The Art of Picking Up the Check in the Workplace

I came across a funny story: A colleague was leaving the company and decided to treat everyone to a farewell dinner. Twenty people ordered over 8,000 yuan worth of food. When the soon-to-be ex-colleague saw the bill, they excused themselves to go to the restroom—and never came back. The remaining twenty people were left staring at the bill, dumbfounded.

When I heard this, I almost burst out laughing. I immediately pictured a group of people sitting around the table, chopsticks still holding lobsters, staring at the bill as if it were their college entrance exam results. As for the restroom escapee, they were probably stifling laughter while calculating whether that maneuver was worth it.

But then again, who should foot the bill for a farewell dinner? Technically speaking, if a colleague is leaving, shouldn’t those staying behind chip in to show some goodwill? After all, they’re packing up their keyboard and moving on to a new chapter—asking them to pay for everyone’s meal does feel a bit like squeezing a departing guest for a parting gift.

This reminded me of another scenario. Just last month, a new guy joined our department. On his first day, he stood stiffly at his desk in a crisp shirt, likely sweating bullets out of nervousness. At lunch, Old Wang started teasing him: “Hey, newbie, it’s tradition—you’ve got to treat us on your first day!” The poor guy’s face turned beet red as he fumbled for his phone, probably calculating his bank balance.

Before things got awkward, our supervisor, Old Zhang, slammed the table and declared, “Everyone sit down! The newbie hasn’t even warmed up to his first paycheck yet—this one’s on me! He can treat us after he passes probation next month!” The office burst into laughter, and the newbie’s eyes practically sparkled with gratitude. That meal turned into a lively gathering, complete with a few bottles of beer, and the atmosphere was better than any team-building event.

Isn’t this what workplace camaraderie is all about? Some people value face so much they’d rather flee to the restroom than feel taken advantage of, while others make grace and tact their default setting, stepping up to ease the tension. At the end of the day, splitting the bill isn’t about the size of your wallet—it’s about your thoughtfulness for others.

Take Old Zhang’s gesture, for example. On the surface, it was just a generous act, but in reality, it paved the way for the newbie to feel at home in the team. The same principle applies in other situations. I remember one time when we worked overtime until midnight. A colleague, Little Li, was so hungry he went to the convenience store for instant noodles and devoured them in the break room. The next day, he brought hand-ground coffee to share with everyone who had stayed late, joking, “I ate alone last night, so here’s my peace offering!” That cup of coffee wasn’t expensive, but it warmed us up and kept our spirits high all day.

These small gestures in the workplace often work better than any lofty team-building initiative. Treating a colleague to lunch might bridge the gap between you and a new teammate. Sharing snacks could defuse a tense project meeting. As the show Reply 1988 once said, “In this lifetime, how many people will you meet who genuinely care about you?” The same applies to the workplace. Everyone wants to work with considerate people; no one wants to argue with “check-dodgers.”

But here’s the real question: If you’re at the next group dinner, the dishes have gone cold, and the bill is still sitting there, hot and waiting—what would you do?