Snack Attack: More Than Seventy Percent Of Full-Time American Office Workers Are Victims Of Snack Theft At Work

News provided by

Jun 01, 2016, 11:02 ET

QUINCY, Mass., June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- There is a war being waged in the offices of full-time American employees, and the battle cries are those of hunger. In a new survey of full-time office workers, Peapod.com, the country's leading online grocer offering delivery to both businesses and homes, found that nearly three quarters (71%) of respondents have had their personal snack, drink or meal stolen out of the communal office kitchen. Interestingly, only about a third (35%) admit to taking something that wasn't theirs.

Millennials in the workforce are most at risk of losing their snacks – a whopping 73% report having had their food taken at work. They're also most likely to retaliate, as 48% admit they have perpetrated snack thievery. It seems the older we are, the less we steal. Boomers and older workers were the least likely to admit having taken someone else's snacks (only 18% of those 55 and older). In terms of geography, things tend to be tougher in the city: nearly 40% more urban workers admit to taking someone else's snack than those in rural areas. Overall, men were nearly twice as likely as women to admit to having taken snacks that didn't belong to them.

Work Hard, Snack Hard
Working more hours may also be a driving force in the case of missing snacks. Significantly more employees working 41+ hours per week (42%) have taken someone's snack versus those that work fewer than 40 hours (30%). Similarly, nearly 81% of those working more than 41 hours per week report having had their snacks taken, while only 64% of those working 35-40 hours report the same. With all that time in the office, no wonder workers appreciate snack breaks with 80%* saying that "having snacks in the office is nice for socializing with team members."

Perhaps ironically, those working in the hospitality industry were the most likely to report having taken snacks (51%), while not surprisingly, those in the religious/nonprofit industries were least likely.

Peapod: A White Flag on the Battlefield
Of course, it doesn't have to be this way and savvy companies are offering benefits like free snacks to help their employees co-exist in peaceful snacking harmony. Free snacks are so important to a positive work experience that Peapod also found that 66% of millennials agree, "If I found or was offered a job at another company with better perks, including availability of free snacks, I would take it."*

"Peapod is servicing more businesses than ever – from small start-ups to large organizations like hospitals and universities," said Peg Merzbacher, Vice President of Regional Marketing for Peapod. "Employees seem to seek out this perk since it helps promote balance when hard at work; with services like Peapod it's so easy for businesses to have their kitchens stocked regularly."

To learn more about Peapod's delivery to business offering, visit www.Peapod.com.

About Peapod
Peapod – an Ahold USA company – is the country's leading Internet grocer, serving 24 U.S. markets throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. Founded in 1989 as a smart shopping option for busy households, today Peapod has delivered more than 30 million grocery orders. Customers can order online or on Peapod's free mobile app for delivery to homes and workplaces or pick-up at many convenient locations. For more information on Peapod, call 1.800.5.PEAPOD (1.800.573.2763), e-mail [email protected] or visit www.peapod.com.

Survey Methodology: Lab42 conducted this research on behalf of Peapod via an online survey of among 1,000 full-time office workers, comprising 493 men and 507 women. The research was conducted April 18-19, 2016.

*Survey Methodology: ORC International conducted this research on behalf of Peapod via an online survey of among 1,009 full-time office workers, comprising 504 men and 505 women. The research was conducted August 11-17, 2015.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160601/374153-INFO

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150916/267226LOGO

SOURCE Peapod