Does anybody remember the Allentown woman who was sentenced to 57 months in prison for stealing $1.6 million from her employer over the course of an entire decade? Believe it or not, many employees misguidedly feel it’s really no big deal to raid the supply cabinet and bring home the occasional box of pens, tablets, or other office supplies.
In reality, it is a big deal to your employer.
That being said, here’s another question: Did you ever wonder why your employer might actually decide to look the other way, even though he knows you’ve been absconding with the occasional box of pens or paperclips? I do.
You see, while you’ve been working your petty pilfering skills at the company’s expense, your employer has been stealing enough cash from you to more than make up for all the highlighters and correction tape you’ve plundered from the supply cabinet.
And the odds are it’s being done in the open too.
The truth is, many employers openly steal from their employees on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s as little as a buck or two per day, but it’s often much more than that. Sometimes upwards of $5 — if not more.
Okay, Len, what the heck are you talking about?
I’m talking about the soda machine. Where I work they spit out 20-ounce bottles for $2 a pop (no pun intended) — that’s ten cents per ounce. Talk about highway robbery!
With that in mind, why would anybody continue to buy sodas from the company soda machine, especially when you consider it really is not too difficult to find 12-packs of 12-ounce cans for five cents per ounce? And sometimes even less!
Let’s assume I work 48 weeks per year, five days per week, and average one Coke or Pepsi per day. Assuming I bought all of my sodas at work from the soda machine, I’d be shelling out $480 per year. On the other hand, if brought my own soda, I’d save $240 annually — or more.
That’s a lot of Post-It-Notes, folks.
So who, exactly, is stealing from whom? Uh huh. But before you go complaining to the boss that he’s ripping you off, tally the numbers — just to be sure.
Of course, I trust you’ll be using your own pencil and paper.
Photo Credit: arenamontanus
I read a funny post this week at ElementsOfLifestyle.com. It was about a company who’s free coffee was so bad, they were trying to get people to pay for good coffee in the cafeteria. The author called it “Crapitalism” and he pointed out some companies who make money like this.
I work at a start-up and thankfully the snacks and sodas are free. I don’t eat a lot of sodas and snack foods, but the organic coffee is really nice. I love this job and not just for the freebies. It’s a great place to work, with nice people on staff.
I’m feeling pretty blessed that I don’t get taken for coffee or sodas.
LOL! But seriously Free sodas AND snacks???? Do you mind if I send you my resume?
Another one for you Len: What about all the time an employer asks you to work an extra 20 minutes here, or take a lunch there. Rarely in the contract – almost always in their interest…
I think you make a great point! For me, as an engineer, I almost always choose to work through my lunch. But since I earn a salary, I think that comes with the territory so I dont feel like I am being taken advantage of there although I would feel very different if I wasnt on salary.
I long ago worked for a major corporation, and one very large department (fortunately not mine) was known for not paying secretares and non-exempt workers overtime, even though it was against state law. Instead, the head man of the department decreed they had to take comp-time, but it was an off-the record thing, not ever reported on employee time cards. I imagine he was trying to keep wages on budget, but that was surely theft!
I could never understand how employees didn’t report this, as it was not the way the company did business.
I count myself lucky as well, my company provides soda, snacks, and a Starbucks coffee machine. We also get a local burger joint to cater the office once a week. We’re a start-up as well… just under a 100 people.
A Starbucks coffee machine and catered lunches? Quit piling on, would ya? lol But seriously, best of luck to you!
Start-ups are a mixed bag.
The perks and the atmosphere are great, but Pink-Slip Fridays suck.
My last start-up went under during the tech bubble burst. I worked my butt off for a bunch of worthless stock, but the experience was awesome. Here, we are well funded and in the medical device industry, so I’m pretty happy about that.
Well, the pink slips are everywhere now not just the start-ups. Ive never worked for a start up, but I do work in the research and development group of a very high ranking Fortune 500 company. So I get the worst of both worlds long hours working business development AND a lack of freebie snacks to boot!
I agree that $2 per can is high, and that your friend could certainly save money by bringing his own. And should.
But unless your employer says that he can only buy soda from them it’s not stealing. Your friend is giving them his money with his eyes wide open. You can call it a stupidity tax, but not theft.
Not the same thing as pilfering pens in any way, shape or form. THAT is stealing. One certainly does not justify the other. Not even a little tiny bit.
You’re absolutely correct.
Of course, my liberal use of the term “stealing” vis-a-vis employers selling soda was never intended to be taken in the literal sense. Nor was my use of the term “highway robbery.”
You missed a big one. Check this out.
You are a new employee, who started in between the company pay period. The first week you work 40 hours and get a check. Now your in the cycle. The second week you work 40 hours, and you pick your medical benefits…which are billed every pay period. The third week you work 40 hours…first big paycheck, and they take out 2 pay periods worth of benefits.
Ask them why, they say the benefits are deducted “Per pay period”, and your first week they didnt charge, and now they are catching up. This happened to me twice and friends three more times. Its not much, but it amounts to a lot of people.
Here is the catch. Per pay period…ok, except you were not covered the first week by insurance (you didnt pick it your first day)they refuse to provide coverage proof for the first week…so you just payed for something and got nothing. Worse yet, the “pay per period” wouldnt apply because you didnt even contract with them to provide medical insurance till the second week. Still, HR and benefits say you have to catch up.
somewhere around 50% of all new employees start work between pay periods. Of these MOST companies have the same “Per Pay Period” deduction schedule for benefits. All will charge for the first week…retroactively. Remember, your last check has deductions too, so this is not money in advance. Its plain stealing. Average ripoff per employee is somewhere around 40.00 to 100.00. Hundreds of thousands of people…means lots of money.
Look it up…happens every day. You are billed money and got nothing in return.
Comments?
Well, if that’s true, I am not surprised.
Exactly why I had one of those little college dorm refrigerators in my office back in my career days. It had nothing in it but a case of Diet Mountain Dew brought from home, without which my brain refuses to function.
So who was paying for the power for your fridge ?
Ah yes … Mountain Dew and college. I remember those days myself, Steve!
This maybe isn’t the case where you live in CA, but in rural upstate New York the company negotiates a contract with the soda/snack machine company to supply the machines and keep them stocked. I negotiated these contracts, and our employees appreciated having stuff on hand at the best price we could get. Without the machines, they would have to drive 5 miles to the nearest store. They’re paying higher costs for miles driven and the service provided. I think that’s capitalism.
Not the financially savvy employees; they’ll buy their soft drinks at a grocer or bulk store and then bring them into the office once or twice per month.
Keeping a bulk supply in the office without refrigeration kind of defeats the purpose; and if you keep your drinks in a communal fridge, you might end up supplying drinks for everyone!
No fridge, no problem. Then bring a mini-cooler chest of ice each day.
It’s true … seems like there’s always somebody who just can’t help taking what isn’t theirs.
If you like coffee and think it’s better for you than pop (some research says so), going that route obviates the pop obtainment problem.
A can of coffee, a percolator and some potable water is all that’s needed.
There are studies that show just two cups of coffee a day provides benefits that lead to longer a life. How much longer, I can’t remember.
Buzz Lightyear says …