I regularly bring in a carton of cigarettes, which used to last a couple of weeks. My boss started bumming one or two cigarettes a day. Now, he opens my desk drawer (even when I'm at my desk) and takes a pack.
I get paid $11 an hour while my boss probably gets 10 times that and he’s mooching off me. I regularly bring in a carton of cigarettes, which used to last a couple of weeks. My boss started bumming one or two cigarettes a day. Now, he opens my desk drawer (even when I'm at my desk) and takes a pack. He never offers to replace them. A carton costs me about $65. I've thought about not bringing in the carton, but then he'll know I'm doing it so I don't have to share, and I don't want to get him mad. He claims he never buys cigarettes because he promised his wife he'd quit, and he claims he's trying.
– John from Rockland
The only thing your boss is trying to do is avoid buying the cigarettes himself. Go with your initial instinct; stop bringing in a whole carton. Tell your boss you are trying to cut back. That way, you have an excuse for why you are leaving your supply at home. He will likely still take one or two cigarettes each day but he won’t be grabbing $6.50-packs from your desk anymore.
Cathleen Jeffrey may be reached at email@example.com.
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