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Original poster

Have you ever embarrassed yourself at work? If so how?

70 replies

smurfy2015 · 27/02/2019 09:34

I was working in an office/ reception job. The manager intended to let me know he planned a fire drill.

Cue the alarm going off, my voice over the intercom with the safety instructions so everyone was outside the perimeter of the premises all shivering our asses off when fire brigade came down the industrial estate heading for our unit.

The manager came over put his head on my shoulder and whispered - you called the emergency services, didn't you? Yes, he had forgotten to tell me it was a drill.

The emergency services asked where the fire was, glad to be told no damage or injuries.

Yes, I was only doing my job but felt embarrassed at wasting emergency services time. Blush

The next drill I got a 10-minute warning so I didn't call them.

OP posts:
Original poster
smurfy2015 · 27/02/2019 09:35

I also did a special line in embarrassment in that job by ripping my skirt / trousers on 3 occassions no less.

I had a cheesecloth type material blouse on one day heading to work in a different job and was due to do a presentation for an outside organisation, unfortuntely the blouse and my seatbelt on way didnt get along and during the journey to the presentation (about 60 miles) the friction between the 2 not helped by my large chest caused the material to seperate into shreds, it was just about before I was to give presentation I saw it, my blouse had gone into shreds and of course that was an old tatty grey bra day which hadnt much support left.

Cue someone getting me a black tee shirt from nearest supermarket so there I was a size 28 on top have, squeezed into a size 20 (it was the biggest they had) and feeling all eyes in the room were looking at my hard nipples as I was bloody cold and it was far too tight.

Embarrasing Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
smurfy2015 · 27/02/2019 09:36

Back later in the day to check thread (in case anyone gets frustrated that Im not replying)

OP posts:
willowsmumsy · 27/02/2019 09:53

Whilst heavily pregnant I perched on a desk.
It promptly collapsed.
I was then known as the fattie that broke the desk (in jest- there's lots of banter!)

KingLooieCatz · 27/02/2019 09:56

When I worked in a prison, I was working on the legal visits one morning when a rather dishy solicitor came in. I was due to finish work at lunchtime so my colleagues were trying to persuade me if I got talking to him I could suggest meeting him for lunch after his visit finished. He came out of the visit booth to ask for something, I thought "here's my moment" but when I stood up to go over, my key chain caught on the chair I was sitting on, I started dragging the chair behind me so I sat down again abruptly then in my confusion when I tried to get up again I just walked straight into the desk I was sitting behind. Gave up at that point.

newnnchange · 27/02/2019 10:09

Had a hospital appt that my manager gave me permission to go to during a shift once .

Unfortunately the appointment was absolutely awful - surprise attempt at fitting a coil that wasn’t discussed with me before , I was told I’d get a general anaesthetic due to previous trauma and abuse but doctor said I needed to ‘get a grip’ ... one needle into my cervix later and severe bruising and a laceration internally , she refused to go any further so I was to go back to work . Did phone my manager from appointment and she said she expected me to return ASAP .

Spent the entire 12 hour shift shivering , having flashbacks and bleeding heavy and in severe pain , horrendous .

The embarrassment came from a) having to explain to my manager exactly what was wrong and b) my colleague timing me outside the toilet whilst I tried to sort things out , and asking me to explain myself in front of clients . Horrendous day . Haven’t spoken to the colleague or manager since leaving and often wish I’d taken it further !!

poppet31 · 27/02/2019 10:15

I once wrote 'I'm hungry' right in the middle of a report. Didn't notice until later. Was obviously thinking out loud that day Smile

squeefy · 27/02/2019 10:56

in a care home, me, another carer and a little old lady ( i`ll call her hilda). silent moment in her room...... i did the loudest trump!! hilda pipes up "ave ya been eating onions dear?". i was only a 22 year old, went red as a beetroot.

teaching a fitness/ dance class. middle of a song. tripped OVER MY OWN FOOT and landed on my arse in front of a full class! ....took a couple of weeks to live that one down lol.

squeefy · 27/02/2019 10:59

suddenly remembered a couple of years ago went wildcamping/ hiking in the peak disrict. went as part of a group. wed had our eat out the bag dinners, quiet moment in the evening. and guess what , yes i accidently let rip there! never lived that one down..... but after that i just farted anyway as i d got a reputation as a farter then lol!

Bluntness100 · 27/02/2019 11:11

I am very smell sensitive, and often other people's farts, if bad enoug, can make me physically gag

I once walked into my bosses office to tell him something, he is the director of a very large multi national corporation, and his was a big office, it wasn't till I got close to the desk I realised he'd farted really badly just before I walked in.

Queue me trying to pretend I hadn't noticed, and him looking like a rabbit in the headlights, so I was trying to get out of there as quickly as possible and literally gagged as I was speaking to him. Eyes streaming,the whole dry retch thing.

It was mortifying for both of us and we never mentioned it ever.

MargoLovebutter · 27/02/2019 11:21

PMSL at Bluntness100!!!!

I coughed a cough sweet onto someone once. It was at the start of a meeting and I was greeting one of the guests. I worked in PR, so it was all quite lovey and I'd just done the double "mwah, mwah" kiss when I coughed the lozenge out. It felt like the whole world stopped for a few moments, literally stopped and the universe was observing my horror. I had to pick my spitty, coughy lozenge off their suit lapel and then I think the world re-started again and I excused myself and shed a tear or two of embarrassment in the toilet and forced myself to return to the meeting.

Gumbo · 27/02/2019 11:32

I was once walking through a very quiet section of an office filled with generally humourless people typing away at their desks. I had walked halfway through when I started to loudly fanny-fart Blush - one with each step I took, and I couldn't stop it! The only solution I could think of was to start making a strange noise with my mouth that sounded like Donald Duck, so with each step I was making an odd quacking sound, while dying inside. People were all looking at me oddly, but nobody said anything...

I hid in the toilet and cried for a bit after that while doing my kegels

ILoveCrunchyAutumnLeaves · 27/02/2019 11:43

My office was next to a toilet no one else used and away from the main office. I went in one day and hadn't locked the door properly. It just so happened my gay work pal strolled right in mid flow pants round my ankles.

I don't know who was more horrified me or him Blush.

Supersoaker10 · 27/02/2019 11:55

I was on my own at work and decided to throw caution to the wind and leave the toilet door open while I had a wee (very small claustrophobic toilet!)

Unfortunately my colleague had not put the latch on the office door properly and the amazon delivery man came in to me sat on the toilet Shock
Luckily it was just a wee but embarrassing all the same! He's never delivered here again........

HotChocolateLover · 27/02/2019 12:20

I had a seizure at work (i’m epileptic) It doesn’t matter how many people tell me not to be embarrassed, it was awful. I seriously had to put on my big girl pants when I went back to work after being off sick 🤒

HotChocolateLover · 27/02/2019 12:22

A more lighthearted one, I once only made up one side of my face 😂 No one told me until about 11am!

pumpastrotter · 27/02/2019 12:33

Spilled soup all over me a few years ago and had to sit tucked mightily tight at my desk with no trousers on, hairy legs out. I didn't drive at the time and couldn't go home, I was sat there for hours and had to dash to the bathroom with my coat around my waist. Exdp brought my joggers when he finally got home from work. Always have been classy.

notquitethesame · 27/02/2019 13:19

Years ago working in an office, under a lot of unnecessary pressure from a dick head boss to meet unrealistic deadlines etc (eg. 4 day project turned round overnight). Never got time for a lunch break and most days was in the office for at least 12 hours.

On one occasion I had my period and it suddenly became heavier. I only had 'normal' tampons and was already being moaned at to work faster so daren't leave the office to get something more substantial. After a long phone call, boss was hovering over my desk but I could feel that I was leaking and ran off to change. But too late- as I stood up blood ran down my leg and dripped on to the floor.

Boss saw this still followed me to the loo, asking questions about our project. He waited outside, bombarded me again on the way back to my desk and gave me a bollocking for not being sufficiently 'on task' as I tried to clean blood from the floor with paper towels.

Needless to say, I left soon after that.

pumpastrotter · 27/02/2019 13:29

@notquitethesame that is absolutely shocking!! Shock I'd have thrown the applicator at him if he'd been waiting outside ready to bombard!

heidipi · 27/02/2019 13:35

On my first day in my second ever office job, I walked into my manager's office, smiled broadly and my lip cracked causing blood to pour down my chin. It took ages to stop, I sat there for the whole introductory chat holding a hanky to my face.

In another job I went into the staff room where a group of people were chatting, opened the under counter fridge and leaned in to get something, but bumped my arse on another cupboard and fell head first into the fridge. No-one could help me for laughing Blush

Jaxtellerswife · 27/02/2019 13:45

Was cleaning an empty classroom while wearing my headphones. FartedBlushand when I turned round the classroom actually had two teachers sat there working that I hadn't noticed and they were laughing their heads off

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 27/02/2019 13:49

I was sending an email to the head of a government supervisory body - her name was Shirley. She was not happy with us. I spellchecked before sending, but ignored the highlighting on Shirley, because it's not a word as such.

Which is how I came to write to SHITLEY. Which is how she wAs henceforth known in our organisation. Forever.

StealthPolarBear · 27/02/2019 13:50

Pmsl at Donald duck noises

TheInvestigator · 27/02/2019 13:51

heidipi, I'm so sorry but that made me laugh out loud!

It's the sort of thing I do in my studio; open a head height cupboard but then realise I need something underneath the worktop so will bend down to get it, stand up, then turn around and walk my face into the cupboard I just opened.

StealthPolarBear · 27/02/2019 13:52

Shitley :o

higgyhog · 27/02/2019 13:59

Not me, a former colleague who did all our filing and archiving and got paid very little. She got drunk at the office Christmas meal, which was held in an upstairs room at a nice local restaurant. In her drunken state she started to berate the directors for having good incomes when she was paid a pittance, she then decided to flounce out, opened the door and stormed out. She had stormed out of the wrong door, onto the flimsy fire escape that she promptly fell off. She broke her leg and had to be taken away in an ambulance!

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