Just curious, what do you think?

[Thrif-t]

So when you make something to bring to work, do you bring the leftovers home or do you leave it at work?

Yesterday I made a cake for a co-worker who was moving on at my DH's office. There are only 6 people in the office.

So when DH came home, I asked was any of the cake leftover? He said ya but he left it at work for the people to finish eating.

Well you know, I have kids at home and I kinda feel he should've brought the leftovers home. Do you? He thinks I'm nuts, said you don't bring the leftovers home. Why not? I made it! I can see you don't take others leftovers but I find it perfectly acceptable to take back what you made, in an office setting, I'd of left it at a person's house.

Plus part of me wants my cake carrier back, if it disappears Mr. Thrif-t is going to be in big trouble!!

[james.hendrickson]

Um...yeah thats a bit inconsiderate. Probably he just didn't think it through.

[disneysteve]

He should bring home the carrier but the cake should stay there. Think of it as a gift to the staff. You don’t take back a gift. If you want cake for the kids, make another one.

[Jluke]

Cake stays at the office for the next day(s).

If it were a Friday, then I could see that being a good excuse for bringing it home.

[disneysteve]

Cake stays at the office for the next day(s).

If it were a Friday, then I could see that being a good excuse for bringing it home.

I think that makes sense. Bringing it home so it doesn’t go to waste is okay but otherwise it belongs to the office. My job is open 365 days a year so anything I bring in stays until it gets eaten or goes bad and gets trashed.

[kork13]

If food gets brought into my office, it disappears rapidly. Like, sometimes within minutes. So I rarely have this problem.

In any case, I'm personally one to bring uneaten food home, unless it's something that easily stays 100% good for multiple days unattended (candies, bag of chips, or snack mix, for example). Otherwise, if something gets put into the office fridge, it will be forgotten, and it will start to rot, and it will make the place stink, and nobody will claim it or clean it out. It's the classic 'tragedy of the commons.' Especially for a one-time event, where it's a going-away or promotion or something of the like, my opinion is that you shouldn't leave excess food for someone else to deal with. You set up the event, you clean it up, which includes dealing with excess food. Give it to people to take home, or take it home yourself, or toss it. Don't leave it to clutter your shared workspace.

Honestly, I doubt that most people would care one way or another. If people liked whatever it is, it'll probably get eaten quickly. But if it takes more than a single day, no one is going to feel slighted if the cookies from 3 days ago are brought home.

[WDELTA]

Of course this is based on where I work, but the cake should absolutely stay there. I would expect the cake carrier back in a couple days.

However, similar to disneysteve where I work is 365 but also 24/7. So there's always someone coming in later who may enjoy it. Sometimes when I have extra food I bring it to work to get rid of it.

[disneysteve]

I suppose the normal flow of things at the workplace matters, too. In my old office, we had a little kitchen area. We almost always had snacks back there, either something one of us brought in or something a sales rep brought us. Around the holidays we'd have a ton of stuff back there sent in as gifts from patients and referring doctors and facilities.

At my current job, we have a small break room that is the same way. There's a fridge and a counter where we put stuff out for everyone to enjoy. A few of us even organize an occasional special food theme day (pickle day, taco day, chip and dip day). Anything that is left over always gets left for others to enjoy.

Now if your husband's workplace doesn't do that sort of thing normally and there is nowhere to leave the cake for others to eat, bringing it home might make sense.

[MonkeyMama]

I'd say it depends in the office. I work in a very small office (6 people) and nobody wants leftovers. They always give me *all* the food because I have teenage boys.

[Thrif-t]

He should bring home the carrier but the cake should stay there. Think of it as a gift to the staff. You don’t take back a gift. If you want cake for the kids, make another one.

^haha, this made me laugh, but the emojis on this board stink!

Anywho he brought the carrier home tonight, the cake was all eaten. I guess at my office we have cleaning people and any food that is left they EAT! So I guess I was thinking of that for his office and would rather my kids get it than some cleaning staff I don't know!

Anyway all is well. I got my carrier back, and we don't need the extra calories around here anyway

[disneysteve]

I guess at my office we have cleaning people and any food that is left they EAT!

Seriously? If the cleaning people ate our food we’’’d be hiring a new cleaning service the next day for sure. That’s theft plain and simple.

[Thrif-t]

Seriously? If the cleaning people ate our food we’’’d be hiring a new cleaning service the next day for sure. That’s theft plain and simple.

Anything that is put away or in fridge, then no they don't eat. But if it's out on the communal table it's gone the next day. Maybe I shouldn't say they eat it, maybe they throw it away? If it were me, some of the food that's left, I'd take home to my family, just figure they do too.

[Fishindude77]

Anything I ever took to our office usually got consumed, however if there are leftovers after all have had a chance to eat some and you want to take it home, I see no issue. Your food, you brought it, do as you choose.

[msomnipotent]

I worked in an office filled with women and 90% of them had kids. Whatever was left went to the kids first and then the single ladies, and then back home. I learned the order of things the hard way after taking a donut that my then-boyfriend liked before everyone was done with the sweets. The one nut that took offense never got over it.

[disneysteve]

if there are leftovers after all have had a chance to eat some and you want to take it home, I see no issue. Your food, you brought it, do as you choose.

I really think it depends on the situation. If we have a potluck lunch, sure, take home your own leftovers. But that's not what happened here. OP said, "I made a cake for a co-worker". If I went to work and somebody said, "I made this cake for you" then that cake is MINE. I will certainly share it with everyone but anything that is left over is MINE. I'd find it really odd if the person who made me the cake took it back after I had my slice.