Circumstantial Theft: Would you do it?

If I understand your scenario correctly, you're talking about taking items that are on the shelf or in the stockroom, presumably for sale or use, but for some reason aren't tracked in inventory?

It would depend on the value of the item for me. When I worked retail, I only took things that were marked for trash (outdated medicine, which is still good for up to a year after expiration, toys that were out of their packaging, etc.)

Now that I'm in white collar employment, it's more about stealing office supplies. Everyone takes pens and such, but what about other things? I've taken a package of printer paper, or blank envelopes, but I draw the line at blank CDs, batteries, or any kind of electronic equipment.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Soluzar

There's not a chance in hell I'd take anything from my place of work deliberately. I may have accidentally come home with the odd pen but that was always inadvertent. Wherever I've worked, I've always felt bound by my honour to not steal from them. It has nothing to do with getting caught, I just wouldn't feel right.

Ya just don't bite the hand which feeds you.

Since I work for the federal government, my tax dollars paid for any supplies I might steal, so technically, I'm stealing from myself. Of course, I'm stealing from all of you as well, but I never really liked you guys anyway.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Chaotic

They basically have the power to arrest me and put this on my criminal record, which could later influence some simple things for me later in life... Being in a situation like that before personally, it absolutely sucks... Lucky, more or less, it happened before I turned 18. <_<

You can't just say something like that and not tell us what happened. Details.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.