OfficeMax and Kelton Research has uncovered that around 42 percent of workers in May's national survey admitted to pocketing coworkers' supplies, with pens, pencils or highlighters comprising 81 percent of the plunder.
"It's a behavior that, when you think about it, doesn't really make sense, but everybody does it," said Bill Bonner, OfficeMax senior director of external relations.
To be fair, 84 percent of confessors said they borrowed items and simply forgot to return them, but 26 percent also said they didn't think the person would miss the AWOL supplies.
Twenty-three percent said it was revenge for a similar injustice done to them