Office employee puts a combination lock on his personal mini fridge after entitled coworkers help themselves to his belongings: 'I did not want to share'

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Apr 10, 2026 1:00 PM EDT

Putting a note on your personal mini fridge that says "PRIVATE" should be more than enough to deter your coworkers from stealing, but this man's office chose not to read the obvious signs, resulting in a powerful display of free will.

With nothing but a snarky Slack message and a $6 combination lock, this employee kept his private fridge just that: Private. 

Sometimes coworkers miss the obvious signs of distrust that their colleagues put off in the workplace. Whether by choice or by naivety, these are often the types of coworkers who overstep boundaries, accuse others of being "Karens," and bring microwavable fish to the office with no regard for their workplace. There's a part of me that envies that nonchalance and lack of concern for the group, but there's another part of me that rages when people don't realize how their actions affect others. 

Infringing on another coworker's space, belongings, and property is a whole other boundary line crossed. Beyond your typical office invasions, usually ranging from workplace gossip or endless stories about someone's kids, encroaching on someone's mini fridge territory is a completely unforgivable office offense. 

If you mess with a worker's snacks and refreshments, you're going to witness the worst side of them. 

No more professional decorum, no more "sharing," and no more Mister Nice Guy. 

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  • Man making a decision about his workspace in the office.
    via Pexels (Vitaly Gariev)

    Man making a decision about his workspace in the office. 

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

  • This employee had a personal mini fridge under his desk for a reason; he wanted his snacks accessible, untouched, and available at all times. Yet, the combined workforce didn't see it that way; they just saw the fridge he bought, lugged into the office, and installed under his private desk as communal property. But unlike the fridge in the employee break room down the hall, this refrigerator held a secret feature: A locking mechanism. 

    Alas, after multiple attempts to reason with his cohort, this snackish employee decided that his space was going to be his space only from now on, buying a combination lock that came with more than just a message, but the power to control the selective access to his fridge. Taking control of his workplace dynamic, this man cleverly dispelled office politics with one undeniable move. 

  • [I put] a combination lock on my office mini fridge after my coworkers kept treating it like the shared one

    I have a small mini fridge under my desk. I bought it myself, it has been there for two years, there is a little handwritten label on it that says personal not shared.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • pretty clear. sometime around the beginning of this year people started opening it. not constantly but enough.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • I would go to grab my lunch and find someone elses tupperware in there, or my drinks rearranged, or once my yogurt just gone.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • Mini fridge in the workplace full of drinks and snacks.
    via Canva+ (Africa Images)

    Mini fridge in the workplace full of drinks and snacks. 

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

  • I mentioned it in our team chat, kept it light, just said hey reminder the mini fridge under my desk is personal, please use the kitchen fridge for shared stuff.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • got a few thumbs up reactions and figured that was that. it kept happening. I said something directly to two people I caught doing it.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • one said she thought the label meant it was not locked so it was fine to use.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • Employees having a serious discussion about workplace etiquette.
    via Pexels (Vitaly Gariev)

    Employees having a serious discussion about workplace etiquette.

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

  • the other said there was no space in the kitchen fridge and he figured I would not mind.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • I minded. last month I bought a small combination lock and looped it through the handle.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • it looks a little silly, I know that. but I was tired of the conversation. two coworkers are now annoyed.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • one said it looks aggressive and makes the office feel unwelcoming. another said I was being dramatic over a fridge and if I did not want to share I should have said so more clearly.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • I said it on the label. I said it in the group chat. I said it to two people individually.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • I do not think putting a lock on something I own that lives under my own desk is an unhinged response to people repeatedly ignoring me.
    via fluffy-fairyx
  • cherry-bubblezz31 lock is what happens when people dont listen four times in a row
    via cherry-bubblezz31
  • No-Variation-8996 It's under your desk??? And your coworkers feel comfortable reaching in there? H I no. Keep that lock on.
    via No-Variation-8996
  • Trond24 Knowing people grab personal things out of something under your own desk makes the office unwelcoming. To you. Go to HR now. YNTA.
    via Trond24
  • winknasmyl It's how we have to train the children, I guess! Nta!
    via winknasmyl
  • AtomicBlastCandy Tall fences make good neighbors. Yeah tell anyone that complains to f off and get their own minifridge especially considering that you've been stolen from.
    via AtomicBlastCandy
  • NTA. Sara_T1991 People just don't seem to understand boundaries.
    via Sara_T1991
  • SierraStar7 It's under your desk, how would your coworkers even know there's a lock, unless they are the ones who have repeatedly been the ones to use the fridge or take your stuff. Absolutely NTA for having to resort to the inconvenience of putting a lock on the fridge.
    via SierraStar7
  • Anxious_Article_2680 Nta but d in your co workers are.
    via Anxious_Article_2680
  • meash-maeby Why would any normal person think something under your desk and labeled "personal" is for public use? Who cares if they are offended by a lock. NTA
    via meash-maeby

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