In one episode of the sitcom Friends, Ross discovers his boss at the museum stole his turkey sandwich from the office fridge. Upon Phoebe’s advice, Ross leaves a threatening note with a replacement sandwich. By the end of the episode, he’s on medical leave and taking tranquilizers.
Then there’s the scene in The Sopranos where Tony arrives at his office, already in a foul mood, and starts rooting around in the compact communal fridge, only to discover he’s been the victim of a food filcher.
Tony: “I been dreaming of that (expletive) lo mein all the way the (expletive) over here. Now, who came in here and ate my (expletive)?”
Two extreme reactions, perhaps, but if you’ve ever been involved in office politics at the refrigerator level — i.e., had your sustenance stolen, tampered with or tossed — you know there’s something about shared food environments that triggers a sort of primal, survival instinct in otherwise rational and mature individuals.
“I call it one of those little big issues,” says Mike Cuma, a labour relations consultant with Legacy Bowes Group. “It’s a symptom, not an issue in itself, but it’s a window into a bigger world.
“I’ll bet you there are other things in those organizations with the messy fridges and cafeterias and so forth punctuated by poor leadership, poor communication and poor engagement.”
Cuma says the office fridge issue is primarily one of respect.
“If you’re leaving dated stuff in the fridge, you’re not showing a lot of respect for your peers, or for the company either.”
It has a lot to do with whether employees approach their jobs as renters — arriving late, leaving early, overstaying breaks, not following rules, etc. — or owners, he says.
Management also has a role to play in preventing a mini-crisis like food thievery from escalating into a bigger employee-relations issue. “Effective leadership and management focuses employees on the whole mindset of respect and treats little things importantly,” says Cuma.
His advice to office fridge users: Post a note on the fridge that (politely) outlines conditions of use. Hold users accountable for complying. Don’t use the old public-school discipline model where one kid acts up and the whole class gets punished. (That means no inter-office email rants about your missing cupcake.)
Breaking the mould
Ensure food is safe to eat and workers sharing office fridge:
• Use a thermometer to make sure the office fridge is cool enough — 4 C or lower.
• Turn the temperature to a colder level if the fridge is full so air can circulate.
• Label and date any food placed inside it.
• Eat leftovers within two days, especially rice.
• Store perishables such as dairy products or lunch meat in the centre of the fridge as shelves on the inside of the door can be warmer than the interior.
• Don’t store anything super smelly; someone’s desk may be close enough to get a whiff every time the door is opened.
• Clean spills immediately with warm soapy water.
• Clean the fridge thoroughly with a bleach solution every couple of weeks or so.
• Designate someone as fridge monitor, or rotate the responsibility.