‘My boss stole my bag and threw it away’: Boss tosses employee’s bag in the dumpster after office hours, HR intervenes and sides with boss

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jun 15, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

You don't have to enjoy the fashion of your fellow coworkers, but that doesn't mean you should say anything out loud about it. Keep your thoughts about how unflattering your employee's jacket is to yourself! Sure, you might secretly wish that you could make that jacket disappear into thin air while no one is looking. Still, making that fantasy a reality is not exactly an ethically sound move.

In this instance, we have an employee who was given a bag with the company's logo on it when they first were hired there. Eventually, the logo changed, but the employee kept bringing the bag to work. Seems pretty harmless. It's not like anyone said anything negative about it… that is, until the employee's boss decided she had a problem with it. However, instead of simply asking that she stop using the bag or gifting her a new one with the correct logo on it, the boss simply waited until after office hours and then proceeded to throw the bag into the dumpster. And yes, there was video footage that she did this! 

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    Cheezburger Image 10516971008
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • What’s remarkable about this anecdote is that after a tense meeting with HR, they ultimately sided with the boss! Essentially, they argued that because the bag was gifted by the company, it was nebulous as to whether or not this qualified as private property. Let’s be real, HR! Once a gift is given, it is no longer yours to claim. What a pathetic excuse for abhorrent workplace behavior!
     

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    I typically would leave my laptop in my bag and keep it under the desk at work on nights and weekends because I was never required to work from home.
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    One day I found my laptop, papers, and pens neatly stacked in a pile on the floor under the desk. I immediately got suspicious. I started reviewing the security videos from the day before and
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    saw that my boss walked out of the office with it in her hands. I followed her path on the security cameras. She left the building,
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    walked to the back lot, and threw my bag into the dumpster. I even saw video of the garbage truck emptying the dumpster.
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    The context is the bag had the former name of the company screenprinted on it. She did not like that I was still using it (and-- surprise--she did not like me). I reported her to HR. After an investigation, they sided with her.
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    She faced no consequences. She did not even have to apologize. She ordered a new plain bag on the company's dime to replace mine.
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    That was the last straw. I began joh searching and turned in my two weeks' notice four months later. I wanted to give zero notice, but I hoped it would irritate her more to see me for two more weeks knowing I was leaving.
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    MAXIMUM LOADING LEVEL
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    meoka2368 18 hr. ago Get a copy of all the video. Get a copy of whatever paperwork HR did that has her admit to doing it. Call the police. Theft and destruction of private property.
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    veloeddy OP 18 hr. ago HR said that it was a gray area because the company (under their former name/owner) gave me the bag.
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    Flatworm-Euphoric ⚫ 11 hr. ago HR is there to protect the company from the employees.
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    dpneisess 14 hr. ago Next time, take the video and file an action in small claims court for the value of the bag. Now your boss will have to show up to a court hearing and it'll be public record.
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    Driftingamongus 17 hr. ago Once you've left can you leave scathing review on Indeed, Glassdoor?
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    S_fiend. 10 hr. ago I don't get this. Boss treats you like and you still gave two weeks notice??? I wouldn't have even told them. I would have kept working until I found a new job then just stopped showing up.
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    veloeddy OP 9 hr. ago I guess I wanted to do everything by the book since none of the previous three people who quit gave two weeks notice. No reason for them to disparage me like they did the others.
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    S fiend 9 hr. ago They are still going to talk about you no matter what.
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    imisstecmobowl 14 hr. ago get a replica bag of the one she threw away and make sure she sees it. When she comes for that, you'll have switched back to the new bag and she'll look crazy
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    fire_soul_love. 14 hr. ago Wow. I'm wondering what this woman even could be contributing to the company if she has time to worry about what employees' laptop
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    bags look like. Did you buy it with your money™ If you did, that's appalling. Even if you didn't, it's still creepy.
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    amymcg 7 hr. ago My company once gave us all fleece jackets with the company logo on them. They were nice.
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    My colleague does not wear any clothes with logos on them, so he gave his to the homeless man who stood on the corner outside of our building. The company partners were livid, and could do nothing about it.
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    shontsu 11 hr. ago To HR: "So just be perfectly clear, its company policy that stealing from employees is acceptable?"
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    W3R3Hamster 10 hr. ago Dude HR is not your friend, they work for and support whoever is higher up in the company.
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boss workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job work toxic-boss Horrible Bosses bad bosses company toxic-work-environment
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