Nobody keeps a spreadsheet of who brought the salad or who brought the beans at a company potluck. Employees contribute what they can, and everyone shares. But arriving with containers and treating everyone’s food like a free meal-prep service is a different matter.
The incident happened during a company potluck as a going-away celebration for a coworker. There’s a social agreement during these kinds of celebrations. It’s alright if a few people contribute nothing; it normally causes no problem, but most coworkers bring something for the next potluck if they don’t do it for the upcoming one. Well, the protagonist of this story, Bob, never brings food despite attending several potlucks throughout the year.
His lack of contribution is just the beginning. Bob not only brings nothing but also brings several containers to fill with food his colleagues prepared because he “doesn’t feel like cooking at home.” Naturally, a coworker sees his behavior and questions him. But Bob couldn’t care less. Although this coworker explains that the people who purchased the ingredients and cooked might want to bring their own leftovers home, Bob continues packing.
Potlucks rely on generosity, okay. But Bob is not only accepting generosity. He is assuming ownership of food that was provided for the group. The mere act of asking would have changed the situation. If the cooks had said they did not want anything returned, Bob could have taken leftovers without creating resentment. But he didn’t even consider asking before packing everything. He clearly deserved to be called out. It was important to draw that line to preserve fairness so that future office gatherings can remain enjoyable for everyone. The ones who put effort into the potluck at least deserved to be asked first.
Author: Kayitsi.com
