Nothing tests a coworker’s character faster than an unlabeled leftover in a shared office fridge. Employees are packing back into offices as attendance rules tighten, and the unwritten fridge etiquette clearly didn’t survive the years apart. Between the mess, the passive-aggressive notes and the lunches that keep disappearing, the fridge has become an unlikely stage for office culture.

kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm*@F?86C 6>A=@J66D 2C6 9:E 92C56DE 3J E9:D 25;FDE>6?E[ D:?46 A=6?EJ @7 H@C<6CD H9@ DE2CE65 E96:C 42C66CD 36EH66? a_a_ 2?5 a_ab 92G6 ?6G6C FD65 2 D92C65 C67C:86C2E@C E92E H2D?’E E96:C @H?] %96J 2CC:G6 2E 56D<D H:E9 ?@ 7C2>6 @7 C676C6?46 7@C H92E 36=@?8D E@ 6G6CJ@?6 G6CDFD H92E 4=62C=J 36=@?8D E@ D@>6@?6 6=D6] {@?8E:>6 6>A=@J66D 2C6?’E ?646DD2C:=J 36EE6C @77 6:E96C[ D:?46 >@DE 92G6?’E 6I6C4:D65 E92E 6E:BF6EE6 >FD4=6 :? J62CD 2?5 2C6 C6=62C?:?8 :E :? C62= E:>6 =:<6 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 E:>:?8 EC246D 5:C64E=J 324< E@ 2 3C@256C 492?86 :? 9@H @7E6? A6@A=6 2C6 A9JD:42==J 2E H@C<] p k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]43C6]4@>^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^@77:46\2EE6?52?46\6IA64E2E:@?D\C:D6\72DE6C\E92?\H@C<A=246\:?G6DE>6?EQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm?6H DFCG6Jk^2m @7 &?:E65 $E2E6D 6>A=@J6CD 7@F?5 E92E ghT ?@H C6BF:C6 H@C<6CD :? E96 @77:46 2E =62DE E9C66 52JD 2 H66<[ FA 7C@> fgT ;FDE 2 J62C 62C=:6C[ 2 ;F>A E92E =2?565 :? F?56C `a >@?E9D]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm$A@:=65 7@@5 364@>6D 2 H@C<A=246 7=2D9A@:?Ek^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp D92C65 7C:586 7:==D FA 72DE H96? 2? 6?E:C6 7=@@C :D 324< :? E96 @77:46 2E @?46[ 2?5 7@@5 =67E 369:?5 7@C 6G6? 2 76H 52JD DE2CED H@C<:?8 282:?DE 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6’D D96=7 DA246] t>A=@J66D H9@ 92G6?’E ?2G:82E65 E9:D :? J62CD 2C6 C6=62C?:?8 E92E 2 7@C8@EE6? J@8FCE :D?’E ;FDE E96:C AC@3=6> 2?J>@C6j :E’D ?@H 2 4@==64E:G6 @?6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 7CFDEC2E:@? :D?’E C62==J 23@FE DA@:=65 7@@5] xE’D 23@FE 32D:4 7C:586 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^C:56D92C6\6E:BF6EE6^Qm6E:BF6EE6k^2m 2?5 2 4@H@C<6C’D 5:DC682C5 7@C 2 DA246 @E96C A6@A=6 2=D@ 56A6?5 @?[ 2?5 E92E C625D G6CJ 5:776C6?E=J @?46 D@>6@?6 :D DE2?5:?8 :? 7C@?E @7 2? @G6C4C@H565 D96=7 2E ?@@? 9@=5:?8 E96:C @H? =F?49]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm{236=:?8 EFC?D :?E@ =@H\8C256 E6CC:E@C:2= H2C72C6k^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmr@H@C<6CD 2C6 HC:E:?8 ?2>6D 5:C64E=J @? 4@?E2:?6CD[ E2A:?8 :?:E:2=D E@ D96=G6D 2?5 F?@77:4:2==J 4=2:>:?8 6?E:C6 7C:586 BF25C2?ED 7@C DA64:7:4 56A2CE>6?ED[ 2?5 ?@?6 @7 :E :D E649?:42==J 282:?DE 2?J CF=6] $E:==[ >2C<:?8 E6CC:E@CJ :? 2 4@>>F?2= 2AA=:2?46 D6?5D 2 >6DD286 H96E96C @C ?@E :E’D :?E6?565 E@]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmt>A=@J66D H9@ DA6?E J62CD H@C<:?8 7C@> 9@>6 ?6G6C 925 E@ ?68@E:2E6 E92E <:?5 @7 G:D:3=6 3@F?52CJ\D6EE:?8 H:E9 4@==628F6D] s@:?8 :E ?@H[ :? 2 DA246 6G6CJ@?6 E649?:42==J @H?D 6BF2==J[ 42? 4@>6 24C@DD 2D =6DD 23@FE @C82?:K2E:@? 2?5 >@C6 23@FE DE2<:?8 2 4=2:>]k^Am
More from this section
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm!2DD:G6\288C6DD:G6 ?@E6D 86E E96:C @H? 86?C6k^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$E:4<J ?@E6D =67E @? F?4=2:>65 7@@5 92G6 364@>6 2 72>:=:2C D:89E :? @77:46 <:E496?D[ 42DF2= 6?@F89 E92E A6@A=6 H:== D?2A 2 A9@E@ @7 2 8@@5 @?6 367@C6 :E 6G6? 4@>6D 5@H?] %96 E@?6 E6?5D E@ 6D42=2E6 72DE[ DE2CE:?8 A@=:E6 2?5 EFC?:?8 D92CA H:E9:? 2 H66< :7 E96 @776?5:?8 :E6> 5@6D?’E >@G6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm(92E >2<6D E96 ?@E6D :?E6C6DE:?8 :D?’E E96 4@?E6?Ej :E’D H9@’D H:==:?8 E@ HC:E6 @?6 2?5 H9@ :D?’E] $@>6 6>A=@J66D H:== 4@?7C@?E 2 4@H@C<6C 5:C64E=J] |@DE H:== HC:E6 2 ?@E6 :?DE625[ E2A6 :E E@ 2 4@?E2:?6C 2?5 =6E E96 7C:586 5@ E96 E2=<:?8 7@C E96>]k^Am
k9a 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\9625:?8Qm|:DD:?8 =F?496D 6C@56 32D:4 @77:46 ECFDEk^9am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmu@@5 5:D2AA62C:?8 7C@> 2 D92C65 7C:586 :D 2 4@>>@? @77:46 4@>A=2:?E[ 2?5 :E 9:ED 5:776C6?E=J E92? 2 DE@=6? DE2A=6C @C 2 >:DD:?8 A6?] p k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^4@@<H92EJ@F=@G6]4@>^49:4<6?\D2=25\H:E9\4C2?36CC:6D\H2=?FED\C64:A6^Qm49:4<6? D2=25k^2m @C 2 32E49 @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DA=2D9@7E2DE6]4@>^A:?H966=\D2?5H:496D^QmA:?H966= D2?5H:496Dk^2m 7@C =F?49 >:89E 36 A6CD@?2=] $@>6@?6 A=2??65 :E[ AC6A2C65 :E 2?5 6IA64E65 E@ 62E :E[ 2?5 :ED 23D6?46 EFC?D 2 >:?@C :?4@?G6?:6?46 :?E@ 2 86?F:?6 :CC:E2E:@? 3J 62C=J 27E6C?@@?] x? @77:46D H96C6 E9:D 92AA6?D >@C6 E92? @?46[ ECFDE :? E92E DA246 3C62<D 5@H? BF:4<=J[ H9:49 :D A2CE @7 H9J D@>6 6>A=@J66D 368:? <66A:?8 E96:C 7@@5 D@>6H96C6 @?=J E96J 42? C6249 :?DE625 @7 ECFDE:?8 E96 4@>>F?2= D96=7]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 3:886C :DDF6 :D E92E 4@>A2?:6D AFD9:?8 6>A=@J66D 324< :?E@ E96 @77:46 2C6?’E ?646DD2C:=J :?G6DE:?8 :? >2<:?8 E92E C6EFC? H@CE9 :E] %96 D2>6 DFCG6J 7@F?5 E92E H9:=6 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 6>A=@J6CD 42== :>AC@G:?8 E96 @77:46 6IA6C:6?46 2 AC:@C:EJ[ @?=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]43C6]4@>^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^@77:46\2EE6?52?46\6IA64E2E:@?D\C:D6\72DE6C\E92?\H@C<A=246\:?G6DE>6?EQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm`cTk^2m 2C6 >2<:?8 >2;@C :?G6DE>6?ED E@ 24EF2==J 56=:G6C @? :E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp 7C:586 :D 2 D>2==[ F?8=2>@C@FD 6I2>A=6 @7 E92E 82A[ 3FE :E’D 2 52:=J @?6] (@C<6CD ?@E:46 H96? E96:C DFCC@F?5:?8D 92G6?’E <6AE A246 H:E9 9@H >F49 E:>6 E96J’C6 ?@H C6BF:C65 E@ DA6?5 :? E96>[ 2?5 6E:BF6EE6 E6?5D E@ 7C2J 72DE6DE H96C6G6C 4@>A2?:6D DA6?5 E96 =62DE]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%9:D H2D ?6G6C C62==J 23@FE =F?49 @C 6IA:C65 J@8FCE D@ >F49 2D 9@H BF:4<=J AC@76DD:@?2= ?@C>D 5:D2AA62C H96? A6@A=6 DE@A AC24E:4:?8 E96> 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6 2?5 E96? 86E E9C@H? 324< :?E@ E96 D2>6 7@FC H2==D H:E9 4@==628F6D E96J 32C6=J <?@H @FED:56 @7 2 D4C66?] %96 7C:586 ;FDE 92AA6?D E@ 36 H96C6 E92E D9@HD FA 7:CDE[ 2?5 :E AC@323=J H@?’E 36 E96 =2DE DA246 E92E ?665D C6=62C?:?8 2D @77:46D 7:== 324< FA]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmy6??:76C p==6? :D 2 C6E:C65 AC@76DD:@?2= 4967 2?5 =@?8\E:>6 HC:E6C] w6C H@C< 2AA62CD :? 5@K6?D @7 AF3=:42E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 |$}[ *29@@[ %96 (2D9:?8E@? !@DE 2?5 %96 $62EE=6 %:>6D] %96D6 52JD[ D96’D 3FDJ :? E96 <:E496? 56G6=@A:?8 C64:A6D 2?5 EC2G6=:?8 E96 H@C=5[ 2?5 J@F 42? 7:?5 2== 96C 36DE 4C62E:@?D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^4@@<H92EJ@F=@G6]4@>^Qmr@@< (92E *@F {@G6k^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 A@DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>^@77:46\7C:586\6E:BF6EE6\C6EFC?\E@\@77:46^QmuC:586 6E:BF6EE6 :D 72==:?8 2A2CE 2D H@C<6CD A24< 324< :?E@ @77:46D E9:D J62Ck^2m 2AA62C65 7:CDE @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7@@55C:?<=:76]4@>Qmu@@5 sC:?< {:76k^2m]k^Am