Nobody likes a thief.
But a lunch thief? That feels personal.
And a lunch thief taking the meal you prepared day after day for weeks on end is more than infuriating.
How does one address the issue in the workplace, though?
A person on Reddit reported one such “entitled thief” to HR, who did practically nothing, so they turned to the “Am I The A**hole Here” (AITAH) subReddit to seek feedback from fellow Redditors.
Redditor TwixIsMyCrack asked:
“AITA For Hiding My Lunch At Work and Reporting Coworker for Stealing It?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“For the past two months I have been cooking meals at home and taking my lunch to work.”
“I work in an office where we all have our own cubicles that the layout is large enough to be considered an ‘office.'”
“In the past 2 weeks someone kept stealing my lunch (even though I had my name and ext. on it) and went as far as to wash out the containers and leave a thank you note.”
“I wrote an office email (b/c I didn’t know who it was) asking them not to steal my lunch but it did not work.”
“So I saw a couple of my colleague’s coming in w/ a large lunch pail and leaving it in their cubicle.”
“When I asked one of them, she said that’s how you get to keep your lunch b/c the lunch pirates will steal your food otherwise.”
“So I did the same thing, I bought a large lunch pail and like 6 of those blue ice things that keeps food cold and now keep my food in my cubicle on a 3M hanger under my office sweater.”
“So an hour ago, I went to lunch and heated up my food and sat down to eat.”
“This coworker (we don’t work in the same dept. so I don’t really know her) asked me if I came in late.”
“I said no why?”
“She said because my lunch was not in the fridge, I said its because I keep it in my cubicle now b/c I’m tired of people stealing my food.”
“The microwave pings and I get my food out and proceed to eat, she put a Styrofoam plate next to me and I’m like looking at her.”
“She says well you can split your lunch with me b/c I don’t have any.”
“I looked her dead in the face and asked her if she was the one stealing my lunch.”
“She said she didn’t steal she borrowed.”
“I said ‘borrowed?'”
“So when are you going to pay me back?”
“I’m not welfare you didn’t bring your lunch, we are literally in the middle of downtown you can literally throw a pebble and hit an eatery.”
“I work just like you and if you didn’t bring your food you better go buy some because I am not sharing PERIOD!!!”
“I closed my food containers and was making my way back to my cubicle to report her to HR.”
“She called me selfish.”
“I told her she was an entitled thief and I would be letting everyone know.”
“So I reported her to HR, My manager and her manager.”
“I got two emails from people IDK saying I should not have reported her because I don’t know her situation.”
“I emailed them back and told them they, nor her know my situation (which is pretty good but that’s not the point) and anyone who is wearing Tom Ford Pumps should literally not be stealing anyone’s food.”
“So AITA for reporting her and not wanting to share?”
“And AITA for keeping my food in my cubicle?”
Redditors weighed in and decided OP was not the a**hole (NTA).
“NTA, might want to get a lockable lunch box tho since you told her where u keep your lunch” – mangoawaynow
“NTA. Expecting someone to let you steal their lunch is deranged.”
“And like she thought, leaving a thank you note after taking it made it better?”
“I’d be concerned if she isn’t fired.” – I_might_be_weasel
“NTA. While it’s true that you don’t know her situation, you are not obligated to do anything for someone, especially when they just take and don’t ask.”
“She stole from you and then expected you to just knuckle under somehow?
“It’s now HR’s job to get to the bottom of the situation.”
“In the meantime, enjoy your lunch.” – Nobody_asked_me1990
“NTA.”
“Entitled doesn’t even start to describe that woman.”
“I’d not only have reported her, but I would have put up notices around the building with her face and name on them to warn others.” – thewoodsiswatching
“If you want a hot lunch, you can get a plug-in heated lunch box (the one I have is Hot Logic).”
“I usually take my frozen food to school with me, put it in my lunch box, plug it in, and by lunchtime it’s nice an warm.”
“Avoids having to use a microwave and you might have space to plug it in at your cubicle.”
“FYI. And, NTA.” – PopularFunction5202
“NTA. That thank you note was UNHINGED!”
“If she really is that hard up, the people emailing you can help her out.”
“And there are always food banks.”
“She sounds like the type of person who wouldn’t be willing to put in the effort for the food bank.” – ResidentAlienator
“NTA – Tell the people who emailed you that you do not know her situation that they can treat her to lunch every day.”
“Talk about entitled.” – Comfortable-Focus123
“The sense of entitlement in your coworker is breathtaking.”
“Not wrong at all reporting her to HR/management.”
“Your coworkers that complained that you don’t know her circumstances need to STFU and offer to buy or bring her lunch.”
“A thief is a thief, leaving me wondering what else she and her sticky little fingers latch onto from her coworkers or the company itself…”
“NTA” – Any-Split3724
“you already reported her to HR but you can give a general estimate of actual costs for all the meals she stole, include you want to be repaid that amount, and you’re considering filing charges with the police”
“alternately, make another lunch, add in ghost peppers discreetly, put it in the fridge, let her eat it and wait for the reaction – bring your own lunch separately.”
“nta” – mailer_mailer
“NTA.”
“I kept my lunches in an insulated container inside a locked cabinet for twenty years because management would do nothing to prevent lunchroom thefts.” – Accomplished-Emu-591
“NTA to neither.”
“She’s got some real guts plopping a plate next to you and demanding you share your food.”
“Not too bright, though, seeing she admitted to the food theft.”
“Hopefully, she’ll do the same in front of HR.” – Owenashi
“NTA. Borrowing food is when you plan to give it back… with interest.”
“Last I checked, no one’s out here returning fully reheated lunches with a side of fries.”
“Also, if she’s rocking Tom Ford pumps, she can rock her way to the nearest sandwich shop.”
“You’re not a walking meal service.” – princessmargaritha
“NTA.”
“Because she never asked for help but just stole your meals, that makes her situation irrelevant.”
“She’s got quite the set of cojones to plop down a plate in front of you and demand food from you and then claim she was ‘borrowing’ your food since she was taking your food without permission and had never paid you for it or reciprocated.” – Spinnerofyarn
“NTA keep on documenting/reporting her BS” – MangoSaintJuice
“You know exactly what her situation is; she’s a f**king thief!”
“I would have put an entire brick of ex-lax in a Hershey wrapper and put it in the fridge for her.”
“What a trifling b*tch!”
“NTA” – 74Magick
“Her situation DOES NOT MATTER because it doesn’t entitle her to steal.”
“You don’t ‘borrow’ an item that is consumed since you can’t give it back.”
“What a load of bollocks that claim is.”
“If the colleagues who’ve said you shouldn’t have reported her feel bad for her THEY are welcome to bring extra food to feed her, but you are certainly not obliged to and her STEALING your food is 100% unacceptable.”
“NTA for any of it.” – YouSayWotNow
“Idk your company’s policy, but mine has zero tolerance for theft, including food theft.”
“I know someone was sacked because of that.”
“NTA. Theft is theft, food or otherwise.”
“If she’s hurting for food, she can bring it up to her boss or HR for an advance on her paycheque.” – Kittytigris
“NTA she stole from you, she justified her actions and took no accountability for them, she tried and failed to guilt trip you for her actions & then caused a hostile work environment for you by telling fellow coworkers that you reported her to HR ( which I would follow up with HR that she’s now creating a hostile work environment with fellow coworkers) she is a narcissist of the utmost extreme nature & you did nothing wrong in this situation you’re not a food bank or a charity to be feeding strangers” – dwassell73
“NTA. How on earth does anybody figure any of this is your fault?”
“Stealing somebody’s lunch is low.”
“It’s ridiculous that she expected you to share with her once she was found out.” – Regular_Boot_3540
“You took proactive steps to protect your lunch after being stolen from multiple times.”
“It’s totally reasonable to want to enjoy your meals without fear of theft.”
“Reporting her was a justified response, especially when she tried to take advantage of you again.”
“NTA” – KinkyxDesires
Hopefully, the OP will take the advice of fellow Redditors and continue to be vigilant and document incidents. At least OP can find a little relief knowing others don’t feel they are in the wrong.