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How many times have you finally got around to making time for lunch in a busy day only to get to the office fridge and find that your food is missing?
This common problem can see everything from a carefully made sandwich to ready meals vanish without a trace, with the only possible culprits being those you work day in and day out.
In fact, this probably happens more than you might think, as new research from Husky Lifestyle has revealed that one in three people (39 per cent) have stolen food from a colleague without asking permission.
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While those aged between 25 and 34 are some of the worst offenders with 42 per cent admitting to it, it is actually company directors who need to keep their mitts off other people’s food. Around 46 per cent of company directors have said that they have knowingly taken food or drink from a colleague without telling them, proving that you can’t trust your boss!
It turns out that men are much more likely to steal your lunch than women, but a nice ten per cent will make the effort to replace what they’ve taken – although we don’t know how quickly they get around to do so.
When it comes to certain industries, marketing is by far the worse for food theft, with over half (57 per cent) of those working in this sector saying they’ve nicked things out of the fridge. However, if you’re lucky enough to work in accounts and administration, you’ll be happy to know that your colleagues are the most trustworthy, with 65 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively, saying they’ve never stolen food.
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You might think this could all be due to honest mistakes, but around 44 per cent those who have had their lunch go missing have taken steps to try and avoid this, with name labels being the most popular preventative measure.
However, the situation has gotten so bad for a third (33 per cent) of workers that they have started to separate their food from their colleagues to try and ward off possible sandwich stealers.
Sadly, it seems that no matter how well you get on with your colleagues, at least one of them will be pinching your milk, snacks or lunch without telling you. It looks like you might need to come up with some interesting ways to keep your food safe!