Not Communal!

Well I’m three days into this new communication forum and it’s time for a good old fashion rant!

To set the scene I started a new job around a month ago as a Software Consultant. As is the norm in the IT services industry you don’t always have billable work for all your staff all the time so the metaphor of a ‘bench’ is used to describe anyone between engagements. Think of a basketball game and the interchange players are on the ‘bench’ or colloquially as he say here in Australia on the ‘Pine’.

The thing is while not billable on a client’s site I’m currently commuting to the head office and working on internal projects where applicable, interweaved with the regular HR and administration staff the company uses to keep the place running. As with all workplaces we have a lunchroom well that’s being a little generous it’s more like a lunch alcove but it does have a fridge, microwave, kettle and sandwich toaster.

Given that it's the middle of July and that means middle of winter for us south of the equator folk I’ve gotten into the habit of bringing in a couple of sandwiches and toasting them up.

Following good toasted sandwich practice I leave the bread unbuttered and come toasting time I butter the outsides of the bread place it in the toaster and bob’s my uncle. That was until today! Today was a dark day for my toasted sandwich routine! After taking my sandwich from the fridge and plugging in the toaster I turned back to the fridge for the margarine that was conveniently in there. Only to find a note attached to the top of the tub ‘Not Communal’

I mean seriously how can margarine not be communal? It's not like a bar fridge should have 18 tubs of margarine in it or anything. I was tempted to secure $5.00 to the top of the freaking tub and use it anyway but I figured why rustle feathers when you're only in that office on the odd occasion. Surely a little give and take would be appropriate here.

It's like a slither of margarine a day for crying out loud ...