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.... It wasn't the biggest problem in the world, but it was all because the politicians were afraid that they would be criticized/not re-elected if they were making life too good for us low-life public employees.
It got embarrassing at times, because as part of my job, I had to run meetings that included outside lawyers for whom we paid their firm $800 an hour to advise us on a $4 billion project. They would ask for water, and I would have to send someone running around the floor asking people if they happened to have any plastic or paper or styrofoam cups, maybe left over from an office lunch or something, so that we could give the people in the meeting some water from the water cooler.
Isn't that the truth. I've bought coffee, drinks and snacks, as well as cups and napkins out of my own pocket at times when we had those meetings. It's bad enough the public thinks that of us low life public servants, but it down right embarrassing when we can't even offer a common office courtesy to a guest.
My (former) workplace is so cheap I was fired instead of the tech who hadn't received a raise in 5 years (he's been there 6 years), is constantly complained about, often necessary to have another tech take time to clean up his mess, and they keep him because they were paying him $5/hr less than me. In other words they would rather pay less for sorry help, than pay more for competency.
I once went on an interview (large company; major city) where the receptionist asked if I wanted anything to drink and I said yes. She then asked if I had a cup, as they don't provide them. Who shows up to a job interview with a cup/mug??! I'm actually glad it happened because I knew I would never work there, so I was completely un-phased when they sat me in a conference room with a panel of 5 interviewers for my first ever stress interview. And I now make a point of always asking for something to drink when I go to an interview.
I once went on an interview (large company; major city) where the receptionist asked if I wanted anything to drink and I said yes. She then asked if I had a cup, as they don't provide them. Who shows up to a job interview with a cup/mug??! I'm actually glad it happened because I knew I would never work there, so I was completely un-phased when they sat me in a conference room with a panel of 5 interviewers for my first ever stress interview. And I now make a point of always asking for something to drink when I go to an interview.
Wow. Just wow. Learning this important tidbit before hiring on was a blessing in disguise.
I worked at the WHQ of a swanky Fortune 60 company in the Northeast. They supplied a Keurig machine, but that was it. We had to provide our own cups, coffee pods, sugar, and half & half! I had never seen this before, nor since.
My first day here at my job (a city agency), I had to sign for my supplies... 1 pen, 1 pencil, 1 note pad, 1 row of staples.... If I ever need more, I have to send a email to HR for my request.
I worked at an upscale bistro restaurant for a couple weeks. I asked when payday was and the other servers looked embarrassed. "Ah...we don't get paid," I was finally told. Tips only. So there were no taxes or SS paid. I thought the Labor Board would be interested in this, or the tax people, but no one cared. They are still in business but I bailed when I found that out.
A different restaurant in a well-known hotel chain refused to feed us. We had to pay full price. At $2.13 an hour we had to spend most of our server shift doing dishes, janitor work and helping cook. And before you say "other designated duties"---NO. Not legal at $2.13 when you are not getting tips.
This is common practice in restaurants, to make servers do janitor duty before and after shift. When they are not making tips, just $2.13 an hour. A lot cheaper than paying janitors. I once had to sweep sidewalks, pick up tumbleweeds, clean toilets, scrub floors, and that was at the first place where we got no pay at all.
I had a boss who would give us one roll of toilet paper at a time. He wanted that roll to last a week. If we ran out sooner and had to ask for more, he would start screaming that "you girls must have the cleanest ~ in town".
Hey! With an "upset" stomach, one can use an entire roll in about an hour! Depending on how much I liked this job, I would likely open my mouth and say ITS NOT ENUFF toilet paper!
Years ago I briefly temped at an office where custodial duties were split up among the rank and file employees. Naturally, management was exempt from these tasks. It included emptying out trash from every office and cubicle, cleaning the bathroom, and restocking it with enough toilet paper and paper towels.
There were enough employees that I only had to do it once a week, but I nonetheless didn't appreciate being forced into doing something I didn't sign up for on top of the time it took me away from the actual job I was supposed to do.
I had this at a past job. There were only a few of us that worked there, mostly part timers. We were good about emptying the trash as needed, but one day the kitchen trash was a little overboard and the boss went nuts.
She then worked up a schedule for each week where we rotated common trash and recycling responsibilities.
Guess who ALWAYS forgot her week?
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Depending on how much I liked this job, I would likely open my mouth and say ITS NOT ENUFF toilet paper! 
