'I've been struggling [to afford] food': Worker shares scathing messages from their boss after they recover discarded food from workplace

This manager took issue because one of their workers was taking discarded bread loaves from back-of-house disposal. Anyone who has worked in food service or the service industry has witnessed this at some point: perfectly good food going to the bin just because they can't move the product and donating the food to a shelter would present a "lawsuit risk."

So away it goes, right into the dumpster.

It's always a shame to see all perfectly good food go to waste—even if you have plenty to eat at home. So some managers will allow you to take some with you, but you both know that—if questions are asked… They'll have no idea what anyone is talking about.

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Posted by Brad Dickson

Food insecurity is an important part of ensuring the well-being and social stability of an individual. Limited access to affordable and healthy food can lead to various physical health problems, as well as high amounts of anxiety and stress.

During 2021 in the United States, around 10% of households experienced food insecurity at some point.

It's heartbreaking to think that this is a reality that so many people face. It feels almost impossible to think that anyone would have to choose between something like being able to afford medication or having a meal.

When screenshots of this text exchange between a boss and their worker were posted to Reddit, they generated quite a stir, with readers sharing their thoughts in the comments.

The boss's concern in this exchange seems to center on the argument of “What if the customer were to see this," but—as commenters have pointed out—if a customer were to be aware of the issue, they would just wonder why the worker wasn't making enough to be able to afford food.

Keep reading to see the screenshots and a selection of the responses below. For more workplace stories, check out this worker who was told by their rude boss that they could quit if they didn't like an uncommunicated schedule change.