TIFU by being a greedy scavenger at work.

Submitted by Deadeye26 t3_11bfcxy in tifu

Throw away account for perusing the adult subreddits here.

So, at my current (and probably soon to be former) employer, old computers, servers, networking hardware, etc. get recycled. Typically, the desktop/server support guys pull the hard drives for destruction and do a weekly dump of the rest. During this time, I’d usually see what if any scraps were left over, and if it was something I could use for my homelab, I’d press them into service. Speaking with others, they too have done similar things from time to time.

Where todays fuck up comes is I got greedy. Instead of waiting for the soon to be recycled hardware to be taken to the central area where all things destined to be gathered, figured I’d scavenge before they were sent off. In doing so, scavenged a system that wasn’t destined to be recycled. And this is where I enter the world of shit.

As it turns out, this system in particular was being temporarily stashed and awaiting to be sent back to its original location. Now that it’s been discovered having been scavenged, the hunt is on for who and when it happened. It’s too late to undo this fuckup, as it was discovered when the system was taken back to its original location, powered on, and the rest is history.

So, staring down the barrel of being identified by either security cameras or access logs into the building, shamefully being fired for theft for items that honestly, I can afford to buy, and worst of all, dropping a Tsar Bomba on myself as it pertains to my current career (and possibly future prospects), my workmates, and quite possibly my home life. Been running a gamut of emotions about it, wishing I could undo what my actions have potentially wrought upon myself.

Not asking for sympathy here, nor do I expect it. Just telling my cautionary tale should someone else be doing similar actions. In the end, it’s never worth it. I can honestly say the anticipation of the shitstorm that is to come is definitely worse than if and when it finally hits.

TL;DR: While scavenging for parts from old computers destined to be recycled, scavenged one that was not slated for such, probably going to get shitcanned if/when whatever trails lead back to me.

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Comments

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DownrightDrewski t1_j9xlszv wrote

If you think they're likely to catch you anyway, then it may be best to own up to it and apologise. It does seem to be a genuine error rather than intentional theft...

You may still be fucked, but, it may give you a chance to get away with a disciplinary instead of being fired.

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Foxrex t1_j9yg6db wrote

I don't know why it's so hard to do the right thing.

It sucks. Nobody is perfect. Set the ego aside. Pick yourself up and try again.

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Daft_Assassin t1_ja1y2nl wrote

Because it guarantees punishment. Don’t say shit. Deny deny deny.

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BettyBoopsTooOften t1_j9xpnet wrote

As a former employer, if you came to me and explained it exactly as you did here, I’d give you a talking to and let it slide. Clearly it was not your intention to steal.

HOWEVER, if you didn’t say a word and I found out through other means, I’d fire you faster that you can say “bye”.

Tell the truth. Show integrity. Explain why and how and what you will do in order to compensate them for the computer or provide them with one of similar or higher value.

Best of luck, I think it’s apparent that you made a mistake, and mistakes are only learning opportunities. If all else is bueno, this shouldn’t get you fired provided you do as I mentioned above.

That said, I was a pretty nice boss 🥰. People will work far harder for you if you show them empathy and understanding, and lead with kindness rather than with tyranny.

Please let me k ow how this turns out for you. Im rooting for you!

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zoharel t1_j9zdj1c wrote

Yeah, that. Also, in the future, make sure your acquisition of retired hardware is above board.

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boxer126 t1_j9y93ql wrote

All the comments saying to confess and explain are only valid if salvaging parts that are going to recycling is an acceptable practice to begin with. Based on OP's reaction, I'm guessing he shouldn't be "salvaging" these parts at all.

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Commercial-Cricket39 t1_j9xocgl wrote

If you are sure you will be caught, then come Forward before it happens. It's a risk, and onestly you may want to consult a lawyer, but only from a reputation point of wiew, you will not sustain a big loss from people know you were stealing from items destined to the dumpster.

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LewisDaCat t1_j9yjqo0 wrote

Don’t consult a lawyer. Just apologize and return the equipment. Let them know it was a mistake as you thought it was going to be thrown away. People make mistakes.

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KatpissLabs t1_ja1tc8p wrote

A lawyer is best to consult first (ASAP!!! Like THAT NIGHT!!) if you think there’s a risk for being prosecuted either criminally or in a civil suit.

A good friendly lawyer reaching out to your employer will result in a swift dismissal, but usually will keep the whole thing out of the courts so there’s no public record at least.

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_TheNecromancer13 t1_j9y5fle wrote

So, was scavenging from the recycle pile allowed? If so, just tell them you made a mistake. If not, you're fucked either way, time to get job searching/hire a lawyer depending on what you took.

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jaymo54 t1_j9xmh2r wrote

Make sure you update this. Good luck

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PigeonMcNuggets t1_j9ya51o wrote

This happened to me, something was in the garbage pile that shouldn't have been, in particular a network switch. Admitted I took it from the garbage pile, went home and got it - literally never came up again.

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KhaosPT t1_j9zhq0f wrote

You 100% need to come clean. Do it now and you might get a slap on the wrist as this was an accident. Even if treated as theft, at least you show integrity in facing the music and this might prevent a big escalation. Because even by your plan of doing nothing, even if they cant pinpoint who did it, everyone will always be under scrutiny and one of your peers will squeak sooner or later. Best of luck to you mate.

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TKCOLE84 t1_j9xzvwn wrote

Tell the truth. This is something I am teaching my 4 year old. If she tells me the truth about something she's done wrong, I won't be as mad (usually I'm not mad at all and very understanding about why she's done it). If she lies to me and I find out that she lied to me, even if it's something innocent, that's when I galet upset and she gets in trouble. So, own up to it and tell the truth. I mean, the worst is that you'll be fired, BUT, if you like, that's a guaranteed firing and potential lawsuit on your hands because the have seen an intent to steal instead of an accident.

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[deleted] t1_ja7govr wrote

Lol. My Mum told us that but if was not always the case. Often the truth wouldn’t mean she and I would fix the issue, it would just mean a sure fire beat down. But honestly, it has taught me bad habits. Still to this day, as a grown ass women I sometimes resort to white lies, and usually the times when I do so is when a lie wouldn’t be necessary... like I’m covering out of a guilty conscience that isn’t warranted?

Anyways, moral of the story - don’t lie and don’t abuse your kids.

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switchbreed t1_j9xl9vk wrote

Well good luck. If they space you, sing something badass.

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Sylarxz t1_j9y3zag wrote

so how does it end? you can't have typed this up at work, or they are very slow at catching the culprit

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Surveymonkee t1_j9z3mz6 wrote

It worked out for everybody when Milton burned Initech to the ground. Just sayin'.

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AcrobaticSource3 t1_j9z0vrl wrote

There even might be tracking in the computer. This is why companies have protocols, to make sure things are as they should be. You are probably gonna get caught, so the best thing to do is get ahead of it and come clean, don’t wait for them to catch you, you’ll look more like a crook that way

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Hotelmostcow t1_j9ywwjd wrote

Update

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[deleted] t1_ja7gzyc wrote

Ha ha, this is the only comment worth an upvote. Everybody else is either “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT TELL THE TRUTH!!!!” or “it’s always better to tell the truth...”

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zzzorba t1_j9zunr2 wrote

Why can’t you return the part?

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Layne205 t1_ja2x25z wrote

Because scavenging is already a fireable offense. All the people saying "do the right thing" have obviously never had a job before. That is absolutely not how it works. You can risk being caught, or be fired immediately. Which is better?

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ExtensionSystem3188 t1_ja0y7pw wrote

It's always better to immediately step forward look em in the eye and say I fkt up. Where do we go from here?

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bros402 t1_ja1pfe8 wrote

Tell the truth.

Maybe your employer can have a program where it is first-come-first-server for decommissioned stuff, instead of people picking corpses clean.

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yami76 t1_ja1y8fy wrote

The only thing I can think of him scavenging off a server would be ram, cpu or hard drives. I’m thinking since he hasn’t just dropped the parts back off that it’s the drives and he formatted them? But then no one would be that dumb right?

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Stokehall t1_ja2fknt wrote

It’s unlikely as he said ICT typically pull the hard drives for destruction. If he knows they normally keep drives for secure destruction then he should know not to take a device that has drives. If that is the case then OP is negligent and should be punished for his actions/crime. He may also be sued for theft of intellectual property if the drives had any data on them, and destruction of intellectual property if he wiped them.

If it’s just a chassis with no drives, and ICT we’re keeping it because it was too good to bin, or it had rare hardware they might require later, then it is not such a big deal.

I think OP needs a lawyer as he may very well be in legal trouble if caught.

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spoolthirtytwo t1_jacxaz9 wrote

If OP is in the US, it's likely that 'scavenging' parts is not allowed at all. Dumb rule, but PCs are usually depreciated assets, taxed as having no value, and destroyed. They can't be donated or given away under any official policy without running the risk of a taxation issue.

​

Usually the situation is that they're "left" somewhere that everyone knows about, and whatever doesn't walk off while the corporate back is turned gets recycled. I'm guessing OP wanted to get the jump on the scavengers by grabbing something good, and got burned. Policy as written is "nobody can have this stuff, under any circumstances" even though the de facto situ is that people can grab what they want as long as they're lowkey about it.

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OuidOuigi t1_j9y6gym wrote

So you stole property is what you are saying?

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phalangepatella t1_ja0yw8p wrote

It’s not the crime, it’s the coverup.

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Darrone t1_j9ykai7 wrote

Everyone's going to tell you do the right thing, and I say fuck that. Put the wrong label on it, put it in an Ill used area of your work. If someone comes to discipline you, "oh, that one? I didn't steal it, I think I mislabeled it and put it down somewhere when I was busy. Honestly sorry, let me go get it."

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TheXander89 t1_j9yzawh wrote

Cover cover and cover. Change the label on it, put it somewhere with very low traffic and IF you get asked about it deny knowing anything about it. You're likely to be fired if you're found out so might as well try your best

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