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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask for stupid reasons you've been told off at work?

671 replies

chailatte123 · 16/05/2026 09:27

I once asked a member of the Senior Team if she had dyed her hair.
Apparently this was very rude.

OP posts:
ChronicallyCarryingOn · 16/05/2026 18:14

My manager told me I didn’t look friendly because I’d had Botox

DressingGemma · 16/05/2026 18:12

When I left sixth form I trained to be an early years practitioner (nursery nurse). I got told off for singing ‘the grand old Duke of York’ and marching with the children, far too lively apparently. Needed to calm it down

Damsonjam1 · 16/05/2026 18:12

I was working out of hours and sent an email to everyone in building telling them to stop putting confidential waste in black bin bags (dedicated container bin was full hence people doing this), incase it was put out by cleaners as rubbish, and instead to keep it locked in their desk drawer until bin emptied. I had also put notes on bins to this effect). I was later copied into an email from building manager, with an exasperated tone, to other managers saying I shouldn't have sent to all. I did reply stating that I stood by what I had done, siting companies being sued for this happening (confidential waste being found in rubbish).

sueelleker · 16/05/2026 18:08

CanOnlyBeMyself · 16/05/2026 14:16

I pruned a couple of inches off a Buddleja to stop it whipping the postman in the face ‘at the wrong time of the year’.

I cut chunks off mine whenever it gets in the way. It hasn;t died yet.

Poonu · 16/05/2026 18:06

My manager micromanaged me. On my first day I had back to back teams meetings with no break. While I sat in on a team's meeting where I was not allowed to speak I left twice for two minutes each time once to go to the toilet and once to eat a yoghurt. She shouted at me for five minutes for being unprofessional and then threatened me. I wish I had had the courage to stand up to her at the time. She really messed with me.

rosegoldJune · 16/05/2026 18:03

I worked in a bakery a few yrs ago, was told to get an apron, put it on about 2hrs into my shift I was told off for wearing one with a pocket on the front as apparently I might put something in the pocket! I'm not a thief & the only thing that I would put in it would of been a pen that belonged to me to write orders, anyway I left not long after absolute vile, clicky place to work.

ScotiaLass · 16/05/2026 18:02

Gwenhwyfar · 16/05/2026 10:06

I think it could be illegal to stop a diabetic person eating at work, maybe under disability/chronic condition discrimination.

It is already illegal under the Equality Act that requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for people with a disability or long term illness.

PlummyAndFruity · 16/05/2026 17:56

AnneLovesGilbert · 16/05/2026 09:48

Someone asked where my boss was as he wasn’t at his desk. I said I didn’t know (wasn’t his PA, no access to his diary, not my business), he stormed up to me later that day to say he’d been told that this person had been told that he wasn’t at his desk. He was livid. I never did find out where he’d been but we often had meetings away all over the place so none of it was in any way remarkable or even interesting. I shrugged and said but it was true and then he admitted it was and walked off. Very odd.

I had similar many years ago. Senior manager was an insecure twat who had been promoted way above his competence level. He used to just disappear so he didn't have to deal with anything (these were the days before mobile phones so we couldn't get hold of him). I wasn't his PA and had very little to do with him, but if the receptionist didn't know what to do with a caller she would always put them through to me. I tried to find the twat but as usual he'd disappeared, so I said I didn't know where he was but I'd take a message. He went ballistic when he reappeared. Proper hair dryer treatment. "YOU NEVER, NEVER SAY YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM!!" It really shook me up. Fortunately he didn't last too much longer in that job.

wishingonastar101 · 16/05/2026 17:56

I used the word 'diversity' and it gave someone more senior than me... 'the ick'.

Bufftailed · 16/05/2026 17:55

Telling my boss that initially I wasn’t sure her decision was right, but I could see it then. This waa insubordinate. Laughed and left the meeting.

ConstanzeMozart · 16/05/2026 17:54

Worked in a fast food place and for my first week was on the graveyard shift. Manager told me I got a meal free to eat on my break.
The following week I was on the shift just before the graveyard shift. Same number of hours. When I took my break, I got myself a meal and sat In the staff room with it. Manager came in and said, looking genuinely aghast, ‘ You don’t get a meal on this shift’. Honestly, his face was like it was Tiffany and he’d caught me stuffing diamonds down my bra. I apologised and said I hadn’t realised (no one had told me) And he actually took my cheap burger and chips off me 😄

MummyWillow1 · 16/05/2026 17:53

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 16/05/2026 09:28

It was very rude. And quite an odd thing to ask someone.

Weird if they had just had their roots done. Not weird if they had gone from natural
to bright pink.

Volpini · 16/05/2026 17:53

I temped in the IT dept at a very well known London hospital about 30 years ago.
The head of the dept had a PA who was perhaps one of the strangest people I’d ever met. let’s call her Caroline. She’d had a really difficult life and went off the handle about the strangest things.
Some of you may have come across this in similar organisations, but they had reusable envelopes for sending information in the internal mail. I used one of these for its proper purpose from a stack of reusable envelopes, as I often did during the course of that job. “Caroline” was off sick for a week or so as she legitimately struggled with her health. When she returned she caused a huge scene because I had used a reusable envelope that was her favoured reusable envelope (how I was supposed to know this I have no idea) whilst she was off sick and I was trying to undermine her, apparently. She completely stopped talking to me as if I had done something heinous and disrespectful. No one really said anything to her about this bat shit crazy behaviour - probably because this was not unusual from her - and tiptoed around her like I had done something really bad because I suppose to try and reason with her would have been disloyal and triggered an even bigger reaction. I was dumbstruck. It was only ever a stopgap whilst I found my next role, thank god, but it was deeply uncomfortable.

Gwenna · 16/05/2026 17:48

KindnessIsKey123 · 16/05/2026 09:32

When I was an associate solicitor, the partner I worked for asked me if I would assist one of the other partners. I was handed 2 litigation files to review whether or not they were a winner or not. Next morning I reviewed & drafted a two page memo and sent it to her that set out all the reasons why we should just close the file. I then reviewed the second file and set out in a two page memo the reasons why we should also close that file.

job done, I thought I’d been super efficient and helpful.

I received a phone call the next day saying that my actions were aggressive, and if I was suggesting we close a file, it should’ve been a phone call discussion and not a memo.

that partner was bats**t crazy.

Their reaction was probably because you were super efficient and helpful. You showed them up 🙂

Twatterati · 16/05/2026 17:46

Early 20s me got told off when a senior manager emailed me to say he found me to be unhelpful and obstreperous.

H’d spelt obstreperous incorrectly, so I sarcastically kindly emailed back to thank him for the feedback, and pointed out his spelling mistake as an “FYI”. Apparently this was rude 🤣

I’d have found 23 year old me VERY annoying - and VERY obstreperous - to be fair.

SnipItScrapBook · 16/05/2026 17:42

When I was in my 20s I was told off a few times for laughing too loudly in the office.

Now I'm older, successive workplaces have knocked almost all humour out of me 😆

TheBlueKoala · 16/05/2026 17:42

Also got told off for being too generous with eggs when working at a nursing home...

TheBlueKoala · 16/05/2026 17:42

I was yelled at by an American family for putting their avocados in the fridge. I was an 18 year old au pair in the US in the 90s and I was just helping putting the shopping away. I cried and then switched family.
But I never put an avocado in the fridge again.

Noodlecat · 16/05/2026 17:38

I had the misfortune of working in a government related call centre and was told off for being too good at my job, my customer service was too good and it impacted on my less “ able’ colleagues.

AlrightJack · 16/05/2026 17:37

I got told off for having good attention to detail.

BillieWiper · 16/05/2026 17:36

Whataflippincircus · 16/05/2026 09:50

I was told off for listening to phone calls when I did relief for the switchboard operator. I definitely hadn’t been listening but I was still told off.

How bizarre?! I've worked on several switchboards and I've never known one had the ability to listen in on calls once they've been transferred? And why in god's name would you want to?

Petrolitis · 16/05/2026 17:35

Totaldramallama · 16/05/2026 13:59

That's what you take from that story? Maybe she was an old fat cow, I've met plenty

Misogyny and misogynistic language should always be shocking, especially from women.

I found the language of the post jarring too, but then I dont use misogynistic slurs as an act of micro feminism.

Wouldn't stop me calling someone a dickhead or a wanker though, but women don't deservd to have their own especially degrading cache of insults.

OverTheWater28 · 16/05/2026 17:35

topcat2014 · 16/05/2026 09:30

I got told off for leaving scissors in a shop window display. Still bitter 30 years later

Irony is I run my own shop now..

What’s “ironic” about that?

LittleGreenDuck · 16/05/2026 17:32

I got told off for smiling as I walked down the stairs.

Also, for not lining staples up correctly.

Neuronimo · 16/05/2026 17:29

BringBackCatsEyes · 16/05/2026 17:15

I thought if you didn't work Mondays your employer would pro-rate the BHs to avoid Monday workers being disadvantaged or Monday-off workers getting extra leave by accident.

They possible do now, this was the civil service about a million years ago. I think we both worked 30 hours instead of 37.5 and got paid for each bank holiday pro rata say 6hrs instead of 7.30. If Xmas fell on a Tues to Fri I'd then be down by 3hrs that week, but the average number of bank holidays over the year fell, on Mondays, so she felt that I was getting more credit for days I didn't work, even through she'd get credit at Christmas and that this was totally fair.

Now I am thinking back on it, I can see why it looks unfair, but boss tried to stop me getting any credit for bank holidays, even though it was statutory. I hooe the maths is mathing, I am hopeless with numbers!

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