Recently, I realised my manager likes to get others to buy lunch and pay for her first but never ever takes the initiative to return the money for her own meal. To be honest, it really seems like she deliberately does not want to return the money and not because it slipped her mind.
Once, someone on the table initiated and asked the person who paid for her meal first how much she owed her and immediately did the transfer. She was just seated next to this person and looking at her as she asked that so there was no way she missed the conversation.
Yet, she did not take the initiative to ask how much she owed for her meal. It’s honestly quite hilarious how she’s trying to get free meals out of colleagues who are earning way lesser than her (as we are all mostly fresh graduates). Even if she genuinely could not afford the meal for some reason, it doesn’t make it right for her to take advantage of others. I paid for her meal maybe twice and both times she did not pay me back. I learnt my lesson the hard way and have avoided including her in my lunch plans from then on. However, she is still my manager so working with her is inevitable.
Is it bad if I can’t see her in the same light ever again? It’s like I truly lost my respect for her even as a leader in my job.
Here are what netizens think:
Next time she ask you buy lunch , purposely don’t buy it when back office just tell her sorry I forgot. If she scold you why forgot, shot back learn from her bcos always forgot to pay money back
Just like every comment here (whether nice or mean), is just up front ask her back for the money.
I think OP knows of coz is either ask or its money down the drain, thats why shes been avoiding lunching with the manager.
I gather OP lacks “experience” as she most likely just started in the workforce and not sure how to navigate this situation smoothly without getting into an awkward situation with the manager as they would still be colleagues, the manager being the superior, which i think she also worry about offending. So, OP is seeking advise on how to go about it w/o offending the manager.
Im sure if she has been in the workforce for a while or is an employee with some seniority status, like a supervisor or junior manager, she properly would know how to deal with it. (Actually also depends on the person’s personality/character, some pple even in the workforce for years, still find it hard to chase after $)