What's the strangest thing you have been told off for at work?

[NoEffingWay]

I once got told off for leaving on time, I had done my contracted hours, all of my work was done but apparently leaving on time was frowned upon .

The same job told me off when I left 'for only working my 4 weeks notice'. I think they genuinely expected me to stay even after leaving .

I used to work in an office with a woman of a similar level who had a name that also ended in “a”. I had a senior colleague stand behind me shouting “Laura! Laura!” Then he called me into his office to give me a bollocking for not replying - and got sort of huffy when I said that my name was Camilla.

I had another colleague with the same first name and a surname that rhymed with mine. Then I got a load of senior colleagues come to try to talk with me about things that this other woman did or worked on - and would get huffy when I had no idea what they were talking about.

In a large investment bank, working in a team that had next to nothing to do, I got told off for going out to lunch in my lunch break because "your phone might have rung".
I took an hour for lunch every day after that, outside the office.

Also got told off for my hair colour, which "did not reflect the corporate image". I was in a non-customer facing role, had no contact whatsoever with customers (not even email or telephone conversations) and worked in a building with 5 other companies, so completely unable to be linked to our organisation on sight by some random person.

@DoesHePlayTheFiddle

And long ago, in the Isle of Man, told off for working too quickly as 'it shows the rest of us up'.

It was a summer job, temporary. The particular task involved taking computer print outs, printed in duplicate in long batches, and separating them into two piles. So we received one pile and had to split them into two. The established method was for one team member to stand up with arms raised, allowing the printed run to cascade to the floor, while a colleague gently pulled the top copy from the duplicate, and repeated, until the whole run was separated. I spotted that if I put the batch on my desk in front of me and separated the first document, I could then turn the 'pages'' one to the left, one to the right and end up with two neat, separated batches in a few minutes, without needing the help of a colleague. It was only slightly more interesting to do than to read about.

Told off for not being friendly enough to a patient. Patient, fortyish, kept hitting on me, early twenties and it made me very uncomfortable. And he did it in front of his two wives. (Can't remember where they were from but he did introduce them as his wives).
Boss told me I should be flattered 😵‍💫

When I was working as Shelter Housing Scheme Manager I keep getting told off for inserting various pictures of the complex on my letterheads when I sent them out and using different graphics on my email headings. I think the Housing Association was jealous of my computer skills. I was taught by several friends. I'm retired now.

I go a bollocking from my boss for not contributing to the office gossip. They liked to talk about hair, nails and make up which as a topic is really not my thing. I was new so just wanted to get through my probation. The boss threatened to not sign my probation off so I went and got another job - it was a very odd office dynamic.

no to wearing gloves in a care home doing personal care,
it was nicer apparently,
and of course expensive as a previous employee had worn gloves even when shock horror carrying the full commode
luckily a colleague braver than me bought some in and let me have some,
unbelievable - this was @ 1999

I've been told off for leaving on time, even though I used to get in an hour early. I did point that out to the manager concerned - more than once.

I've also been told for not printing out a list of things from the internet to go through, rather than doing it on-screen. Micro-managing at its worst I think.

I also got told off for typing too loudly.

despite me having a weekend care job it was wrong of me when with a warning of 1 day to ask a colleague to bring me plastic aprons, i couldnt get to the office as they werent open when i was free.
also one of the old ladies who i cared for was upset since i blew my nose and obviously had a cold,

Making a cup of tea for the MD in a mug instead of a cup and saucer. He refused to drink it then called me back in and shouted at me for not knowing that he ‘can’t’ drink from a mug.

Buying a bag of plastic spoons because the metal teaspoons had all gone missing. Apparently, that was a stupid thing to do and I had shit for brains.

Looking up when someone walked into the office. The office manager shouted at me because she thought it meant I was easily distracted and looking up for a split second took time away from work.

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

I've been told off for leaving on time, even though I used to get in an hour early. I did point that out to the manager concerned - more than once.

I've also been told for not printing out a list of things from the internet to go through, rather than doing it on-screen. Micro-managing at its worst I think.

I also got told off for typing too loudly.

I had something similar. Our core office hours were 10-4 so you had to be in for those hours, but were flexible about when arriving and leaving.

I used to be in a 7 am because it fitted with DH's commute to work. I would leave about 4.15. My line manager told me it set a bad example to the team, even though I was doing more than my allocated hours AND was often working late evenings because part of my job was dealing with out US office.

It was wierd, but she was a fucking nightmare to work with anyway.

@PinkFootstool

Aged 14 as a pot washer I was sworn at and threatened for scrubbing an absolutely filthy tea mug which was covered in stains. Turned out the twat of a pub landlord kept it like that on purpose - gives the tea more flavour apparently - and I'd removed months of dirt. Well don't put it into the pub kitchen to be washed then. I lasted two more shifts before being threatened again and having a hot pan thrown at my head.

Oh gosh, this happened to me when I was a young private in the army. The CO of my unit had a special tea mug that was never washed. I didn't know, and it was on the counter with all the other dishes, so I washed them all.

My immediate supervisor was nicer than yours, though, and didn't flip out like that!

I didn’t make the bed the correct way 😒 Apparently I needed to put the pillow on top of the duvet and not under it 🤷‍♀️. I work in care and got the person up, washed and dressed and tided the room but the only thing they could say to me was “you need to make the bed in this way…”😂 no praise at all , only what I did wrong.

Got told off for just missing my target - I had cancer at the time.

@NewBrightonEel

Got told off for just missing my target - I had cancer at the time.

was that in a law firm? My best work friend is currently undergoing chemo. She considers work to be really supportive in that they 'let' her work from home the day of and the day after her chemo because she vomits alot. But she also got told off for being 10% down on billing in the last quarter. The woman works her socks off and i have seen her discreetly turn her computer camera away and mute it while vomiting in her office bin while on conference calls with counsel.

The Fuckers.

I'm dumping that fucking job in 3 weeks time.

Also- hope you are well now.

Helping a member of staff to find their mobile

All clear now thanks. Yes it was for a law firm - I left soon after and went to a rival firm - it's much better, they really look after the staff

@Onlyfoolsandhorseswork probably because it showed up how shit they were at theirs!

The marketing lady asked me what I thought of the new slogan for a company advertising scheme about to be released.

I pointed out that it could be read in two ways, one implying that we used to be incompetent.

My boss told me off for trashing her work and making her feel useless.

I had been very careful about how I said it but she had really taken offence.

To me it just proved that simple comments can be perceived in two ways.

I still think it was stupid and made us look crap.

I left and the company no longer exists.

@TheGirlInTheGreenDress

I got told off for being too efficient, accurate, and helpful because it made my lazy colleague look bad.

Did you get a job in the Council?

Years ago, got told off for being consistently late. I was starting work at 845 am. My line manager thought that I was meant to be starting work at 830. I wasn't, it was 9 am. My line manager was a bully and this was just one of many instances. I followed it up with a passive aggressive email copying HR in, but left shortly afterwards.

@ginandbearit

Is there a secret school of crap management these people go to ? I was once told by an otherwise intelligent and kind nurse manager not to agree to more than 50 % of leave requests as it would make me look weak and undermine my authority ....

Sometimes I doubt if they've ever be to school at all. In my experience many managers and bosses like those described in this thread are deeply insecure.

Most managers receive little or no training or pretty shit training.