Sometimes the smallest workplace frustrations can build up over time, especially when someone’s position seems to protect them from following the same rules as everyone else.
The original poster (OP) works in a company catering department that provides free lunches for employees.
To keep everything organized, staff members are expected to order their meals in advance, but one high-ranking employee repeatedly ignores the process and expects special treatment at lunchtime.
While OP and the catering team have no problem helping with small requests, this person’s constant complaints about snack options became another source of irritation.
Eventually, OP found a quiet way to push back by making sure their favorite prawn cocktail crisps were used up first, leaving them with fewer chances to demand their preferred flavor.
Catering worker finds a petty way to deal with a high-ranking colleague who ignores the meal-ordering rules
Sometimes small frustrations become memorable not because they cause serious harm, but because they represent a much bigger feeling of unfairness.
When someone repeatedly ignores a simple rule that everyone else follows, even a small inconvenience can start to feel like a symbol of disrespect.
In this situation, the OP’s annoyance is not really about a bag of crisps.
The frustration comes from a workplace dynamic where one person’s position appears to give them special treatment.
Everyone else is expected to order meals in advance so the catering team can prepare efficiently, but this employee repeatedly creates extra work by expecting exceptions.
Over time, those repeated disruptions likely built resentment, and using up the preferred crisps became a small way for the OP to feel like they had some control in a situation where they could not directly challenge the person’s behavior.
A different perspective is that this kind of harmless workplace “revenge” often comes from a need for fairness rather than genuine hostility.
People naturally become irritated when they feel someone is benefiting from privileges without considering the effort required from others.
However, there is also a difference between addressing a workplace issue and quietly creating inconveniences in return.
Small acts of frustration may feel satisfying in the moment, but they rarely solve the underlying problem.
This explains why the OP finds satisfaction in the crisp situation.
The prawn cocktail packets have become a representation of a larger complaint: “Why does this person get to ignore the system while everyone else has to follow it?”
The emotional reaction is not really about the snack itself; it is about feeling that the catering team’s effort is being overlooked.
At the same time, the healthiest solution would likely come from addressing the process rather than focusing on the individual.
A clearer system for late meal requests or a manager reinforcing the ordering policy could reduce frustration without requiring staff to silently cope with repeated exceptions.
Small workplace annoyances are often where bigger feelings about respect and fairness appear.
The OP’s reaction is understandable, but the real issue is not who gets the last bag of prawn cocktail crisps.
It is whether everyone in the workplace feels their time and effort are valued equally.
Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:
These commenters joked about the unexpected crisp/chip theme and the specific food references in the story
These commenters enjoyed the harmless pettiness and supported the small revenge
These commenters made humorous comments about unusual flavors and exaggerated snack choices
The OP’s “revenge” wasn’t about the crisps themselves, it was about the frustration of someone repeatedly ignoring a simple system while everyone else has to adjust around them.
After watching a high-ranking employee skip the meal ordering process and expect special treatment, the OP found a tiny way to regain control: making sure the favorite prawn cocktail crisps were gone before that person came looking.
It’s a small act, but sometimes the little victories feel satisfying when someone keeps taking advantage of flexibility.
Do you think this was harmless workplace revenge, or should rank never matter when it comes to following basic rules? Share your thoughts below!
