FAIL Blog
Advertisement

work stories

'I cost my ex-employer $500,000': Boss makes employee take on the work of a whole team, rejects his request for a raise, employee makes the company tank

'I cost my ex-employer $500,000': Boss makes employee take on the work of a whole team, rejects his request for a raise, employee makes the company tank

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder to always get it done in writing, folks! Unfortunately, this employee learned that the hard way but was still able to walk away triumphant at the end of this toxic workplace drama. When the Redditor's coworker had to leave a big project in order to take care of his father, their boss asked the Redditor take the lead on the project moving forward. The original poster should have seen this as a red flag in and of itself, as his employer was essentially…
View List
Employee maliciously complies with manager's demands to be notified "every single time" he leaves his desk: 'Yes, ma'am!'

Employee maliciously complies with manager's demands to be notified "every single time" he leaves his desk: 'Yes, ma'am!'

Some managers need to learn to calm down. If you happen to not be available that one moment when your manager needs you, please know that this is not your fault, and your manager has absolutely no right to overreact. If you say that you were in the bathroom and they choose to double down in an effort to make their overreaction seem justified, then please know that your manager might be crazy. This employee was told to notify his manager every single time he left his desk after an incident when…
View List
Advertisement
'They tried to deny my unemployment claim': Top 10+ "HR is not your friend" stories

'They tried to deny my unemployment claim': Top 10+ "HR is not your friend" stories

Let this serve as a friendly remember to never trust that HR has your back. No matter how charming their smiles are or how friendly they may seem when you're making small talk in the kitchenette, do not be fooled into thinking that anyone in the HR department is supporting anyone other than the head honchos. The grim part of this truth is that it may not even be HR's fault at the end of the day. They too are doing their jobs in an already established system. However, some of these stories certa…
View List
'They are about to lose a $3M contract because I resigned': Project manager gets denied raise, gets far better offer, leaves and takes big client with him

'They are about to lose a $3M contract because I resigned': Project manager gets denied raise, finds far better offer, leaves and takes big client with him

If you feel like your bosses are taking advantage of you, you're probably right. When this realization occurs, it's always a good idea to write out the pros and cons of your current position, to think honestly and critically about the added value you bring to the company, and to assess whether or not your current employment status (salary, benefits, job title, etc.) accurately reflect the hard work you have put in over the course of your time at the company. This project manager worked his way…
View List
terrible coworkers cash register boss workplace-stories jobs employee work stories job retail bosses retail worker work coworkers working employees workplace coworker - 25107973

'My coworker has an obsession with my job position': Retail worker refuses to leave baby department, repeatedly asks coworker, "When are you leaving?"

One person's odd fixation is making this retail worker uncomfortable. Retail work can be stressful, but it should never be because of your coworkers. The customers are known to be irritating, and some bosses have quotas that they pressure employees to hit. But your coworkers shouldn't ever be the most stressful part of a retail job, or any job for that matter. If they are, it's time to head to the human resources department, and let them handle the fallout. This person, u/asimplenobody27, has b…
View List
Advertisement
employee work stories relatable memes random memes job hunt work funny memes interviews dank memes job interview unemployment job application cover letter resume - 25084933

27 Memes for the Unemployed Tired of the Job Search

Searching for a job can be an exhausting process. It involves spending a lot of time scrolling through job boards, tailoring your resume to the job description, and writing the dreaded cover letter, all in hopes of getting a response. Which isn't even guaranteed. Even if you do receive a positive response to move on to the next round, it only means that you have to prepare yourself for multiple rounds of interviews, which can require hours of preparation.
View List
'The original offer was starting at $4000 and up to $5000 per month': Candidate makes it to final round of interviews when HR makes a "slight change" to the salary

'The original offer was starting at $4000 and up to $5000 per month': Candidate advances to final round of interviews when HR makes a "slight change" to the salary

We all knew hiring managers can be shady, but this “slight change” during the interview process was about as shady as it can get. Imagine going through multiple rounds of interviews and feeling excited because you're likely to get this position. You're comfortable with the offer from the job posting and you seem to like all of the people at the company with whom you have spoken thus far. Then, all of a sudden, they pull a bait-and-switch on you. Just before your final interview, you receive an…
View List
CEO causes mass quitting after requiring dozens of remote hires to relocate to cities for in-person work: 'If you want to work from home, go work somewhere else'

CEO causes mass quitting after requiring dozens of remote hires to relocate to cities for in-person work: 'If you want to work from home, go work somewhere else'

No boss should be remotely surprised when employees expect that the conditions of their contracts will be honored. Changing the circumstances of someone's employment contract should function similarly to negotiations during the hiring process. Everything must be a two-way street and the solution must satisfy both parties. This is why it's particularly shocking in this day and age to see a CEO so out-of-touch when he forced entire teams of fully remote employees to relocate across the country fo…
View List
Advertisement
Company almost signs a deal with shady business, employee overhears them speaking in another language: 'They were attempting to deceive the company'

Company almost signs a deal with shady business, employee overhears them speaking in another language: 'They were attempting to deceive the company'

You never know when speaking a foreign language comes in handy. Sure, it's useful when you're traveling to another country or when you're trying to communicate with someone who doesn't speak your primary language. However, it can occasionally save you from unexpected problems. Here, we have a Serbian employee in an English-speaking office who accompanied their boss to a meeting with a Serbian business. The employee overheard the businesspeople speaking in their language about how they were esse…
View List
'They got rid of the problem, which was me': Guy gets fired for calling out illegal practices, boss reaches out six months later for his password

'They got rid of the problem, which was me': Guy gets fired for calling out illegal practices, boss reaches out six months later for his password

It's a great feeling to know that your boss is going to be absolutely lost without you. If the circumstances with which you are leaving your company were at all contentious, there is at least a sliver of satisfaction knowing your former employer will be totally confused and will have so much trouble finding a decent replacement. Of course, it's much healthier to part ways on good terms and with a sense of professionalism. That being said, if your boss fires you because you were providing too ma…
View List
Employee finds manager's misspelled note about him in the printer: 'I called HR to report the absorbance'

Employee finds manager's misspelled note about him in the printer: 'I called HR to report the absorbance'

Discovering your manager's failed attempt at disciplining you has got to be satisfying. Not only was this employee already over it and clearly prepared to find another job, but he also found his manager's write-up about him because it was left in the company printer. Let's just say that this so-called write-up was about as unintentionally comical as it could get. First of all, it was full of typos. Second of all, it was full of malapropisms. For instance, when the manager wrote, “I called HR to…
View List
Advertisement
Boss insists employee stay late for no reason, employee gets paid overtime to do nothing: 'There was literally nothing left for me to do'

Boss insists employee stay late for no reason, employee gets paid overtime to do nothing: 'There was literally nothing left for me to do'

It should not be revelatory that the number of hours one spends at the office is completely separate from the amount of work one completes. Productivity and efficiency are relative to the individual worker, and there is something to be said for leaving employees alone when it comes to how they get their work done, provided that no other team members are negatively impacted by their process. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/Fun-Pin9061 , whose boss insisted…
View List
'I made my coworkers’ favorite snacks disappear': Employee gets back at coworkers after getting constantly criticized and interrupted

'I made my coworkers’ favorite snacks disappear': Employee gets back at coworkers after getting constantly criticized and interrupted

When someone at work decides they don't like you for no reason, there usually is not much you can do to change their mind. You can try to reason with them or find common ground, but nine times out of ten, these are unreasonable people with a high school mentality. If they meet you with pettiness, sometimes the only thing you can do in return is to be petty right back. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/pettyrevenge subreddit by u/MercerAcolyte42 , who discovered her coworkers' complete distas…
View List
HR enforces nonsensical PTO rule, halves employee's vacation time: '[You] owe us 6 days'

HR enforces nonsensical PTO rule, halves employee's vacation time: '[You] owe us 6 days'

Working at a company with a newly established HR department can lead to the establishment of many a shady policy. We're talking about people who don't really understand what it is to be professional and well-managed steering the ship. If you work at a company like this, you certainly cannot expect a smooth sailing experience. Rest assured, there will be bumps along the way. Here, we have an employee who took five days off at the end of last year at the request of their boss after the loss of th…
View List
Advertisement
Employees conspire against annoying coworker over CEO's attention: 'Four of us plant our computers in those magic four seats [next to the boss]'

Employees conspire against annoying coworker over CEO's attention: 'Four of us plant our computers in those magic four seats [next to the boss]'

Note to self: never be the person everyone rolls their eyes at in the office. We're talking about the person who says whatever the boss would like them to say and would throw someone else under the bus in a second if it meant they got extra points in the boss's book. We're talking about the guy who is always scheduling unnecessary meetings just to make it seem like he's busy. Going out of your way for brownie points may impress an egomaniac, but it's always how to annoy and frustrate your cowor…
View List
Boss forces assistant to remove headset in the office, she maliciously complies and plays audio at full blast: 'She nagged at me in front of the whole office'

Boss forces assistant to remove headset in the office, she maliciously complies and plays audio at full blast: 'She nagged at me in front of the whole office'

Be careful what you wish for, boss! It's common for bosses to have strange rules and regulations; nine times out of ten, they are tied to a bizarre superiority/inferiority complex. However, we often find that bosses misinterpret perfectly normal behavior as disrespectful, and that's when this becomes an issue. It's rarely insubordination; in fact, most of the time, employees are so laser-focused on their tasks and responsibilities that they do not have their boss's emotions at the top of their…
View List
Advertisement

Hot Today

Advertisement