000 summerfruit 2819173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's weird they would make such a big deal about it. At my work, after a meeting, everyone swarms to get the remaining food. It would be thrown out otherwise anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819077 Sat, 28 Apr 2018 09:04:35 +0000 travellingbee 2819077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is so silly. I see absolutely no issue with bringing home a few chicken strips. And if you hadn't said anything, they wouldn't have known. And the fact that they threw away left overs the next day is infuriating. Your office sucks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819069 Sat, 28 Apr 2018 08:31:28 +0000 MissKriss19 2819069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I had food leftover I would definitely be glad that someone could take it home for their family. I hate wasting food!! So if it made someone’s life easier so they didn’t have to cook that night that would be great!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819055 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 21:38:05 +0000 ShootingStar 2819055@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is so bizarre to me. At my company food is regularly brought in for various lunch meetings. Once everyone at the meeting is done with it they put it in one of the kitchens. And no one would care what you did with it. I mean, I guess if it’s the really good dessert stuff and you take the entire tray for yourself you might get some side eye. But lunch leftovers aren’t intended as a company snack that all employees should divide evenly. They were intended to feed who was in the meeting and after that it’s fair game. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819043 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 19:45:32 +0000 Ms. RV 2819043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 3:00, leftovers are fair game to do whatever you want. If there are leftovers around lunchtime (say, from a breakfast meeting) then those should be reserved for employees. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819042 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 19:45:30 +0000 LemonJack 2819042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That seems so petty. I would be so uncomfortable in a setting where people were that focused on such trivial things. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819033 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 18:46:40 +0000 gotkimchi 2819033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: I would totally point this out if an office wide email </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819031 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 18:36:16 +0000 RonjaL7 2819031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There was a bunch of it left in the fridge today that got thrown out. There was definitely plenty hahaha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2819030 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 18:31:01 +0000 babypugs 2819030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If the food supply was pretty limited and appetizing, I'd think it was a little weird if someone was bringing home a portion that likely would be otherwise consumed on-site. I'd never say anything, though. If there was plenty, it wouldn't even warrant a second thought. Either way, it's pretty lame and petty that this became an issue. What a ridiculous thing for people to start drama over! Sorry you had to deal with that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818999 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 14:31:39 +0000 RonjaL7 2818999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BadgerMom: I would say the office is pretty 50/50 men vs. women. If anything perhaps more women. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818997 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 14:29:46 +0000 gingerbebe 2818997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's completely petty and BS and if my boss hadn't personally said something about there being complaints, I probably would have started sh*t with the receptionist. </p> <p>Since your boss DID say something, I would just personally stop taking food ever again. I think since your company is merging with other groups and offices, there's just a higher level of turf war going on with certain groups feeling like other groups get better treatment or whatever. I work in a government agency that is split into legal division, administrative division, and IT division and its always this high-level stress on management's part to make everyone and every division feel equally important because the perception is that the legal staff gets all the perks. So they do all sorts of employee recognition and awards and stuff like that (which frankly most of us in legal don't care about that much), but is really important to the other divisions, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818996 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 14:26:41 +0000 BadgerMom 2818996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: Out of total curiosity, how does your office divide Men/Women wise?</p> <p>I've been working in an office with mostly men for a long time, but with mostly women in my previous job. I can totally see this happening at my previous workplace, but I can't imagine the men in my current office even noticing, much less caring about "fairness" or what you do with leftover food.</p> <p>As long as you took a reasonable sized (single adult) helping, I don't think you did anything wrong... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818984 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:52:54 +0000 RonjaL7 2818984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: hahaha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818981 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:40:04 +0000 PurplePumps 2818981@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wth. That's nuts!! Leftovers are first come first serve. I'm willing to very there are people the who could and would eat more than that, so what does it matter if you take a helping home. Its not like you picked up the whole platter to feed your neighborhood. I think as long as the helping is reasonable, then its yours to do with as you please. I grab food all the time from left over meetings. Sometimes i save it for later that day, or the next day for lunch at work, or take it home. And sometimes i go back to check an hour later to give others a go at it, but if there's still food, I'll even go for a second helping... oh the horror... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818977 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:26:01 +0000 irene 2818977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: That is still insane. If it were a small 10 person company, OK everything is nickel and dime and I can see that happening if you get a stingy boss. But for a 200 people firm, they ordered this using the company credit card and it is expensed. Again, it is lunch food LEFTOVERS at 3pm when people can not eat lunch food on the spot. I don't know.</p> <p>Something they should be putting it in employee handbook: Thou shalt not remove any food items from the building. :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818964 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:11:04 +0000 Silva 2818964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've always worked in small non profits and so this entire thing is completely foreign to me, and mildly hilarious, like an episode of The Office. Whenever there was leftover food I feel like people were constantly shoving it at me telling me to take it home! Or someone would just ask and we'd all say "cool, whatever, take this too."<br /> Sorry there was conflict, that sucks and would make me feel super uncomfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818962 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 13:05:16 +0000 RonjaL7 2818962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: I have only been here about a year and a half... it is a smallish but growing company. We currently have 200 people and just last week bought another small company in the midwest. We are a contract pharmaceutical manufacturing company. I am an Engineer and work in one of our 4 local buildings with about 50 people all doing desk type jobs. </p> <p>I guess this is one of my first interactions with the culture, because up until about 6 months ago my group was located in one of our buildings with only 15 or so total people in it and we were all pretty close/lax about things. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818957 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 12:58:52 +0000 irene 2818957@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hmm. Do you work in a very remote island where there is 100 people total, everyone has to raise their chickens, grow their rice, food source is scarce so they frown upon people taking food without reporting? :grin: :silly: </p> <p>I can't help but laugh reading this! This has to be an episode of The Office, or Curb Your Enthusiasm, it can't be real lol. It is freaking 3pm in the afternoon when everyone has already eaten lunch. There were LUNCH FOOD LEFTOVERS, like chicken and rice. What do you expect people to do, stop working, spend 1/2 hour eating another lunch or super early dinner right there? Say if they announce there is free lunch available at 11:30am, or if there were cake, or a fancy afternoon snack / pastries available at 3pm I can see people frown upon someone taking it home to the families, but lunch food at 3pm?! I do not understand the mentality. If they don't like people touching the leftovers, then don't announce it and let it rot lol</p> <p>But then I don't know the work culture at your work place, which makes me very curious. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home/page/2#post-2818923 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 11:24:47 +0000 Mamatimes3 2818923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can see both sides and it’s totally dependent upon the number of people in the building. </p> <p>Homestly, based on your description I would think it’s nervy and pretty rude for someone to be taking company leftovers home in their Tupperware. That is based on a having a large group of people that would have leftovers available to them. At my current job, I can totally see people freaking out. </p> <p>But I’ve also worked in a smaller environment - about 15 people max where that would be totally fine. We would clean up and leave it out for people to pick. And then at the end of the day anyone could take it home because we didn’t want it to go to waste. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818921 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 11:06:37 +0000 looch 2818921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do think that the bigger message here is understanding the workplace culture. It's not that it's wrong, it's just that some places operate differently. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818920 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 11:04:53 +0000 codeitall 2818920@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agree with many others that it seems ridiculous. Leftovers are leftovers. Up for grabs, means up for grabs!</p> <p>I will say that I know someone who occasionally grabs snacks from her department snack cabinet for her toddler to try at home. I think that's weird because that could still be used by an employee. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818919 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:59:57 +0000 alphagam84 2818919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If they send out an email saying there is leftover food and to take some then they have no say in who takes what and how much. That's crazy! At my job they beg people to take leftover food and will even provide takeout containers occasionally. They just don't want to waste it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818918 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:46:21 +0000 skinnycow 2818918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really don't understand why people care about things like this. Why does it matter where the food is being eaten? It's leftover food that's going to be thrown away otherwise. I've never heard of an unwritten rule that leftover food needs to be eaten at work and not taken out of the building. Seems really petty to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818910 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:31:12 +0000 Purpledaisy 2818910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LOL I think that this is ridiculous! You were basically just taking your portion home. I might feel differently if you were loading up a ton of food but all of that for three chicken strips!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818908 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:27:07 +0000 periwinklebee 2818908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>no one would bat an eye at this where i work. It's kind of assumed people may take the leftover food home. The only thing that wouldn't fly is if there was say a line of people waiting to grab some leftovers and the person in the front took it all :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818904 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:13:23 +0000 MrsSCB 2818904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: Yeah, if you're just taking the same amount you would otherwise, but are not eating it in the moment, I don't see what difference it makes. So if you'd stuffed those three chicken tenders in your mouth immediately rather than take them home it would have been OK? That just seems arbitrary. It's not like you packed dozens of chicken tenders in your pockets or something...</p> <p>ETA: Also, I think it makes a difference that it's leftovers. If your work was providing lunch to everyone and you immediately packed some to take home before they all got some, that seems weird. But this is like bonus food, so eh. If someone brings in some dessert from home and there's not enough for everyone, I don't get pissed about it, even if someone takes two cookies instead of one. Whatever. I'm not entitled to cookies, it was just extra. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818903 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:11:46 +0000 Madison43 2818903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn’t take food home (I’m honestly not even sure why?) but I cannot imagine caring that someone else did nevermind caring enough to confront someone or report it to HR. That’s bonkers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-i-wrong-re-bringing-work-food-home#post-2818900 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:04:20 +0000 superkate 2818900@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, I think it's a little odd to take food home. If the announcement was made at 3 and there was still stuff left at 5, I think it would be OK then. But I'd definitely allow everyone the chance to grab some more food before I packed some to take home.</p> <p>Now I wouldn't say anything or make a big deal about it. But I personally wouldn't do it until the end of the day. </p>