Accidentially chipped co-workers glasses!

labayu

My work has a culture of majorly messing about. Especially of throwing items to each other and often at each other.

I throw an item to a co-worker, they miss completely and it hit's another co-worker who then picks something else up and throws it at me.

Couple of weeks later, said co-worker claims that the item chipped their glasses and they maight cost "a lot" to get repaired, heavily hnting that I should pay.

Should I?

I'm very reluctant too because:

- He gets paid more than me
- What I did wasn't out of the workplace culture
- He immediately reacted by launching something at me
- I don't trust him to actually go and get a variety of quotes, he'll just go for the easiest/most expensive
- Frankly I don't trust that the glasses were completely ok to begin with. I'm sure he said there was something wrong with them a while back but he couldn't afford/didn't want to spend the money replacing them

Does the amount come into it?

Eg if it's £50, £100, £250, £500, £1,000? When do you say: "sorry but it was an accident and I can't afford that"? I have a £500 suit jacket, if I brought it into work and someone split something on it I can't imagine anyone agreeing to give me £500 to replace it!

McKneff

Wow, youre full of it arent you'

Have you looked at your company's health and safety rules.
Just because everyone else acts like fools, doesnt mean you have to.

What if the other person did not have glasses on and you threw something and it hit him in his eye.

Stop with the messing about before someone gets hurt.

As for the glasses, he could have chipped the lens during the fortnight in between so you need to discuss this with him (in an adult manner)
In our company its 'horseplay' classed as gross misconduct and a sack on the spot situation if something like this happens.

Hopefully, you and your stupid mates will learn from it.

MrRedundant

All irrelevant. You broke them and are liable to pay for a similar pair. He's hinting because he doesnt want to be a !!!!! and actually ask you to be a grown up;

westv

What the hell were you throwing that chipped a pair of glasses? In my old work the worst we would throw was paper balls.

Sambucus_Nigra

If he said there was something wrong with them a while ago; then when he told you - you should have said 'oh well, you said a while ago that there was something wrong with them - so if you get 3 quote for mending them, I'll go halves with you'.

shellsuit

Why did it take him 2 weeks to notice that he had chipped glasses from whatever you threw at him?

bristol_pilot

Frankly, it is in your interests to pay up. If it is reported to management it is almost a dead cert that you would be sacked for breaching safety rules (and the law).

ceridwen

Now sitting here with mind boggling at thought of a workplace like it....I've never had one like it personally..

Overall - I think O.P. has to give benefit of the doubt and pay up. The actual amount concerned is totally irrelevant - whether its £10, £100 or £1,000 - the question is exactly the same, ie "Is the money owed or isnt it?".

dickydonkin

What I did wasn't out of the workplace culture

So if you blinded him, well that's OK because it is the culture of the workplace?

He immediately reacted by launching something at me

So if he blinded you in retribution then that would be all right as well.

Seems like a great place to work!

wolfehouse

if you chiped the lens surely he only needs to replace the lens, not the whole pair of glasses

maninthestreet

Someone with authority in your workplace needs to get a grip and end this culture of horseplay before someone gets injured and decides to sue.