The Vultures Are Always Circling

I was recently contacted by a PR Representative of OfficeMax who thought I might be interested in their newly released workplace survey on the subject of missing office supplies. Well, yes I was, and I figure you might be too.

Here’s two little snippets from the survey report.

Disappearing Act – There seems to be a lot of dwindling workspaces popping up across the nation. Eighty-one percent of employed Americans who report missing supplies from their work area say that pens, pencils, or highlighters go M.I.A. most often. Other disappearing goods include paper products (35%), paper clips or binder clips (28%), staplers (22%), and scissors (20%).

Run and Hide – So it’s not surprising that a majority (68%) of working Americans have taken matters into their own hands by finding ways to ensure their favorite provisions don’t go missing. Some keep their much-loved office paraphernalia in a special designated drawer (59%) or in a secret space in their work area (45%). Others order additional quantities of certain products to make certain they’re never low (51%) or label their supplies with their contact information (31%). More employed women than men (73% vs. 63%) report they’ve taken steps to ensure their office products don’t go missing.

I can really relate to a lot of the findings in the survey. In my office I know to watch certain people like hawks or the item they pick up will just walk away with them, and sometimes when someone quits their job and vacates their desk – well it’s like a flock of vultures descending on a fresh carcass, devouring the abandoned office supplies without having to do battle with “The Guardian of the Office Supplies Cabinet”.

Anyway, here’s the links to the News Release and the Full Report.

(Nope, they ain't payin' me!)