Work related question - would you send an email?

[Bonita]

I came in to work last night, and I was going to make a phone call except I noticed my phone was dead (it had a blank display where it normally has a digital display, and when I picked it up there was no dial tone).

As I am trying to figure out what is wrong with my phone notice that my phone cable was strung over to the other desk in my cubicle...while I was underneath my desk plugging it back in, I noticed that my internet cable for my laptop docking station was also unplugged.

While this is the first occurrence for these specific things to happen, numerous other things have happened and I'm getting sick of people not respecting my things.

Some other things that have happened:
- I came in one day to find my entire box of tissues missing. I found it on my other coworkers desk.
- Pens, scissors get taken out of my drawers.
- I had a bottle of glass cleaner on my desk and my coworkers took a sharpie and made it ass cleaner (kind of funny, but at the same time also not professional).
- I had forgot and left my buckyballs out on my desk one day, when I came in that night there was a noticeable amount of them missing...when I mentioned it everyone was like "Wow! What? Really? Missing? Hmm...I think that's all you had there" Only to find out a few months later from another coworker that several of them were playing around with them, and dropped some and they couldn't find them.
- When I came back from my recent work trip, someone had taken my desk chair and replaced it with a crappy chair.
- You get the drift - people like to mess with my stuff, and have zero respect for my things apparently.

I thought about sending out an email to my group asking people to please leave my desk in the same manner that they find it....I worry that they'll focus more on messing up my things, and that I could be asking for more trouble if I do that though.

WWYD?

ETA: I should mention that I now need to call the phone services people to actually come out to our building and turn my phone back on because our phone system is digital/ethernet based and when you attempt to plug a computer into a jack meant for the phone...it automatically turns off the phone port. So even though I've plugged my phone back in...it won't work until I can get someone to come out and turn it on. Such a pain :-P

[Bernadine]

I'd probably report it to my supervisor and let them handle it. Unless I had a really crappy supervisor. Which it sounds like you might. But it also sounds like your co-workers are shitty enough to do more to piss you off, as a joke, if you send an email. Yuck.

[ECB]

At a minimum, I would talk to your supervisor about your phone and docking station being unplugged, and how you had to have someone acutally come to the building to fix it. W/o going into a list of specifics, I'd talk about it in general terms of "people don't really seem to respect each others work spaces and I've had other issues w/ my desk being messed with. but now that someone has decided to unplug everything, I have to use company resources to get the issue fixed".

Past that - can you lock your desk? If so, id start keeping things in my desk and locking it each day.

[baconlettucetomato]

Jul 31, 2012 7:07:16 GMT -5 ECB said:

At a minimum, I would talk to your supervisor about your phone and docking station being unplugged, and how you had to have someone acutally come to the building to fix it. W/o going into a list of specifics, I'd talk about it in general terms of "people don't really seem to respect each others work spaces and I've had other issues w/ my desk being messed with. but now that someone has decided to unplug everything, I have to use company resources to get the issue fixed".

Past that - can you lock your desk? If so, id start keeping things in my desk and locking it each day.

Ditto this.

Or I'd start duct taping my stuff down.

[notsocreepylurker]

I feel ya. We have someone in my office who takes the batteries out of our wireless mice when his battery dies, rather that just going to the receptionist to get a new battery. Always fun to come in and try to figure out why your mouse isn't working.

I would want to send an email but would worry about retaliation. Can you lock everything up when you leave?

[wildfloweragain]

Jul 31, 2012 7:07:16 GMT -5 ECB said:

At a minimum, I would talk to your supervisor about your phone and docking station being unplugged, and how you had to have someone acutally come to the building to fix it. W/o going into a list of specifics, I'd talk about it in general terms of "people don't really seem to respect each others work spaces and I've had other issues w/ my desk being messed with. but now that someone has decided to unplug everything, I have to use company resources to get the issue fixed".

Past that - can you lock your desk? If so, id start keeping things in my desk and locking it each day.

I'd do this. Or actually I'd probably come ask you guys then do this, because at first, I'd be at a loss with how to deal with this too. I would never do any of this to a coworker, so I don't really understand how to deal with people who would do this.

But don't send the e-mail. It will end up fueling their desire to mess with you. Think middle school bullies.

[dirtyred]

Don't send an e mail unless you want to end up on passiveaggressivenotes.com.

I would mention to my supervisor about the cables being unplugged, as that relates to work, but probably not the other stuff unless you want your coworkers to get pissed off and escalate. Think Dwight and Jim from "The Office."

Are you able to lock your desk when you leave?

And I would have burst out laughing at "ass cleaner." It's more than "kind of funny."

[partiallysunny]

Jul 31, 2012 7:07:16 GMT -5 ECB said:

At a minimum, I would talk to your supervisor about your phone and docking station being unplugged, and how you had to have someone acutally come to the building to fix it. W/o going into a list of specifics, I'd talk about it in general terms of "people don't really seem to respect each others work spaces and I've had other issues w/ my desk being messed with. but now that someone has decided to unplug everything, I have to use company resources to get the issue fixed".

Past that - can you lock your desk? If so, id start keeping things in my desk and locking it each day.

This is what I would do.

I think an email would only make matter worse. They would probably fuck with you more.

[looseseal]

Do you work with Jim Halpert?

[eightangryreindeer]

Do NOT send an e-mail. OMG NO.

Talk to your supervisor about the cables, because that is an actual cost item (having to bring in a tech) and should be addressed by management.

Keep anything valuable in a locked drawer, I don't know wth a buckyball is.

And boobytrap the rest of your stuff.

[Deleted]

Well your CWs are obnoxious. I think sending an email to them would just fuel the fire though. Just talk to your supervisor about what happened, especially with the phone issue because that directly impacts your work.

I do like the duct taping things to your desk idea too.

[polarbearfans]

No email. Talk to your supervisor.

[Bonita]

Thanks for all of the great feedback! Thankfully I did not end up sending the email, I had a gut feeling that it was just the wrong way to go...hence why I asked here to begin with.

It is just sooooo frustrating because this crap happens all the time...I guess I mostly just needed to vent. I may tell my supervisor about the phone thing, but he may not really care...as Bernadine guessed he hasn't been all that helpful in the past.

I'm the only female in my group, so I think it must be fun for all the guys to pick on me or something. I have no idea

[pantsparty]

You work with some immature assholes. Keep your stuff locked up and/or figure out a way to electrify your stuff when you're away.

[kellbell191]

The email should read "WHO TOUCHED MY STAPLER. GIVE ME BACK MY STAPLER"

In all seriousness with a group of all guys, I would put an office space themed sign on my desk announcing not to touch my stapler. And hope they get the hint.

[lazyphoque]

Ok, clearly I'm the odd man out here, but most of this sounds like no big deal to me. Sometimes someone needs a pen or has a runny nose. It doesn't sound like the kind of stuff people do to pick on a coworker. Mention the cables in passing to your boss (which I'd also think probably has a reasonable explanation) and lock up anything that is actually important to you. And maybe stop getting irritated by pens and they'll tell you when they've lost some of your buckyballs.

[mamasaurus]

I presume you need your phone for your job, yes? So now it has gone from rude to rude and affecting business operations. I don't know about an email, but you should do something.

Can you lock your office door? I would also think about leaving some ghost pepper gum out accidentally on purpose and seeing if those chumps just take it without looking and get a mouthful of fire. That'll learn 'em!

[Bonita]

Jul 31, 2012 10:06:19 GMT -5 lazyphoque said:

Ok, clearly I'm the odd man out here, but most of this sounds like no big deal to me. Sometimes someone needs a pen or has a runny nose. It doesn't sound like the kind of stuff people do to pick on a coworker. Mention the cables in passing to your boss (which I'd also think probably has a reasonable explanation) and lock up anything that is actually important to you. And maybe stop getting irritated by pens and they'll tell you when they've lost some of your buckyballs.

No big deal, really? You would just walk up to someone's desk and take their own personally supplied box of tissue? And rather than go to the supply cabinet for a pen you would go through someone's desk to take their pens? I guess I personally just don't go taking other peoples things.

The pens and tissue aren't really all that terrible, but they were just a couple examples. Believe it or not I've actually never have said anything to any of them about taking pens and tissues or anything really...I work a different shift than most of them, so my interface time is limited.

There is quite a bit more that has happened that's a bit more shocking to me - Leaving used dentalpiks on and sometimes under my desk when they miss using my trash can, leaving dirty sweaty undershirts draped over my chair, taking my food out of the fridge (that had my name on it) and then when I asked if I could have my container back I get "That's yours?!? I thought it was mine, and someone was messing with me by putting your name on it" It was a glass container with my name on it...really?

One day asking me "Hey, where do you keep your Ibuprofen at?" I said "What do you mean?" and the response I got was "Well we were looking through your desk to see if we could find that prescription ibuprofen that you have, but we couldn't find it" (I had a prescription for 800mg Ibuprofen after I got into a car accident and was out of work for 2 weeks)

I guess it just doesn't seem like other more professional work places that I've been in...

[Bonita]

Jul 31, 2012 10:33:07 GMT -5 cjoy said:

So why the fuck have you let it go on this long without saying something?

Mostly because I don't have a lot of interface with them - a lot of these things I just find out later after they're gone because I work 2nd shift and most of them work 1st shift with the worst offenders leaving early before I even get in. I haven't been really sure how to deal with that other than leaving them notes, or writing emails which never really seemed like the right solution I guess.

[WOT?*]

Sweaty undershirts? Ew. THAT is something I'd tell my boss about. Talk about unsanitary and disgusting.

You can always be a real peach and talk to the supervisor about harassment issues, since you're the only one who seems to get the brunt of the "borrowing" and the takings and leavings. The guys aren't doing it to each other, just to the "little woman" because "it's funny" and "cute." Not that you'd threaten litigation but that might put a stop to it; they might even start walking on eggshells around you for a bit until things settle down to what is hopefully a "normal" workplace situation.

Jokes like "ass cleaner" are one thing - that's funny. Missing the trash can on occasion is something else, but coming to your desk and openly taking stuff, moving, disconnecting, is something *you* can escalate in return. But I can be a supremely evil bitch (in thought since so far I've never actually taken action) like that.

[flex]

These people are clearly messing with you so sending out an e-mail will fuel the fire. Speak to your supervisor about it. If that doesn't work, go up the chain.

I can understand borrowing pens and pencils (it is company property after all), but the Ibuprofen comments--that's just plain wrong.

[Bonita]

Jul 31, 2012 10:39:08 GMT -5 cjoy said:

Well what did you say to the person who had your lunch container? Or to the person that was attempting to steal prescription medication from your desk? I guess I don't understand just shrugging it all off until you finally snap. Your coworkers are clearly fuckwits, but they've gotten away with it for a long time. I'm doubting they'll change now.

I actually did yell at the person who had my lunch container - that incident did get a reaction out of me, and he apologized several times...although really I have no idea if he truly meant it. I mean I would think you'd know it wasn't yours since it didn't have your name on it, and it wasn't your food container...but who knows.

As for the medication incident...that was my manager who said that to me :-| I said something to the effect of "I don't keep any of my medications in my desk at work, and I don't allow people to take my prescription meds, so I wouldn't go looking for them in the future. If you need something you can call me and ask me where it is"

[gault]

Your manager said that?

Wow.

[Bonita]

Jul 31, 2012 10:58:41 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

1. Does your desk lock?
2. Is there an actual HR department where you work?
3. what the hell is a bucky ball?

1. No
2. Yes, but they're not quite as good about dealing with things since we're a remote site and not at one of the bigger company locations
3. They're little magnetic balls that you can make into shapes and such.



www.getbuckyballs.com/products/#!/buckyballs

[livinitup]

Who thinks they aren't doing this stuff to each other? Maybe, but people who think it's okay it rumage through other people's desk do it to everything within reach and to anyone within access. I bet a lot of those offenders don't see their supplies as "theirs" and just see everything as a collective "ours".

I hope you got your office chair back. And I hope you got it back by finding who's desk it was parked under and taking it back.

You'll feel better when you stop thinking they are targetting you, personally, out of disrespect for you, personally. In my experience, assholes are generally non-discriminatory assholes to eveyone. Like the guy who took batteries out of someone's mouse instead of getting a fresh set - asshole. Probably someone who gets a little thill out of doing douchy things to people who aren't around.

Label your stuff and track it down when it goes missing. Reduce the stuff you pay for personally. Expect that anything not under lock and key will be touched or moved. Report the need for a service call to your boss. Tell people directly when to stop touching your stuff, and never ever say it in a 'to all' angry email. Don't expect things to change. Spit into your food and laugh in anyone's face who steals it.

[ECB]

As your desk doesn't lock, as big of a pain as it might be, I'd carry a tote bag w/ me and just keep everything in there, down to your kleenex. Just keep it in your car.

The phone thing, though, I'd still go talk to my boss about that. He may not do anything, but you should at least make him aware so that if it starts to become an issue, you know you've made him aware. And on that front, I WOULD write it in an email so that it's documented.

While I agree w/livingitup that chances are that these guys are just a-holes who don't think past themselves - if they are "targeting" you at all and start to do something on a regular basis to YOU- you want it documented.

Even if it's so that if the phone guys get pissed that they have to keep coming out - you can at least say "i've reported the problem".

[DaisyCakes]

I love buckyballs. I always have mine with me in case of boredom.
Can you get a small box with a lock on it that will fit in one of your desk drawers where you can keep personal items secure?

[WOT?*]

Jul 31, 2012 11:03:29 GMT -5 Bonita said:

3. They're little magnetic balls that you can make into shapes and such.



www.getbuckyballs.com/products/#!/buckyballs

Ooooh, fun.

[greylady]

I'd set up a vase with some flowers and a teddy bear. And by teddy bear, I mean nanny cam. I think when you show your boss the video of your coworkers inevitably doing something lewd to the bear you'll have your pick of the offices.

[mamasaurus]

Jul 31, 2012 11:29:09 GMT -5 greylady said:

I'd set up a vase with some flowers and a teddy bear. And by teddy bear, I mean nanny cam. I think when you show your boss the video of your coworkers inevitably doing something lewd to the bear you'll have your pick of the offices.

(I)

:beer: