Coworker secretly uses desk mate's mechanical keyboard and breaks it, refuses to pay for a new one: 'I'm wondering if I overreacted'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 15, 2025 10:00 PM EST

Accidents happen, but they are not always easy to deal with in the aftermath. This is where you learn who your real friends are. If your friendship is easily jeopardized by a simple mistake, then it probably wasn't a genuine friendship to begin with. Real friends let things slide when they need to. This is true with coworkers as well. The way you treat your coworkers is incredibly important to your happiness in the workplace. It's best to commit to things going as smoothly as possible if you can help it. 

That's not what happened in this situation. In this story, after something went wrong, neither of these coworkers knew how to handle it. It started with a transgression that should have been avoided in the first place. You should never use someone's belongings without asking them first. This is never a good idea, even with people you are friends with. If they're your coworker, this is even more true. But that's what one coworker did when he helped himself to a test drive of his coworker's personal keyboard. 

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  • Two coworkers on laptops side-eye each other
    via Resume Genius

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

  • After learning of this and finding out that one of the keys was broken, they had a pretty strong reaction. The way they saw it, if you broke it, you bought it. The way everyone else in the office saw it, they were majorly overreacting. Read on to see what happened in the story and decide what you think about it. 

  • Am I in the wrong for telling my coworker he needs to pay me back after he used my personal keyboard without asking and broke it?

    So I work in a small office (open floor thing, nothing fancy). I (25M) keep my own mechanical keyboard at my desk because I like typing on it way better than the mushy office ones. I bought it myself like a year ago. No one else uses it, ever.
    via u/the***deliveryman
  • Last week while I was out on lunch, one of my coworkers (let's call him Jason, 30s) apparently used my desk to "quickly send an email" because someone was using his. I didn't think much of it until later that day when I noticed one of my keys was literally stuck and another one wouldn't register at all unless you slammed it.
    via u/the***deliveryman
  • I asked around and Jason admitted he used it but said it was "already like that." It definitely wasn't. I use that thing every day and it was totally fine that morning. I told him he needs to replace it or at least cover the repair because he broke something that wasn't his. He kind of laughed and said I'm being dramatic and it's "just a keyboard" and that I shouldn't bring "fragile toys" to work if I don't want them touched.
    via u/the***deliveryman
  • I told him it's not a toy and I wouldn't have cared if he'd just asked first. He got annoyed and said I was trying to "shake him down" for money. Now a couple coworkers think I'm being uptight but others said he shouldn't be touching people's stuff anyway.
    via u/the***deliveryman
  • So now I'm wondering if I overreacted. AITA for asking him to pay for the damage?
    via u/the***deliveryman

  • Commenters wrote in with their opinions.

    heckyescheesean... • 10h ago NTA. He broke your stuff, he needs to pay for it. The fact he used it without asking, lied about breaking it, and is mocking your work tools as "fragile toys" is just icing on the cake. Send him the bill and let him know if he can't use other people's things without breaking them he shouldn't touch them.
    via u/heckyescheeseandpie
  • A person types on a mechanical keyboard
    via Snapmaker 3D Printer

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

  • Beejandal 9h ago In every place I've worked at for the last 25 years, you don't use other people's computers. They're passworded to individuals. because you can cause massive damage to an organisation through computer access and
    via u/Beejandal
  • employers want to be confident that they can trace any wrongdoing to the responsible individual, not someone else messing around on their computer. I'd be more worried about a workmate sending an email from my computer (who to, and did they think it was from me?) than any keyboard damage.
    via u/Beejandal
  • Minimum_Possibilit... • 6h ago Is it a hot desk situation or permanent assigned desks. If it's the former and you decided to bring your own peripherals it's at your risk, if it's the latter then it's still a risk but they should at least cover the cost of a couple of switches. Also mechanical keyboards in an office is just obnoxious
    via u/Minimum_Possibility6
  • 2300abar 10h ago . Tough one. I would be curious if the same keys are broken on his computer (indicating habit on his part) as it's suspicious that it happened so quickly on your keyboard after sending one email.....
    via u/2300abar
  • For a genuine accident and as you brought a personal item to work which leave the risk of it breaking on you, I would say you wear the cost but if he was negligent or purposely broke something of yours then he should contribute (not pay for a new one as it wasn't new).
    via u/2300abar
  • . jamesvabrams • 7h ago How could someone break a keyboard? I know it's physically possible but the unlikelihood makes this story suspect.
    via u/jamesvabrams
  • NiNdo4589 5h ago • I dont feel like you have sufficient evidence to accuse. And what's with someone else using their desk? Do you not have assigned desks?
    via u/NiNdo4589
  • LAnanasDesDejant... • 7h ago Info: How loud is your keyboard? Maybe someone broke it on purpose because it was too loud and unbearable for your colleagues. That don't excuse that they broke it of course, they should have told you if it was too loud, but maybe this is what happened.
    via u/LAnanasDesDejantees
  • • FluidBit4438 3h ago How does someone "break" a keyboard? I have trouble believing it's actually broken and doesn't just need a cleaning and i also have trouble believing that this guy somehow managed to break it using it just one time. It's more likely that some food or something sticky has fallen into it and it just needs a clean.
    via u/FluidBit4438
  • jdo5000 7h ago Stepped out, gone to lunch, who cares? You shouldn't have to put your stuff away just because you aren't using your desk at this exact moment. I know you say this will "solve" the issue but what if the guy breaks the screen or pc? And then what? OP will
    via u/jdo5000
  • have to put their screen and pc away securely if they want to go to lunch? I know your way is non confrontational but it doesn't necessarily fix the issue
    via u/jdo5000
  • 2300abar 10h ago Tough one. I would be curious if the same keys are broken on his computer (indicating habit on his part) as it's suspicious that it happened so quickly on your keyboard after sending one email.....
    via u/2300abar
  • For a genuine accident and as you brought a personal item to work which leave the risk of it breaking on you, I would say you wear the cost but if he was negligent or purposely broke something of yours. then he should contribute (not pay for a new one as it wasn't new).
    via u/2300abar
  • . thelumpymattress 7h ago Yta I have had the same mechanical keyboard since 2019 and I have zero broken keys. There's no way two broke from just one use; that's a straw that broke the camels back situation. It isn't
    via u/thelumpymattress
  • fair to expect compensation for an item you use everyday that happened to break the one time a coworker typed an email. You are responsible for 99.9% of the wear.
    via u/thelumpymattress
  • Murrdox • 3h ago ESH - The only feasible way that a good mechanical keyboard could "break" like this is a spill of some kind. Did he spill soda on the keyboard, or did you previously spill something on it?
    via u/Murrdox
  • Most mechanical keyboards that I am familiar with can easily have their keys removed to clean or fix. It doesn't sound like you did any of that. You jumped straight to, "give me money for a new keyboard."
    via u/Murrdox
  • YTA for not actually trying to fix your stuff and jumping straight to demanding a replacement. Possibly YTA for assuming your coworker broke it in the first place. It could have been damaged or wearing out from prior use, and it was a coincidence that it just happened now.
    via u/Murrdox
  • Your Coworker is the asshole for using your stuff and (maybe) spilling something on the keyboard and hiding it.
    via u/Murrdox
  • CapitalDarling • 9h ago NTA. I'd be going with the principle "you break it, you bought it." Someone being on Jason's computer is HIS problem, not yours. If he couldn't wait, why didn't he get his own computer back?
    via u/CapitalDarling
  • SignificantClub5012 • 2h ago Maybe I'm on the wrong planet, but the expectation where I'm from is: You break it, you fix it.
    via u/SignificantClub5012
  • meeps1142 . 10m ago NTA because the coworker was in the wrong here, but is it actually broken? It sounds like a key needs to be cleaned. Asking for a full refund seems like overkill. If you need to replace a part or something, it's fair to ask for him to pay for that much.
    via u/meeps1142
  • Gertrude_D · 4h ago • In my experience, computer stations are usually only used by one person (unless specifically sharing desks), but not always. The computers are company property and there are plenty of times when we've had to work at someone else's station for one reason or another.
    via u/Gertrude_D
  • What is the culture where you work? Based on my experience I'd say YTA because you are not entitled to be the only user and if you replace the company keyboard, that's on you. So unless your workplace specifically has a policy or
    via u/Gertrude_D
  • understanding that no one else at all uses another workstation, I kinda have to put that on you. You did say that someone was using his computer, so I'm guessing it's not unheard of. If he used your desk and broke a personal item that
    via u/Gertrude_D
  • wasn't necessary to use the workstation, then yeah, it would be on him. A keyboard is an essential part of the computer, so there's no way to avoid using it if he's using. your workstation.
    via u/Gertrude_D

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terrible coworkers office etiquette coworkers Office property money keyboard
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