# Do you take office supplies home from work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994 "2011-08-25T02:23:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/1 "2011-08-25T02:23:35Z")
I never take pens, because I have plenty at home, but I did swipe a roll of TP from the supply closet once when funds were particularly tight. Also probably the post-its in my house migrated home from the office because I don’t remember ever buying them. A few minutes ago I realized that I’m out of printer paper and thought about the reams of it sitting next to the copier at work, but swiping paper just seems wrong. So, do you bring office supplies home from the office? If so which ones? ---
**Author:** ![sjankis630](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@sjankis630](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjankis630)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/2 "2011-08-25T02:25:45Z")
just pens and old paper clips/binder clips. I really don’t need any office supplies anywhere but my office at work. I also would probably use copy paper before I ever used the horrible tp at any office I have ever worked at before. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/3 "2011-08-25T02:26:03Z")
I do occasionally, but it’s a family business and I’m pretty sure Dad is okay with it. Actually, I’m _really_ glad you posted this because my keyboard batteries are just about dead and this reminded me to toss some in my car to take to work in the morning. Otherwise I’ll have to run out and get some…see, it goes both ways 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/4 "2011-08-25T02:26:23Z")
Pens, but that’s more forgetfulness than anything else. Also, I chew the things, so they’re pretty much useless for the other people in the office. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/5 "2011-08-25T02:40:00Z")
FROM work? Hell, this place is too cheap. I end up bringing IN pens and having them stolen on a semi-regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/6 "2011-08-25T02:43:26Z")
Apparently I can now. Our remote work program specifies that they will provide office supplies. I just need to place an order with our admin and pick it up next time I’m in the office. In reality however I love shopping for the perfect pen and the next great organizational idea. So no, never. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/7 "2011-08-25T03:54:49Z")
I took home a mousepad once. To be fair, I have a bad habit of nervously worrying the edge of it between my thumb and forefinger and they would have thrown it out anyway. And I chew my pens, they wouldn’t want those back. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/8 "2011-08-25T04:33:47Z")
I have a pen in my purse that is a work pen. I didn’t steal it, I’m just borrowing it. When I leave my job I’ll try to remember to return it. Other than that, no. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/9 "2011-08-25T08:28:13Z")
I bring my office supplies TO work. I’ve had some clients which didn’t want consultants bringing in our own computers for security reasons, but we’re usually required to. I also bring my own keyboard, an aluminum base (sold as a riser for monitors, back when CPUs moved from being horizontal and under the monitor to being vertical and under the desk), notebooks and pens. Right now I also have a folding fan (the kind without a motor) and a small thermos I fill from the water fountain. The few times I’ve taken office supplies it was marketing ones, such as pens with the company’s logo, which we were encouraged to take and hand around. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/10 "2011-08-25T10:11:36Z")
Generally I take office supplies to work, because I am a teacher and that’s how it goes. However, because of that, I will admit that I am a little sloppy about keeping a firm line between mine and theirs: I don’t remember which are my pens or theirs, or which are my cables or theirs, or whatever, and if I need to use something at home I will take it. I have not taken a ream of paper home, even though I’ve certainly taken reams of paper up there. Somehow that’s too substantial, and it would feel like stealing. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/11 "2011-08-25T10:47:23Z")
I volunteer one day a week at a nonprofit (YWCA safe house/crisis line) and wouldn’t dream of taking even a paper clip. I sometimes bring necessaries there. Their funding is tight and I’m volunteering, not getting paid. I’d like to think I would still maintain a bright line between what’s mine and what’s theirs were it a real job, but I can’t guarantee it. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/12 "2011-08-25T11:36:00Z")
I retired a few weeks ago, and as I was going thru my desk, I separated my pens (those I got from several conferences) from the standard-issue stuff. I will admit I brought home the paperclips that were in my personal paperclip bowl. I also brought home one of those cubes of notepaper, but they hand those out like Halloween candy at every security briefing. I wouldn’t take printer/copier paper - heck, sometimes we’d have a tough enough time finding it for office use. And I’d never take TP, altho when I saw the cleaning crew tossing partial rolls to fill the dispensers with whole rolls, I thought that was pretty wasteful. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/13 "2011-08-25T12:09:06Z")
No, I keep a paper free home. Or try to at least. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/14 "2011-08-25T12:29:57Z")
I find it amusing that the OP thinks it’s okay to take \*toilet \*paper, but \*printer \*paper is off limits. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/15 "2011-08-25T12:43:45Z")
_Never!_ Not so much as a Post-It or a paper clip. I am too 1) honest, and 2) terrified that I’d get caught, fired and sent to the Womens Prison at Jefferson Market. In 1885. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/16 "2011-08-25T12:47:31Z")
Taking stuff home from work got so bad at my old office that they locked up the supply room, and you had to request items from the secretary. Late August was an especially bad time. I bet people were pissed the supply room didn’t have protractors and compasses. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/17 "2011-08-25T13:56:08Z")
Seeing as how I’m self-employed and have my own home office, it would be kind of redundant. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/18 "2011-08-25T13:58:52Z")
I’ve taken a few pens over the years. I might have even taken a pad of Post-It ™ style notes. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/19 "2011-08-25T14:04:52Z")
Only by accident. I have purchased one pack of copy paper from my previous employers stash before. My current employer locks everything up tight and I doubt they would let me purchase anything from their supply. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994/20 "2011-08-25T14:06:40Z")
I teach, so the supplies usually go the other direction. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-take-office-supplies-home-from-work/593994.md?page=2)