The prime targets of Hong Kong office thieves

The boss or a colleague stealing credit for your work is one of the hardest things employees have to deal with. But perhaps even worse, many employees are being physically robbed on a daily basis, from stationery to snacks in the pantry.

In a post shared on Hong Kong Discussion Group, locals shared the items which are most likely to be stolen by colleagues.

1. PenStop laughing at colleagues who put a label with their name on everything from pens and staplers to scotch tape stands. Don't laugh at them for behaving like primary school students - they are actually doing the smart thing to protect their properties.

Although pens don’t cost much, they are most likely to be stolen in the office. A colleague might be on the phone and urgently need to write something down, but not have a pen. He waves madly for help and one sweet colleague will quickly give a pen to him, only to never get it back.

2. Band-aidThe office first-aid box is always out of band-aids, despite constant refilling.  One reasonable explanation could be the large number of female colleagues who need to patch up their feet from wearing uncomfortable high heels.

The first legislation against forced high heels at the workplace is currently underway in Canada. Perhaps it is time for Hong Kong bosses too to think about banning compulsory high heels in the office.

3. Toilet paperThere are inconsiderate cheapskates who take an entire roll of toilet paper back to their desk, or worse, to their home. The way to discourage such behaviour is to purchase bad-quality toilet paper. Some colleagues might get so fed up, they decide to bring their own, which simply means there is one more item for office thieves to prey on.

4. Snacks, coffee and teaBy default, food and drinks in the pantry are for all to share, but there are freeloaders who always finish up the good snacks quickly and drink 10 cups of coffee or tea everyday. Maybe they think they are doing the office a favour by cleaning everything out before it goes bad?

Another type of stealing that victimises everyone is stealing holidays. Look at the public holidays that fall on a Saturday this year (July 1 and October 28) - that should be a crime.

ALSO READ: 12 of the pettiest colleagues you’ll ever meet

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