Is it stealing?

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codefro

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I was wondering about this. This is something probably really common so I was curious.

I work with copy machines for my job an occasionally I print my homework assignments on the machines. Not often and no more than 10 pages usually at a time. I that stealing?

I also think about- what if someone grabs a pen from supplies, but takes the pen home for personal use? Did they steal? If they did, was it a severe offense?
 
I know that Webster’s isn’t magisterial, but I thought we could start with it …

steal (v)
  • to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice
  • to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully
If what you have done sounds like this, I think the next step is to figure out whether or not it is a sin, and then figure out if it is venial or mortal.
 
I consider making copies at work stealing even if it’s only one copy. Unless the owner of your company says it’s alright. You are using resources that you have not paid for. The same goes for putting company stamps on personal mail. BTW: I’ve never told an employee no when they’ve come to me and asked if they could make a copy or grab a stamp. At least they ask.

Almost of us at one time or another have accidentally taken a pen home. If the intent is to go to the supply cabinet and take a few pens home b/c you don’t feel like buying your own, then yes, that’s stealing as well.
 
codefro said:
I was wondering about this. This is something probably really common so I was curious.

I work with copy machines for my job an occasionally I print my homework assignments on the machines. Not often and no more than 10 pages usually at a time. I that stealing?

I also think about- what if someone grabs a pen from supplies, but takes the pen home for personal use? Did they steal? If they did, was it a severe offense?
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Does the place you work for have regulations in place for employee’s use of company equipment?

For the pens, I think it depends. Pens tend to have so little value that they make the rounds without people even giving it much thought. Pens from work end up at home, pens from home end up at work, customers put the pen in their pocket without even thinking about it, etc., etc. They’re like paper clips or rubber bands (i.e., they are basically disposable office supplies). I don’t think that’s a big deal. If someone starts off with the intent of scoring free pens, that would be a different story.
 
I suggest asking your boss if you can make a few personal copies. If they agree, then it’s not stealing. If they say no, then one copy is stealing.
 
hannajomar said:
I suggest asking your boss if you can make a few personal copies. If they agree, then it’s not stealing. If they say no, then one copy is stealing.
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I do and he is ok with it. At the same still, is it still right?
 
codefro said:
I do and he is ok with it. At the same still, is it still right?
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If the boss says it’s ok, then yes.

I think it all boils down to “intent”.
If you have a pen in your pocket, and go home wiht it, no it’s not stealing.
If you take 3 boxes of pens from the supply cabinet, yes it’s stealing.

I agree with maltmom, if you need to make a copy or 2, ask. I have never not allowed an employee to do so. I am pretty open to just about anything, so long as you ASK FIRST!!
 
Even though he isn’t the owner of my corporation, just my direct supervisor?
 
codefro said:
Even though he isn’t the owner of my corporation, just my direct supervisor?
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Either:

a) Believe your supervisor and make an occasional copy
or
b) Do not believe your supervisor and do not make any future copies.

But, either way it is NOT stealing when you have permission to do so. Your supervisor has the authority to tell you yes or no.
 
codefro said:
Even though he isn’t the owner of my corporation, just my direct supervisor?
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Your direct supervisor should get his/her instructions from the owner how requests such as yours are handled. Printers are very inexpensive. Why not just buy one of your own and do your printing at home?
 
I was always taught by my grandmother that “stealing is stealing, regardless if its something as large as a car, or as small as a bobbie pin.” So I would say yes.

God Bless:thumbsup:
 
The answer to that problem, in my workplace, is to have an “Honesty Jar” beside the photocopier in which we put money for personal copies (to pay for the paper used). The charge per page is pretty minimal, people do pay up as far as I can see, and it means you can copy reasonably freely without feeling guilty or cheating on the company who has to pay for the paper.
And no one has EVER stolen the Honesty Jar which gets emptied and tallied up regularly!🙂
 
codefro said:
I was wondering about this. This is something probably really common so I was curious.

I work with copy machines for my job an occasionally I print my homework assignments on the machines. Not often and no more than 10 pages usually at a time. I that stealing?

I also think about- what if someone grabs a pen from supplies, but takes the pen home for personal use? Did they steal? If they did, was it a severe offense?
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I found out after an audit I had two office employees that were doing this excessively and to extremes. They were bringing in other peoples work to copy, using my resources, and charging the people they were copying for a reduced rate. They were basically running their own copying business out of my office.

I didn’t fire them - I fired the office manager.

I got them to agree a repayment plan taken from their paycheck!

Then I fired them 😃

The office manager I have now lets people copy small amounts for personal use, provided they ask.

I have no problem with that.

If you’ve been given permisson, you’re fine.

Sarah x 🙂
 
codefro said:
I was wondering about this. This is something probably really common so I was curious.

I work with copy machines for my job an occasionally I print my homework assignments on the machines. Not often and no more than 10 pages usually at a time. I that stealing?

I also think about- what if someone grabs a pen from supplies, but takes the pen home for personal use? Did they steal? If they did, was it a severe offense?
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Geez, i’m probably going straight to hell if i’d tallied up all the times i’ve used the work copier, scanner, e-mail and fax for personal use.

You’re not stealing.
 
You are NOT stealing.

By printing out papers, taking pens home Whatever it is, you are not stealing. Anyone who thinks it’s “taking property that is not your own” is quite extreme I’d say…

People need to chill out a little bit… Be a devout Catholic, but really use your brains,

Here’s another example: You take a 15 minute break at work, 5 minutes over the time the company specifies which is 10, you are stealing 5 minutes of company time…

C’mon people… He’s working in an office job, using paper and ink to print some stuff is NOT stealing, Stealing is breaking a commandment and is a mortal sin, right?
 
RHannosh619 said:
You are NOT stealing.

By printing out papers, taking pens home Whatever it is, you are not stealing. Anyone who thinks it’s “taking property that is not your own” is quite extreme I’d say…

People need to chill out a little bit… Be a devout Catholic, but really use your brains,

Here’s another example: You take a 15 minute break at work, 5 minutes over the time the company specifies which is 10, you are stealing 5 minutes of company time…

C’mon people… He’s working in an office job, using paper and ink to print some stuff is NOT stealing, Stealing is breaking a commandment and is a mortal sin, right?
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The definition of stealing is “taking property that is not your own” is. Yes, stealing is breaking a commandment and is a mortal sin. The value of the item is irrelevant. If you haven’t bought the printer, toner, paper and pay for the electricity to run it than it’s stealing. A couple of years ago a friend was telling how she was grabbing some pens to take home because she didn’t feel like buying any. She followed up by saying that she knew it was stealing and isn’t it amazing how the human conscience works. She said she didn’t feel any quilt over stealing them from the office, but would never grab pens in a store and walk out without paying for them.

As to stealing 5 mins of company time, I have an examination of conscience program in one of my aps…Under the section Thou Shalt Not Steal…“I have theft my boss, not working as expected of me.” I have 3 employees. They spend probably an hour per day just kidding around not working. I don’t say anything b/c they are very hard workers. I rather pay them that hour and have a team that works well together. I don’t want robots.
 
RHannosh619 said:
You are NOT stealing.

Here’s another example: You take a 15 minute break at work, 5 minutes over the time the company specifies which is 10, you are stealing 5 minutes of company time…

C’mon people…
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Let me break it down for you this way.

I currently employ 55 people. If they all add five minutes to their break, that’s 275 minutes of productivity lost just in the morning. Times 2. That’s 9 hours a day lost in unauthorized break time that I’m paying for.

Times 6 that’s 54 hours a week lost.

Times 52 that’s 2800 hours per year lost.

Let’s average out the paygrades and call it $20 an hour.

That’s $56,000 a year I’m paying out for zero productivity.

$56,000 stolen from me, that I could plough back into developing the business or use to employ up to two more people depending on where they’re employed.

This is extreme thinking, just to try and show that attitude stinks, but hey, it’s only 5 minutes, right :rolleyes:

In reality, I know people lose time ‘‘at the coolers’’, out on the road, or whatever, and generally it’s not a problem because they always deliver for me - and will happily stay back when needed.

So there’s give and take on both sides.

But if they had the ‘‘mentality’’ of hey, what the heck, they’d be out!

Sarah x 🙂
 
You are not stealing, my friend. The reason for this is because you obtained permission. 🙂
 
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