Petty or Justified?

A question about : Petty or Justified?

I work in an office which also has a factory linked to it.

We have a communal kitchen... Now, the office staff all put money into a pot each week to cover tea, sugar and milk.

On a daily basis people from the factory have been stealing our supplies knowing full well that we pay for it.

It's not just a splash of milk or a single tea bag, they take the entire teabag box and fill their jars up with milk.
Last week the warehouse manager was caught emptying the entire sugar jar into his container to take away.

I made a complaint today to the MD and he had a word to the warehouse manager...

This didn't go down well as he come steaming into the office and started shouting at me telling me I better not be accusing him being a F****** thief.

I lost my temper in the end and went ballistic at him about his stinking attitude.

I'm just so annoyed that someone thinks they have the right to steal from their co-workers.

He's on very good money too, he simply refuses to chip in.

Best answers:

• Stop leaving the stuff where they can steal it!
  I used to work in a factory and there was the same problem but in reverse, the office staff had their own canteen area but they came into ours and stole the tea, coffee, sugar etc.
  They were told in no uncertain terms to stop doing or action would be taken against them, they didnt stop, we put a lock on the cupboard.
• Maybe the factory staff assumed the facilities were provided by management, and didn't know they were paid for by the office workers?
  This could be a good time to lobby the management to provide free tea making facilities for all, to bring and end to this beverage war.
• Yes, he's a thief and anyone else doing this is a thief too.
  If the company won't do anything about it then the staff who are paying for these goods have a stark choice -lock it up or go without.
• I could not possibly suggest that you tamper with the milk, sugar and tea, adding unpleasant but harmless extras and warn the office workers but not the factory workers.
  That would not be right.
  Seriously, don't do that as you could get sacked or worse. Talk to management again or just lock up your supplies in the office where the factory workers can't get at them.
  Did you tell the MD about this?
  Quote:
• It happens everywhere. Some crabby gits expect others to provide for them.
  Taking the odd teabag or spoon of coffee is ok, but it's when they take the damn lot or steal the jar!
• One day why not replace the sugar pot with salt. Let your dept know though.
  It'd be worth a hoot if nothing else
• Shame you never caught him on camera first.. then showed him the evidence
• What a cheeky git. You did right to stand up to him. I hope the other people in your office supported you and will now stand up to him too. Obnoxious tw@t.
• You were totally justified. It's bad enough when people feel they have the right to help themselves to your stuff but then having the nerve to have a rant when they're pulled up on it is seriously taking the pee.