Taking Stationery From Work

Discussion in Office Supplies started by littlewitch66 • Jul 26, 2017.

  1. littlewitch66

    littlewitch66Active Member

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    Many people do this and even I am guilty of having taken the odd paperclip or pen home from work when I ran out. My boss always knew about it and did it herself so I didn't feel bad although basically it is stealing. There were people who took whole reams of paper home and I would never have done that.

    Have you ever taken office supplies home from work however small, and what do you think of it?
     
  2. overcast

    overcastActive Member

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    Here in office we have this contract. We are not supposed to use the office stationary for the home. And that's one reason I think it's fair. Because we are working for the benefit of the organization and not the office. So we have to consider about the contract and the person who hired us. I would never do something that is not allowed to in my contract. That way I am safe on legal and office culture side too.
     
  3. tallulah

    tallulahActive Member

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    Yes, I do take the occasional office pen home in my bag or my desk highlighters. You get office supplies like once every three months and no one has yet ever raised any issue about missing stationery or what have you. I think the problem will be if you take home everything at once from your desk and you keep going to the supply office to ask for more stuff to be bought to replace the ones you took home. This will be an issue then.
     
  4. kamai

    kamaiActive Member

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    I never took any stationary home from work since all the items were counted in the inventory even the paper clips. The situation is so poor here thay everything must be counted. This all started when the boss noticed many things were missing and of course that meant spending more corporation money. Obviously the corporation would also notice that and we would all get in trouble for stealing.
     
  5. ReddOnMyHead

    ReddOnMyHeadNew Member

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    I have to admit, I too have taken smaller items from work. This was when I was in my early 20's, and wasn't thinking this costs someone money and is stealing. I didn't think of it as stealing until later on in life. I would always look at it as they are purchasing it for us to use, what does it matter if I'm using it at work or at home. I would also look at it like it was saving me money by not having to buy it for my home and personal use.
    Now that I am older and understand consequences and morals, I do not think that same way nor do I take any office supplies from work. I have unintentionally taken a pen with me or marker not realizing until I was already home, but did bring it back to work for work use. When it comes right down to it, it's stealing. I seen where the original poster stated the boss knew & was ok with it, so I feel like that is a different situation. It can't be stealing if you are getting permission to have/use something outside of what it was intended for.
    The best way I can explain what I am referring to, is think of toilet paper in your guest bathroom. I know it's kind of a weird example, but stay with me, haha. You set out the toilet paper for your guest to use while they are at your home. How would you feel though if while your guest was using your paper, they decided they wanted to take that roll with them. They see the supply of your other 10 rolls and they take 5 of those & take them to their home to use. Would that be considered stealing?
     
  6. explorerx7

    explorerx7Active Member

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    I have done it a number of times. I hace ocaisionally taken paper glue sticks and staples fo use at home. I have not taken these stuff in exhorbitant amounts> Even though it's not the correct thing to do, Its has not caused any alarm of missing inventory because of the moderation.
     
  7. luckycharm

    luckycharmActive Member

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    I worked in various organizations in the last 15 years or so. I also used to take stationery items from office to home like white paper, stapler, pen, pencil etc for my personal use. But in some companies they have strict security system in place. We need to go through a security scanning before going in and out of the office. So it is not possible to carry anything in and out of the building. If we need to carry something out for official purpose there should be a proper gate pass authorized by the concerned Department Head and HR. They were very strict on electronic items like pen drives, CDs, laptops etc. So it depends on the company policy I think.
     
  8. Jamille

    JamilleActive Member

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    I've taken stationery from work and used it at home but I didn't feel that it was stealing because as head of my department, I needed to do some work at home and the company has given me some leeway when it comes to company files that I had to take home or electronic files that I needed to open at home. I never abused the privilege though as our department is in charge of enforcing accountability for company assets and we want to set a good example to other employees. To save on office and school supplies, I buy them from the company's suppliers at discounted prices.
     
  9. Alexandoy

    AlexandoyWell-Known Member

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    In our office, it is not considered stealing when you bring home small items like paper and pen. The company understands that you want to save on small things. Instead of going to the store to buy a pen, it is more practical to just ask one from the office custodian. However, bringing home by bulk is not a privilege anymore. It is already stealing.
     
  10. Zero

    ZeroActive Member

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    @Alexandoy@Alexandoy At the end of the day it depends entirely on the company's policies in regards to what you are allowed to take home, it's best to read it carefully.
     
    #10Sep 10, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 11, 2017