'My coworkers and I had had enough': Employees switch creamers to get back at manager with lactose intolerance, sparks debate

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Jul 1, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

At what point do you turn to petty revenge? Is it after someone's first offense of being annoying or entitled? Or is it after you have already asked them once or twice to stop the offensive act? Or maybe it's after you already tried the proper paths of reporting them to higher ups and still nothing changes. Is that when you begin to devise your petty revenge plan?

One health care employee and her colleagues had had enough one day. She reports on Reddit that over a decade ago she had a manager that was beyond entitled, so much so, that she decided stealing from the patients was fine. They asked her to stop repeatedly, but she never did. Still, they allowed her to come onto their floor and steal some of their patient's lactose free milk for her coffee. However, the longer they let her get away with it, the greedier she became. She then started stealing more and more from their patients' fridge. Eventually, she started taking entire meals for herself. 

They asked her repeatedly to stop, they even reported her to HR, but nothing ever changed. So finally, one day, they got to the fridge before the entitled manager arrived. The took out the lactose free milk she stole every day like clock work, and they filled it halfway with regular creamer. Sufficed to say, that entitled manager was sitting on the toilet the rest of the day. For some reason, the employees fessed up to their actions and got separated, but to this day, they still say it was worth it. 

However, Reddit seems split on whether it actually was worth it or if it even was petty revenge at all. Some applaud OP while others think what she did is completely heinous. What do you think? Read the entire story below along with Redditor responses.    

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  • 01
    Light - Posted by u/PneumaNOMAC2112 20 hours ago Want to steal from patients? I'll just flair your intolerance
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112

    Photo via u/wallpaperflare

  • 02
    Font - This happened a long time ago (10 or 11 years ago). I worked in the health care sector, taking care of patients.
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 03
    Font - Anyways, we had this manager who would always come in and go to our floor in the mornings, taking lactose free milk from the patient fridge for her coffee in the mornings. We told her over and over to stop as it could be considered theft and her response was always "It's just a little milk. No kne will care". Her behaviour was also really bad towards the staff and patients.
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 04
    Font - My coworkers and I had had enough when she decided to start making herself toast using bread and condiments from the same patient fridge.
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 05
    Font - One day, my coworkers and I beat her to the floor. We dumped out the lactose free milk (we replaced it with a new one afterwards) and filled it up with 18% creamer. Our manager came to the floor and, as usual, poured herself some "lactose free milk" for her coffee and went into her office.
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 06
    Font - At around noon, our manager was holding her stomach and walked towards the front door. She looked green. She told us she couldn't stay off the toilet since she got there. We outright told her what we did and said that if she goes to our big boss, we had a lot on her that could get her in equal amounts of trouble.
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 07
    Font - Me and my coworkers were moved to different floors the next morning and not allowed to work together again as per that manager's request.
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 08
    Font - +1 - 20 hr. ago Excellent_Ad1132 Maybe a visit to HR is a thought, just make sure everyone who has a grievance with her also goes to HR. Let HR know she is a problem and maybe should be considered a theif.
    via u/Excellent_Ad1132
  • 09
    Font - ILLogic PL 7 hr. ago I don't know how it is in other countries, but in my MDs are a special kind of entitled as they are protected. Seldom they are in trouble for malpractice as other doctors cover their asses. Reporting a doctor would mean more trouble for you tha the said doctor.
    via u/ILLogic_PL
  • 10
    Font - There are these groups that protect one another even in extreme cases: doctors, lawyers, judges. Want to report unethical lawyer? The ethics commission is bunch od other lawyers. They will not risk being not protected when something goes south with their own practice, so they stick together.
    via u/ILLogic_PL
  • 11
    Font - Contrantier 3 hr. ago ● How about getting the patients to report her? They suffer no job repercussions and since they're the ones under her care to a degree, that'll really light a fire under her ass.
    via u/Contraintier
  • 12
    Font - dukenny 17 hr. ago ● Sounds like that manager got revenge on you. 58 Reply Share Apotak 7 hr. ago She got a new team who doesn't mind her stealing habits.
    via u/dukenny
  • 13
    Font - CrazieCayutLayDee +1.7 hr. ago Maybe people shouldn't steal stuff that doesn't belong to them. As someone who has made ex-lax brownies in the past to deal with a lunch thief, I approve of OP's message.
    via u/CrazieCayutLayDee
  • 14
    Font - travelingtutor What a shitty.. situation. I'm glad you.. milked it for all it was worth. Reply Share 3 11 hr. ago •
    via u/travelingtutor
  • 15
    Font - PneumaNOMAC2112 OP 11 hr. ago For those saying that I should have gone to HR, we reported a lot going on there to them and nothing was done. We even caught HR eating patients' food off trays and such and abusing patients with no discipline, even after we called them on it. This was honestly the tip of the iceberg with everything that went on there.
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 16
    Font - Yes, my coworkers and I got reassigned, but at least she thought twice before taking any food from our floors and we also met other coworkers that were equally awesome on other floors Reply Share 6
    via u/PneumaNOMAC2112
  • 17
    Font - Fit_Marionberry_3008 12 hr. ago As a clinical RD, thank you What kind of selfish b**** would steal from the patient. I'm willing to bet if you tell the resident RD (and tell them what you did cuz that was great) they'll think of something to keep her away from the fridge Ⓡ AA
    via u/Fit_Marionberry_3008

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Tags

lactose intolerant toxic-manager karen-manager entitled-manager petty revenge workplace Reddit
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