Manager eats employee's lunch multiple times, employee eats her food in retaliation; now faces HR's disciplinary actions

An employee identified as Melissa is facing a formal workplace investigation for eating her manager’s lunch after allegedly accusing the manager of taking her food on three occasions over two months. The case, shared by X user @Dreamtduusk, has sparked debate over workplace discipline and alleged double standards, with the post garnering more than 400,000 views.

Screenshots shared online show a conversation between Melissa and Rebecca, an HR representative, in which the employee was informed that an incident involving her manager’s lunch was being investigated as potential gross misconduct. According to the messages, CCTV footage allegedly showed Melissa taking the meal from a staff refrigerator at 13:07 on Monday, October 5.

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Why is the employee under investigation?

In a message titled “Formal Investigation – Alleged Theft”, Rebecca told Melissa that she had admitted to eating the meal without permission. The HR representative also directed her to attend a disciplinary meeting scheduled for Friday, October 9, at 10 am.

“You later confirmed that you ate it without permission,” Rebecca wrote, according to the screenshots.


Melissa, however, argued that her actions came after repeated incidents involving her own food. She alleged that her manager had taken her lunch from the refrigerator three times in the preceding two months, despite being asked to stop.

In her response to HR, Melissa acknowledged eating the manager’s meal and said she had previously warned the manager that she would take her food in return if the behaviour continued.

“Yes, I ate my manager’s lunch. She has taken my food from the fridge three times over the last two months, despite me asking her not to. I told her if she took my food again, I’d take hers. So when I saw it in the fridge, I did. Why is it theft when I do it but not when she does it?” Melissa wrote.

HR says taking another person’s lunch is unacceptable

Rebecca said the manager denied taking Melissa’s food. The HR representative maintained that taking someone else’s meal without permission was unacceptable, regardless of any previous disagreement between colleagues.

The disciplinary meeting proceeded as scheduled. Melissa subsequently filed a formal grievance, alleging that she was being treated unfairly and seeking to know whether her manager would also face an investigation.

Melissa said she had submitted messages that allegedly showed the manager admitting on several occasions to taking her food.

“If I’m being investigated for taking one lunch, will my manager also be investigated for taking mine?” Melissa asked in her grievance to HR.

The screenshots and allegations shared online do not independently establish whether the manager took Melissa’s food or whether a separate investigation was initiated.

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Social media reactions

The incident prompted differing reactions online, with some users questioning whether workplace rules were being applied equally and others arguing that taking a colleague’s food without permission warranted disciplinary action.

One user described the situation as having “Rules for thee, not for me” energy, adding that investigating only Melissa would look questionable if her allegations were substantiated.

Another argued that taking or consuming someone else’s property, including a colleague’s lunch, constituted workplace theft and a breach of trust that could qualify as gross misconduct.

A third user questioned the presence of CCTV near the refrigerator, while another supported the investigation, arguing that stealing a co-worker’s lunch reflected poorly on an employee’s conduct.

The debate has centred on whether Melissa’s admitted act should be considered separately from her allegations against her manager, and whether the same workplace rules should apply to both employees.

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