Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ok... I work in a pretty high class Nursing home.. Only the best food..
At the end of the night everyone takes something home..
As of yet I have refused to to this, I go home and stop at subway or something... Last night it was Ham....very good ham... The boss a her...very nice lady.. Packed a carton for me to take home..**** it has to be about 4 pounds... I feel like i'm stealing...I dont want that...
Mind you it is leftovers..and it's going into the trash..
And no she is not making extra... alot of times the people change their minds nd want something else.... we have a thing...This is their house now so we pretty much make them anything
Ok... I work in a pretty high class Nursing home.. Only the best food..
At the end of the night everyone takes something home..
As of yet I have refused to to this, I go home and stop at subway or something... Last night it was Ham....very good ham... The boss a her...very nice lady.. Packed a carton for me to take home..**** it has to be about 4 pounds... I feel like i'm stealing...I dont want that...
Mind you it is leftovers..and it's going into the trash..
And no she is not making extra... alot of times the people change their minds nd want something else.... we have a thing...This is their house now so we pretty much make them anything
Here is my barometer.
IF there is a policy that prohibits removing things from the nursing home or on the reverse if there is a policy that supports folks eating leftovers or using the company/customer's food for your own personal use within reason then it is either permissible or stealing.
IF you have to ask yourself if something is stealing or incorrect-- usually your gut and conscience is trying to tell you-- that you already KNOW the answer and it is more than likely NOT correct or kosher.
Here is an example:
My former company provided in all of the women's bathrooms tampons and maxi pads. Literally there were baskets of them (my business school does the same thing for the executive students). It is intended for you to make use of it WHILE at work.
It is NOT intended for you to go "grocery shopping" and take home enough for home use, the weekend use, etc.
To use however much you needed at work is fine, to take it home and use it is NOT. One is permissible, one is stealing even though our corporate policy did not specifically discuss tampons and maxi pads.
Same thing at my business school. We have unlimited soda, popcorn, etc. While at school and at night you are free to eat and drink what you want. Now if I go and grab 6 cans of soda and 6 packages of pop corn to take home for the week-- I am now stealing.
I knew a corporate chef (at my last company). If they had leftovers they were to be trashed. An employee could eat (who worked in the cafeteria) as much as they wanted, but they could NOT take it home. The premise is that people have a habit then of making more or making certain things so that they can take things home. So... once again, employees could eat whatever they wanted while at work and on breaks, but they couldn't just take leftovers home. They also didn't donate to shelters, etc because you would be amazed how many places will attempt to sue you if they didn't handle the food properly and become consequently ill.
My cousin who is a Captain in the military and my friend who is a Colonel say it is the same thing with supplies that are left over in the Army. My cousin said he has spent a day with his staff shooting off ammo to use up the budgeted surplus for the year or they have burnt office supplies at the end of the budgeted year. It is to safeguard so that employees do not take advantage of the surplus and keep ordering a certain amount when they can't use it thereby costing the company or in the case of the military the government more money. They also want to use up the rest of the budgeted items lest their budgets get cut, etc.
Now granted for the life of me I don't understand why they don't donate the office supplies or just keep a surplus of ammo, but the philosophy is what i mentioned before.
Ok... I work in a pretty high class Nursing home.. Only the best food..
At the end of the night everyone takes something home..
As of yet I have refused to to this, I go home and stop at subway or something... Last night it was Ham....very good ham... The boss a her...very nice lady.. Packed a carton for me to take home..**** it has to be about 4 pounds... I feel like i'm stealing...I dont want that...
Mind you it is leftovers..and it's going into the trash..
And no she is not making extra... alot of times the people change their minds nd want something else.... we have a thing...This is their house now so we pretty much make them anything
If your boss actually gives you stuff to take home, of course it's not stealing. If the food is going to waste anyhow, and the only way to put it to good use, of course it's not stealing.
I fail to see why you'd have a "problem" with doing this, when it's clear that it's not stealing, by any measure.
I do admit my "moral aptitude" is a bit on the low side, but if someone in authority gives me permission, and it's not costing anybody any money (i.e., it'd be thrown out anyhow), then there is no way I'd have any doubts about taking advantage of doing things like this - it'd be foolish not to, really.
If the food is going to go into the trash it's better that someone can take it home to be used. Or donated to a homeless shelter, or food bank.
In today's litigious american society, places can't really do that. Some things like bakeries where the items can't really cause food poisoning do, but most places have to dispose of the food due to potential lawsuits or liability if someone were to get ill off of the food.
Even if the end user poorly handled the food product (not keeping it to temperature or not storing it correctly) the preparer can be held liable.
Ridiculous but when you have a society that wants to constantly sue, necessary I suppose.
If your boss actually gives you stuff to take home, of course it's not stealing. If the food is going to waste anyhow, and the only way to put it to good use, of course it's not stealing.
I fail to see why you'd have a "problem" with doing this, when it's clear that it's not stealing, by any measure.
I do admit my "moral aptitude" is a bit on the low side, but if someone in authority gives me permission, and it's not costing anybody any money (i.e., it'd be thrown out anyhow), then there is no way I'd have any doubts about taking advantage of doing things like this - it'd be foolish not to, really.
Not saying that it is not allowed or allowed-- but realize that the idea of letting someone just give you something in authority without questioning is not enough to save your ass should it be wrong or illegal. Ignorantia legis neminem excusat = ignorance of the law does not excuse you from culpability.
However, I challenge folks on the whole morality/ethical question.
The worst rationalizations for doing something unethical:
It's okay if everyone else is doing it
It worked out for the best
If its not illegal then it is ethical
etc.
I would recommend for the OP if you felt wrong doing it, then you know it is wrong. I would also investigate if there is a policy.
The thing is that if you are taking home 4 lbs of ham, then the place is squandering resources that might be better spent on other things. Waste not, want not. I would think that management would save something like that to use in a few days in another recipe, just like someone would do at home.
Is the person giving it to you THE OWNER, so it actually comes out of her pocket, or a manager who is not being fiscally responsible?
The thing is that if you are taking home 4 lbs of ham, then the place is squandering resources that might be better spent on other things. Waste not, want not. I would think that management would save something like that to use in a few days in another recipe, just like someone would do at home.
Is the person giving it to you THE OWNER, so it actually comes out of her pocket, or a manager who is not being fiscally responsible?
Well stated. You said it much better than I articulated it.
Just because your boss does it too doesn't mean it is right. I had a boss once that was flat out stealing from the Company and he's lucky he just got fired and not prosecuted.
A left over burger or pizza, fine, because that probably is going into the trash. Pounds and pounds of ham? Mismanagement at best. Any kitchen person worth their salt is going to use that ham for breakfast as a main meat, chop it up and put it in omlettes, use it for sandwiches, make ham and bean soup, etc. I admit I don't know all of the facts, but I question the judgement of your kitchen manager.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If the food is going to waste anyhow, and the only way to put it to good use, of course it's not stealing. 
