Just as having a roommate requires certain rules of conduct about sharing the bathroom, kitchen, food, etc., the cabinet that keeps your office supplies also has its own set of rules. Breaking these rules can have very unpleasant consequences, and when you get to work one morning, everything on your desk might be super glued together, making it impossible to get any work done. It’s best to know what the rules are, in case you find yourself in an awkward situation with a co-worker over who took the last box of paperclips.
Rule #1: Never take more than you need. Sometimes there’s nothing more frustrating than needing liquid paper, finding it all missing in the supply cabinet, and then reporting it to a supervisor, only to discover that the person in the next office has a drawer full when you go to ask them. if you can borrow Having more supplies than you need shortens the supply in the cabinet for other employees. It also makes the person ordering the supplies think it’s being used up quickly, causing them to order more, spending more of the company’s money. If the company is spending a lot of money on office supplies and you’re stockpiling liquid paper in a drawer, don’t expect to get a raise.
Rule #2: If something’s gone, say something: I know you think your office manager has supernatural powers because somehow they can always catch you watching YouTube videos when you’re supposed to be working. The fact is, your office manager or the person in charge of ordering supplies is probably not a mind reader. If he goes to the supply closet and finds something missing that he needs to get more, he must report it. If he doesn’t say anything about it, then he can’t complain when the next order arrives without the supplies he needs.
Rule #3: Throw away empty boxes or containers: One of the most frustrating things that can happen in the office is, for example, your highlighter runs out of ink, going to the supply closet to get another one, picking up the box that contains, only to discover that he is holding an empty box. This is an office no-no. If you take the last of something in the supply closet, be sure to throw out the box or container that contained it. Not tossing empty bins and boxes into the supply closet gives people false hope. To prevent your office accountant from threatening to staple you to your chair, discard the box when you grab the last highlighter.
Now that you know how to behave and what to do about the closet where office supplies are kept, you should take note. You probably have enough to deal with at work without the person in the next cubicle giving you the dirty look because of the eighteen boxes of binder clips you’ve saved. Only take what you need, if something is missing tell your supervisor, and always throw away empty boxes or containers. If the accountant at the office decides to staple you to your chair, it won’t be because you’ve been a sucker with the supply closet, it’ll be because he’s crazy.