Communal refrigerator rant within

"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
04/22/2014 at 11:38 • Filed to: None

i.e. first world problems.

We've got a communal fridge at work that our half of the floor uses. It is for 4 departments. Maybe 100 people tops. We used to have a problem that it would get dag nasty. People would leave stuff until it was unrecognizable and pack in 2 weeks worth of sammys leaving no room for everyone.

The 4 departments got together. They decided to empty the fridge monthly. One department (henceforth Department A) decided they weren't going to participate. Dept. A said they did not use the fridge. It is clear that they use the fridge. Dept A contacted HR. Did HR tell them to suck it up? No HR said that they don't have to clean the fridge and we can't make them.

We've moved past that. These 3 departments alternate cleaning out the fridge. Every two weeks (every pay day) we throw everything away that is in the fridge at 3. There is schedule posted on the fridge door. This has been going on for over a year.

But still someone pitches a fit because someone threw away their low fat Greek yogurt. People like to label stuff, "Property of XXX don't throw away." or "XXXX's don't touch." I know it is petty of me but I get great satisfaction in throwing these away when the time comes and I feel the desire to throw them away whenever I see them.

DISCUSSION (24)

Party_in_the_USA > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:39

refrigerator*

Roberto G. > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:40

A communal refrigerator can be nastier than a communal pussy.

crowmolly > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:41

Stick a camera on the fridge. That's what we did.

"You don't use the fridge?" O RLY

ddavidn > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:41

Ha! Everyone at work had a conversation about the fridge yesterday. Someone posted a big long thing in ALL CAPS OF COURSE about how she cleaned the fridge and put everyone's stuff on the counter because the fridge stunk. Well, now we all came in this morning and the whole kitchen area stinks. Why? No follow-through. If you're going to put everyone's stuff on the counter, you should make sure you throw it away... I don't keep stuff in the fridge for more than a workday. If I don't eat it, I take it home.

Kinja'd!!!

CalzoneGolem > crowmolly
04/22/2014 at 11:43

HR don't care. People with salaries with many more digits then mine told us to dept A doesn't have to do it and we can't ask them to.

Lekker > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:44

It would be even better if they leave their name on there and they are from Dpt A. Just raise your brow in doubt, and say "How is that even possible?! How did your food end up in there?! We have GOT to get to the bottom of this!" And scoff and walk away. Passive aggressive comeback ftw.

CalzoneGolem > ddavidn
04/22/2014 at 11:44

If everyone used the fridge like you then it wouldn't be an issue.

crowmolly > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:44

Yeah, hard to handle this without getting in to an office war. The guy here that got really steamed about it would take offender's food out of the fridge and leave it on the table.

CalzoneGolem > Roberto G.
04/22/2014 at 11:45

Since we clean it out every two weeks we're much less likely to get Herpes.

ddavidn > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:46

If only everyone were perfect like me! But really, it's true. That's the proper use of a fridge, and on a related note it isn't hard to wash your lunch dishes right after you use them. We have a big problem with that too. There's never any silverware. Never bugs me, I have my own spork and it's never dirty. Sigh.

CalzoneGolem > Lekker
04/22/2014 at 11:46

I'm sure they are the chief offenders here. This whole experience soured me on the dept.

CalzoneGolem > crowmolly
04/22/2014 at 11:47

Did he get in trouble for doing that?

CalzoneGolem > ddavidn
04/22/2014 at 11:48

Communal silverware? That's scary. We have plastic cutlery.

crowmolly > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:51

Not really, because my office culture is that way. Everybody has to do their part in the shared space regardless of position or status. Plus as the IT guys we protected him and his cause. We called him "Spider-Ham" and protected his identity.

If one person does not subscribe to our unwritten "office social contract" they tend to not last very long.

Lekker > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:54

If it helps, I ended up buying a mini fridge off CL for $50 and saved me all the vile I was swallowing due to their nonsense. Sometimes the best tactic IS to get away

ddavidn > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 11:55

It's a small office run by a hippie. Again, I have my own spork. I don't use other people's silverware. Also I have my own coffee mug and I had my own water glass until someone threw away a dishwasher with my glass in it.

We've got some real first world problems around here.

CalzoneGolem > Lekker
04/22/2014 at 11:56

The fridge is nice and clean now and I get to throw away anything dept a leaves on my fridays.

CalzoneGolem > ddavidn
04/22/2014 at 11:57

Stay strong brother!

Lekker > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 12:20

Sounds like a win win

Stef Schrader > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 15:03

Who does HR think takes care of the fridge? Maintenance?

If the departments all went on strike because "we don't use the fridge," what would they do?

CalzoneGolem > Stef Schrader
04/22/2014 at 15:09

We have a cleaning crew that cleans the fridge but they don't throw out peoples rotting garbage. We don't wash down the shelves we just toss the forgotten flotsam and jetsam. HR doesn't give a fuck if we all refuse to clean the fridge. They're not on this floor.

Stef Schrader > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 15:57

Fart in their fridge, then! J/K.

Seriously, though, I can't stand it when coworkers act as if they're better than you. Yo! Co -workers. Not Lord of Bossing Us Peons Around. Even if they're higher up the corporate food chain, there isn't any excuse for acting like that if everyone uses the fridge equally.

If all else fails, if HR doesn't care, maybe you can be sneaky sneaky about it and propose moving the offending department onto HR's floor...mwahahahaha. Come up with a different reason, though, like space or room or "this other department works closer with us, so we need them on this floor."

CalzoneGolem > Stef Schrader
04/22/2014 at 16:01

I can't believe they went to HR it is not like we told them they had to clean the fridge or we'd beat them up. We said we all share this fridge let's all keep it clean. Then they went right up the food chain and to HR.

Stef Schrader > CalzoneGolem
04/22/2014 at 17:04

That's just...not cool.