March 10, 2006

Dear Alotta,

I just have to get something off my chest: there is this one coworker who is a sneaky little thief. He is one of those "born again" Christians who thinks he is holier than thou. Anyway, this guy has another job on the side and he uses the company copier to make tons of copies with the company's ink, paper, etc. to make worksheets and misc. He's been caught using the postage machine to send out mail for this other job too.

When his "other job" starts up again (it's a sports related job), he is gone all the time. I basically see him as just morally wrong and the only reason it bugs me is his attitude that he's such a perfect Christian. He should realize that this is actually "stealing". I won't go to the boss and tell him, but I did tell a coworker and she said yes, it's been a problem for a long time. I don't think I would ever turn him in but he sure deserves it!

- NOT cool with it.


Dear NOT,

Oh, Lord. Don't you just love holier than thou-sers? Especially the ones with the Robin Hood complexes who think it's okay to break commandments for a "greater purpose"—say, like for sports related jobs. Alotta has crossed paths with many a proud zealot who used their religion as a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. But that's for another column.

Here's the truth: by knowing about it and not saying anything, you've become a silent accomplice. When you turn a blind eye to something that you know is wrong, you abet the behavior.

While it's not your place to decide his punishment, it is your place to inform someone in a position to take action about it (his boss, a manager, the person in charge of supplies, etc.). But first, find a way to come up with some kind of proof. Write down the days and times you see him stealing and make a record of what was taken (even if it's time). To avoid looking like you just plain have it out for him, stick to recording the things that can be measured monetarily. Then go to someone who can do something about it.

Whenever situations like these arise, just ask yourself: WWAD (What Would Alotta Do)?

Alotta, religiously

JobSchmobber Community Comments

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no kidding (03/16/2006) Seriously. This is so common. Some of the biggest aholes I know call themselves "very religious". I like that you called it their "get out of jail free card. Right on! corporateSlave (03/16/2006) Hmmmm...seems kind of like a trend, doesn't it? TheNewGuy (03/16/2006) Reminds me of one of my friend's father. You walk in their house and it's like you've entered a church between the pictures and candles and the creepy chanting music in the background. Course he also attends therapy sessions for spousal abuse. Draw your own conclusions... just me (03/16/2006) I used to work for this man who I am sure believed he was seated on the LEFThand side of the father---and only because the right hand side was already taken. Anyway he was the biggest jerk in the world but walked around spouting scripture and carrying a very worn looking pocket bible. He attended church regularly and sure let you know about it. I think that he thought all of this was some sort of license to crap all over people---especially people who were not "as christian" as he was. It never ceased to amaze me how someone so devout could be such a horrible person. megamania (03/16/2006) Hey "just me", do we work at the same place???????? Leave me a message on my profile! sheila (03/28/2006) I can't STAND people like this! There are two of them at my work. They preach constant;y but they are the biggest jerks of anybody I know. I feel surrounded by hypocrisy on a daily basis! HaveADamnNiceDay (04/11/2006) It's goons like that who give us REAL christians a bad name. cnubelevit (04/15/2006) I agree with Alotta. You can't let people get away with this stuff. It only makes it harder on the rest of us. I say "Judas" his butt right out of the office. ACube2Graphic (05/03/2006) I have a couple ppl here, too; A 7th day and a Jew who loves to share his Jewishness with everyone. I have to say to be fair, though, that this is one of the most ethnically and religiously mixed group I work with, & with that said, we all work 2gether fairly well. That said, I DON't appreciate it when the hypocritical, pork-eating Jew here must point out MY faith to any outside vendor who comes here (apparently, I'm the token Wiccan). I DON't do that to him, and I got that stopped right away! I'm not even allowed to speak any German around this guy because "you should never speak German to a Jew" !!! And he knows I have German & Jewish in my family, and know a little Deutsch. Heaven forbid we get German customers!! HIS last name IS German, for "slowly", and it fits! the confessor (11/03/2006) I believe that the overly religious thing is truly pathological. Some of my old in-laws have literally stolen, slept around, backstabbed, etc., yet the worst of them is constantly talking about Jesus and may God bless us all. All this from someone who thinks it's cool to sleep with your sister's husband ("we're a close family.."). Sick!! Marita (11/04/2006) Worked with a Jewish princess who thought no one could rival her mere existence. She unabashedly denigrated those with a different ethnicity, of course, behind their backs. She was perpetually advocating strife among the staff with her outlandish requests and brazen rudeness when her selfish needs were able to be met. She was not the least chagrined to point our someone else's faux pas even it was during a meeting with 50 other people. Another feature of her narcissism were her arrogant and grandiose concoctions that enabled her to be off work. Either she was having a biopsy of her left breast and having a catarack removed when the truth was she was in Miami. One poor soul felt such pity that she sent flowers. JP had divulged once that she had taken an acting class. Obviously she was the star pupil. Foolishly I thought JP was my friend, but found out that she was calling me a dirty word behind my back. Lovely! POST A COMMENT »