Employee calls out coworker for always pulling the Mom card to mooch off of everyone else's lunch: 'Everyone else is buying her “poor me” act!'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Oct 23, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

Everyone has that one coworker who seems to think that they are the most aggrieved individual in the office no matter what.

This is the type of person who always complains that they are more swamped, stressed, and overwhelmed with both professional and personal responsibilities than everyone around them, regardless of the fact that they likely have no clue what other people have on their respective plates.

This author's coworker frequently pulled the single mom card in order to mooch off of everyone else's lunch. This was not a one-off occurrence. In fact, she wasn't even just doing this to the author. She was doing this to multiple members of the team. She even convinced a team member to let her gain access to his streaming passwords so she didn't have to pay for Netflix, since she was so overwhelmed with the demands of motherhood.

The problem is that this lady was surely not the only single mother in the office. Not to mention, the author learned that this woman had enough money to afford luxury vacations. Why couldn't she then afford to make herself a sandwich for lunch?

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • Overhead shot of a pasta salad lunch box next to an open laptop.
    via Unsplash+ (Karolina Grabowska)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The thing about people who mooch is that they tend to not realize how transparent their behavior is. Otherwise, they wouldn't mooch, unless they were truly in a state of dire need. Naturally, if that were the case, our sympathies would lie with the mother. However, this lady had overused the Mom card far too many times for people to extend their sympathies to her at work anymore.

  • "Coworker is a sponger"

    My co-worker regularly talks about being a single mom and the hardships she faces as a result. I don't doubt it's been tough but she annoys me with it
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • because more than once she's implied I've got an easy life because i live with my kid's dad and he shares the responsibilities with me.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • At least once a week she says she "forgot to bring lunch" or says she didn't plan well so didn't bring enough food and talks
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • about how hungry she is throughout the day until people offer her food from their lunches or stashes.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • At first I thought she was just saying this to me so I would discretely give her bits from my own lunch box because I usually pack extra anyway just in case.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • Then I witnessed her do it with other people. There's about three other people I know of who regularly give her food from their lunch. She never pays it back or
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • offers out anything from her own stuff, just takes from everyone but I thought maybe she's genuinely poor and can't afford food so I continued to give her things.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • As I got to know her over the months though I realised she's not as poor as she makes out. In the last 6 months she's been on a holiday abroad, bought an expensive kitchen appliance she didn't need (she already had one,
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • she just wanted the newer one with more functions), bought a whole new wardrobe (not second hand) and is buying a new to her car (to make her a two-car house when she's the only driver). She
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • also made a big deal about how much she spends on Christmas presents for her family. She has money, she just spend it on luxuries instead of necessities.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • Today I found out (from her) that another co-worker has added her to their family subscription for a streaming service. Everyone else is buying her "poor me" act. This woman isn't rich but she's certainly not too-poor-to-buy- food poor.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • So i've stopped giving her my stuff. She's started being very blatant about it these days. When I brought some extra drinks to see me through the week and put them in the shared fridge, she
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • went to the fridge then she spent the next half hour talking about how thirsty she is... we get bottled water for free and have a fully stocked tea/coffee bar.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • We'll be sat at the lunch table, I've finished everything but a chocolate biscuit and she'll say things like, "I wish I'd brought some chocolate today to top off
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • my lunch, I could really do with the energy". I've stopped responding. Now I just pack my lunch box away, chocolate biscuit and all as if I haven't heard her.
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • A group of coworkers standing while helping themselves to office lunch.
    via Unsplash+ (Curated Lifestyle)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Any_Art_1364 · Start bringing her purchases into the conversation every time she tries to mooch, like "you got the new car, that must be great for getting the groceries", compliment her
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • outfit adding "is that one of the new skirts/tops/ dresses/whatever". Refer to something she has bought every single time, and don't give her anything. Start bringing other people into the conversation, like
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • "doesn't she look lovely", or how the new appliance must be great to have. Hopefully she will back off. You could also say you have had an unexpected bill and are being very mindful to only
    via MeasurementDouble324
  • buy what YOU and your own FAMILY need, then don't take the bait when she's having a "poor me" moment
    via MeasurementDouble324

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

terrible coworkers work stories toxic-workplace job work coworkers karen coworker funny work stories toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article