FAIL Blog
Advertisement

work stories

Update: 'Her boss does this every year': Boss makes workers fight over a piñata filled with money at the Christmas Party

Update: 'Her boss does this every year': Boss makes workers fight over a piñata filled with money at the Christmas Party

Why does it feel like this is giving Squid Game ? This boss decided that it was a good idea to have his employees fight over a piñata filled with money at the office Christmas party year after year. You would think given recent cultural conversations about toxic work environments that perhaps this dude would rethink this annual practice, but nope! This year, he decided to do it yet again. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/antiwork subreddit by u/schotte420 , whose girlfriend worked at this m…
View List
'They fired me for not showing up to a shift they didn't schedule': New employee blamed for company's online training malfunction, fired before starting

'They fired me for not showing up to a shift they didn't schedule': New employee blamed for company's online training malfunction, fired before starting

Who wants to work at a company that can't even get their training program to work? Let's go a step further. Who wants to work at a company that blames new employees for their total dysfunction and lack of organization? Although the circumstances of this employee's dismissal were certainly not ideal, it's fair to say that they dodged a bullet early and that it's better this way. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/antiwork subreddit, and folks in the comments section were quick to add suggestio…
View List
Advertisement
'Are you refusing to help your coworkers?': Manager pressures employee to help with holiday decorating competition, employee resists then maliciously complies

'Are you refusing to help your coworkers?': Manager pressures employee to help with holiday decorating competition, employee resists then maliciously complies

The ways in which the Holidays creep into the workplace can result in completely unwanted behavior from coworkers and managers. This can manifest itself at Holiday parties, and in this case, Christmas decoration competitions. This Redditor shared their story via this thread on Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit, chronicling how every year, the various departments at their office participate in a decorating competition. This sounds fun in theory, but in practice, it's just extra work. OP w…
View List
'[Boss] started screaming like a petulant child': Tech worker poached by rival dealer, worker gives boss the opportunity to match the offer, boss loses it

'[Boss] started screaming like a petulant child': Tech worker poached by rival dealer, worker gives boss the opportunity to match the offer, boss loses it

Here's a friendly reminder that giving two weeks' notice is a courtesy, not a requirement. And if you are met with anger or resistance or any unwanted tension from your employer during those final two weeks, you have absolutely no obligation to stay. This tech worker at a dealer learned that the hard way after being poached by a rival dealer. He was fully transparent to his boss that if the other owner accepted his asking wage, he would consider it but would give his current boss the opportunit…
View List
'He enjoys firing people': Airline service provider's PTO retroactively denied by conflict-friendly new manager, employee claps back

'He enjoys firing people': Airline service provider's PTO retroactively denied by conflict-friendly new manager, employee claps back

There is nothing like a new manager coming in and messing up the structure and workflow that was functioning so well for literally everyone else. It's a classic conundrum that can manifest itself across all industries. That being said, it becomes particularly infuriating when these sudden changes affect you personally. This airline service provider submitted a PTO request for the Holiday season way back in October. The request was approved and all was well. But the new manager, who apparently w…
View List
Advertisement
'[Boss] expected her employees to share beds': Principal demands teachers share beds for mandatory unpaid work trip, one teacher refuses, gets reprimanded

'[Boss] expected her employees to share beds': Principal demands teachers share beds for mandatory unpaid work trip, one teacher refuses, gets reprimanded

There are so many potential red flags when it comes to work trips. Let's start with expenses. If it's not all-expense paid, there better be a good reason. That doesn't mean the flight and hotels. I'm talking breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, and snacks. That's right, we workers are not playing around anymore. Then there's the issue of the quality of the hotel. Do not settle for your boss getting some janky old room at the nearest motel. The situation needs to be just as convenient and nice for…
View List
'Employer is trying [...] to force me to resign': Boss tries to cheat employee out of unemployment compensation, also denies PTO request

'Employer is trying [...] to force me to resign': Boss tries to cheat employee out of unemployment compensation, also denies PTO request

Someone make sure this employee is getting in touch with a lawyer ASAP. If you are new to the workforce, please take this unsolicited advice from this group of complete non-experts here at FAIL Blog: do not ever let your boss try to pressure you into signing a resignation letter. If you have or have ever had a boss try to get away with this nonsense, please know that they could not be more transparent in their ridiculous attempts to get out of providing any unemployment compensation. Now, there…
View List
'We didn't sell enough to pay you guys': Bakery owner late on payroll, employee calls her out, boss send condescending text

'We didn't sell enough to pay you guys': Bakery owner late on payroll, employee calls her out, boss sends condescending text

Imagine your boss not paying you and then giving you a lecture about your inability to handle finances well! It takes a special kind of cognitive dissonance and tunnel vision to have that level of audacity. It's the kind of narcissistic “main character syndrome” behavior we have seen in a lot of anecdotes about horrible bosses here at FAIL Blog. What's especially amusing here, however, is that when this boss was backed into a corner about being late on payroll, instead of owning up to her mista…
View List
Advertisement
'I have cost the company $12. I quit': Employee shamed for scanning food item incorrectly, quits on the spot, managers have to scramble

'I have cost the company $12. I quit': Employee shamed for scanning food item incorrectly, quits on the spot, managers have to scramble

Managers who make a big fuss over small mistakes should be careful. Otherwise, they might end up losing all their employees one by one. No one is saying that being detail-oriented on the job is not important. Of course, it's important. But there's a way to motivate employees to pay attention to those details without making them feel like nothing they do is correct. Moreover, it's also equally important (if not more so) to empower your employees and make them feel welcome, at the very least. Her…
View List
'My coworker reported me': Coworker tries to get daycare worker fired, boss almost does until they check security footage

'My coworker reported me': Coworker tries to get daycare worker fired, boss almost does until they check security footage

There's no greater sign of a toxic workplace than having a coworker looking over your shoulder at all times, waiting to see you mess up. Oftentimes, these are the folks who are threatened by someone else's presence, especially someone they think is the competition. However, just as it was in this situation, the employee did virtually nothing wrong and the coworker was just seeing what they wanted to see. To me, this phenomenon feels reminiscent of high school behavior. I remember when a classma…
View List
'Can I get paid all that I would make here in advance?': 20+ crazy questions job candidates actually asked

'Can I get paid all that I would make here in advance?': 20+ crazy questions job candidates actually asked

Who hasn't messed up an interview before? I'm sure we can all agree that everything is a learning experience, and sometimes you have to learn by making mistakes. We all know that mistakes can build character, blah blah blah, but really? If I could go back, I would erase all the mistakes I made in job interviews. I don't think those mistakes led me to where I am today. I think that this line of thinking borders on delusional. The truth is that sometimes, you don't think before you speak and you…
View List
Advertisement
'What a complete waste of my time': Manager tries to get employee written up for forgetting to take notes, manager's boss intervenes and fires her

'What a complete waste of my time': Micromanager tries to get employee written up for forgetting to take notes, manager's boss intervenes and fires her

Some managers spend way too much time micromanaging than getting anything productive done. We all know what it's like to have a manager who seemingly has made it their only job to watch you like a hawk. Perhaps that intense vigilance is just in your head… just kidding, you're probably not wrong. Most people with authority like to spend more time flexing that authority than using it for good. In fact, when I have found myself in a position like this employee, I don't even care if the manager use…
View List
Work work-stories reddit reddit-thread business company boss employee employees manager raise raises pay payday paycheck money salary hourly

'You're really shocked I'm taking it?': Guy scores a 15% pay increase with a new job after repeatedly getting denied promotion opportunities

Over the last few years, we've all found ourselves in a bit of a financial pickle. Whether you blame inflation, shrinkflation, or whatever new economics term the experts are calling it, the bottom line is that life is getting more expensive. So a lot of working class folks are trying to get promoted, get raises, and generally make more money just to keep up with their expenses.
View List
'She is a textbook narcissist': Top Coworker Stories of the Year

'She is a textbook narcissist': Top Nightmare Coworker Stories of the Year

A terrible coworker can completely ruin your year. So if you feel neither here nor there about the people in your office, let's just say that you have quite a lot to be thankful for, and if that's not apparent, look no further than this collection of nightmare anecdotes compiled from Reddit's r/coworkerstories subreddit. Some of these stories range from coworkers with no boundaries to coworkers who keep shirking their responsibilities to the ones who you discovered get paid more for doing the s…
View List
Advertisement
'He caught a raccoon and didn't know what to do next': 30+ Reasons people called emergency help lines when they really shouldn't have

'He caught a raccoon and didn't know what to do next': 30+ Hilarious reasons people called emergency help lines

I never could've guessed just how many people will call emergency help lines over issues with birds. That was a common theme on this absolutely hilarious question posed by u/Abrera: “911 Operators of Reddit, what are some of the funniest things someone has called in for?” These emergency line workers have a serious job. Helping people in their most critical moments is crucial, and someone has to do it. It must be a huge relief to get a few calls like the ones below. If you're helping injured pe…
View List
'Don't fire me so you can hire your nephew': IT guy forced to train unqualified nepo baby to replace him, nephew tanks the company, boss gets fired

'Don't fire me so you can hire your nephew': IT guy forced to train unqualified nepo baby to replace him, nephew tanks the company, boss gets fired

If you feel taken for granted more than anyone else you know, you're probably the parent of a teenager or you work in IT. Even worse, you might be both. Now, I have never worked at a company big enough to have an official IT person, but I know how grateful my coworkers and I would be if we did. One has to wonder where this lack of proper gratitude comes from considering how lost we would be without the technologically competent folks in our lives and especially in our workplace environments. No…
View List
Advertisement

Hot Today

Advertisement