Off-Campus Lunch: Not as Innocent as You Think
Looks delicious, right? This could be making your coworkers hundreds a year.
I’ve been a part of my team for two years now, and I thought things were going great.
Actually, most of the time they are. Everyone gets along most of the time, we crack jokes and even have the weekly food order at a local restaurant.
You know what I’m talking about. The menu gets passed around, everyone writes down what they want, everyone pitches in and, voila, food has arrived. Sometimes it’s Chinese, sometimes it’s Chipotle, sometimes it’s sandwiches.
Well, every Wednesday for us is sandwiches. There’s a spot near the office that makes a great sandwich. So every Wednesday, the menu is passed around, everyone writes down what they want and everyone is happy 20-30 minutes later. This has been every Wednesday since I’ve been a part of the team. Remember, that’s two years.
Well, one Wednesday the organizer wasn’t working. A coworker came over and asked if I wanted to order sandwiches anyway. We ask around to see if anyone else is interested, no takers.
So he and I venture out and head to the shop. Upon arriving we’re greeted with the following:
EVERY WEDNESDAY: BUY 2 SANDWICHES, GET ONE FREE, PICK-UP ONLY
We were shocked. Naturally, we inquire. Come to find out, you’re only paying for four sandwiches if six are ordered. At about $7 a sandwich, that’s $14 a week. Do that, say, 45 times a year and you’re talking serious cash. We were being scammed by our coworker.
All scams have to start somewhere, right?
We came back to the office and stayed silent. On the walk back, the coworker told me he once asked to go with the scammer and he brushed him off — now we see why.
The next Wednesday, I watched him collect the money for the sandwich order (which I refrained from) and come back with the sandwiches and no change. What I already knew was confirmed.
So, what to do? On the corporate food chain, the scammer is higher than I. And I’ve always try to maintain a position of neutrality at work — I don’t need any squabbles with anyone; I’m there to do my job.
Naturally, I’m never ordering a sandwich on Wednesday from there again. But what about the people on my team? They’re continually getting ripped. This guy might be pulling in an extra $500 a year!
What should I do? Confront? Tell the coworkers behind the scammer’s back? Leave the scammer a note on the desk? Just drop it and continue the sandwich boycott?
How would you handle this? I need some input here.
And, I don’t want this to make anyone paranoid, but it might be worth auditing your lunch system, should your office have one.
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go out to lunch to the same restaurant with everyone else
Agreed. You need to collaborate with the group… maybe next week suggest a different spot on Wednesday (close-by to the sandwich ponzi) . Make sure you lead the charge…
Get another co-worker to make a sudden decision demanding that the office crew not stray from the norm and suggest the sandwich ponzi.
I’d love to see this guys face at that moment.
pull him aside, talk in a super deep, raspy voice, and say, “I KNOW EVERYTHING” and walk away as if nothing happened.
When he steps away from his desk, set his background image to “EVERY WEDNESDAY: BUY 2 SANDWICHES, GET ONE FREE, PICK-UP ONLY”. If he changes it back, set it again a few days later. Don’t say anything, don’t bring it up.
Let him squirm.
Patrice hehe i like how you think….let his guilt get the best of him…
Well I think the first mistake you guys made was not coming back to the office and telling the rest of ur coworkers. Since they are also being jipped they have a right to know and help u make ur decicion as to confront the Ponzi or not. If you don’t say anything and continue allowing him to take their extra cash u guys are almost as bad as he is. I would definitely volunteer to go with him next time and not take no for an answer.
Man, tell all the co-workers and next Wednesday, get in a group and confront the guy…or take him to some dark alley and do some serious damage
Man…so many different tactics…and all of them are awesome in their own way.
It’s the age old issue with separation of duties! Simply insist that you go with!
Well, not to be devil’s advocate exactly, but if the guy is organizing your entire office’s lunch, doesn’t he deserve something? It strikes me as funny that in America nowadays, people think that other people shouldn’t be compensated for anything. You order pizza, and don’t tip the guy? You go out to eat and give less than 15% tip? You ask your friends to do favors for you, and don’t give them anything in return.
It is just a confused way of thinking…you are not getting ripped off, the guy was smart enough to organize the thing, and he is getting a little kickback. It’s the same way sales works throughout the entire country across every different type of service. Sometimes you don’t even know you are being sold to, but you are.
Dennis -
Thanks for chiming in. I will counter by saying I think he deserves nothing based on a few things:
1. If it was his job to bring me food, I would absolutely tip him for the job. His tip is he gets out of the office for 20-30 minutes to pick up lunch while the rest of us continue working. You’re undervaluing fresh air during work.
2. The place actually delivers. So him going to pick up the food is not a necessity, and certainly not worth maybe $500 annually.
3. Touche on the sales point, but this still doesn’t make it right in an office setting. I guess this is the point of contention. I say full disclosure is necessary when it comes to food at work.
[...] written about some of these characters. The food vulture, the sandwich ponzi czar, the hoarder, [...]