All sorts of special at work.

[Amara]

That's an interesting result, OP. I wonder if bringing donuts/muffins/juice/etc/ might be a good way to sleuth out (not really but at least provide a--I stress--possible indication) of "me-ism" and, well, more? It would at least show who had respect for the rules and for their co-workers, wouldn't it?

[Venus193]

Wow.  How old are these people?  This is so pre-school.

[Cami]

Hmm. So, it sounds like this was a little parable of the problems in general in this location. I agree with others - if these people cannot be trusted not to steal cupcakes "because we want them!", they are not to be trusted not to steal merchandise "because we could use it, and no one will really miss it."

When I was in graduate school, I had a required course in security. One of the "rules" we were taught about employee theft was that  employees who stole either did it to "get back" at an employer (often for low wages/decreased hours or in revenge for a real/perceived injustice by a supervisor) or because they had a sense of entitlement ("I want it, therefore I may have it"). When someone has that level of a sense of entitlement over freaking cupcakes, I'd be willing to bet that they have the same sense of entitlement over other store property.