search email community favorite this article chev-right latest posts article list comments tags video article login twitter facebook menu pinterest whatsapp

Coworker Jake repeatedly eats 1/2 of 24-year-old employee's lunch: 'I'm genuinely hungry... 1/2 of it is gone'

Advertisement
  • Coworker takes big bite of food in front of disapproving coworker.
  • Advertisement
  • Would I be the a*sh*le if I stopped letting my coworker "borrow" my lunch from the office fridge?

    So basically I (24F) started meal prepping about two months ago because I was tired of spending money on takeout every day.
  • I make these big portions of pasta or rice bowls on Sundays, pack them in labeled containers and leave them in the shared fridge at work.
  • The labeling thing is important because our fridge situation is a mess and stuff disappears all the time.
  • Advertisement
  • About three weeks ago I noticed my Tuesday container was half eaten. I thought maybe I miscounted or something so I let it go.
  • Worker guards lunch from food thief while eating sandwich near laptop.
  • Advertisement
  • Then it happened again the following week, and this time like 2/3 of my chicken rice bowl was gone.
  • I asked around quietly and my colleague Jake (27M) basically shrugged and said "oh yeah sorry I was starving and forgot my lunch, I figured you wouldnt mind since you always have so much." He said it so casually like it was completley normal.
  • Advertisement
  • I was kind of stunned so I just nodded and walked away. Since then he's done it at least four more times and never once asked or offered to replace anything.
  • Last week I printed a bigger label that said "DO NOT TOUCH -personal lunch" and he still ate half my pasta.
  • I mentioned it again and he laughed it off saying "come on its just food." Now im thinking about bringing a small lunchbox cooler and keeping it at my desk. instead of the fridge.
  • Advertisement
  • Jake sits two desks away from me and we have to collaborate on projects regularly so I really dont want things to get weird, but also I worked hard on that food and Im genuinely hungry by noon when half of it is gone.
  • My other coworkers think I should just confront him directly but honestly the two times I brought it up he just brushed me off so I doubt that would change anything.
  • Would I be the a- hole if I just quietly moved my lunch to my desk
  • Advertisement
  • Woman looks away from work laptop in annoyance.

Tags

Scroll Down For The Next Article
Show Comments
Next Article