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Snack thefts provoke Bloomberg to install security cameras

Bloomberg BNA is cracking down on employees who abuse one of the company’s few workplace perks: Free snacks.

Like many areas of the company, Bloomberg BNA provides an assortment of munchies and beverages gratis for employees to enjoy while they are on the clock.

According to a memo published by media journalist Jim Romenesko, some BBNA employees have been taking “sodas, snacks, fruit” and, in rare cases, “cartons of milk” home, causing an apparent shortage for employees who work later in the day and on the weekend.

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Yes, fully aware this is a bad shop job. (Logo: Bloomberg LP; original image: NSA)

Bloomberg has decided the best way to combat these thefts is to spy on its employees. Mike Schmidt, Bloomberg BNA’s VP of Human Resources, said the company would install security cameras in the pantry to catch those who take snacks home.

Employees who are caught taking snacks home “may be subject to termination from BBNA for cause.”

And if that doesn’t work, Schmidt warns that the perk may go away entirely. “If this type of behavior continues, we will have no other option than to consider closing down the pantry.”

BBNA employees who want to score a free carton of milk or a piece of fruit for their commute home will now have to hoard items little by little while they’re on the clock.

Romenesko: Bloomberg installing surveillance cameras over free snack thefts