Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

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

444 replies

NoEffingWay · 07/10/2021 18:08

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 Hmm.

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 Grin.

OP posts:
Jakadaal · 11/10/2021 13:03

Regularly verbally abused by a GP when I asked him to see additional patients at the end of surgery. He would mutter 'bitch' under his breath then throw patient records at my head as I walked through the door. Nice as pie to the patients.

SirChenjins · 11/10/2021 14:06

Wtf? Shock Have you made a formal complaint?

janj2301 · 11/10/2021 15:54

I think often it's the "Peter principal" promoted to your level of incompetence

singlemama91 · 11/10/2021 16:30

For not doing the tea run each morning even though it is not in my job description to do it!

Decaffe · 11/10/2021 16:46

Factoring in travel time between meetings for the boss.

He was a right dick.

Newhorizon21 · 11/10/2021 16:54

Practice manager complained to the agency I worked with that I couldn't manage my workload. I was supposed to finish my shift at 12midday, other practices have a 5, or 10 minute, your late & have to rebook your appointment policy. Here, if the last patient booked arrived late, up until 11.59am, I was expected to see them, complete the consultation & write my notes, obviously in 1 minute!

Newhorizon21 · 11/10/2021 16:55

*you're late

Newhorizon21 · 11/10/2021 16:55

@Jakadaal Flowers

lockdownmadnessdotcom · 11/10/2021 17:24

Oh, I just remembered one. Being told off for doing a journey between two offices on an A road rather than the motorway as it was about 2 miles shorter via the motorway.

ImNotWhoYouThinkIam · 11/10/2021 17:39

@singlemama91

For not doing the tea run each morning even though it is not in my job description to do it!
Ugh. I worked with an agency nurse who pulled this one. He'd been employed to work for us for 6 months and unfortunately nearly all my shifts were with him. He took me aside one morning and told me that as a support worker I should be making sure he had a coffee on his desk in time for hand over. I told him that yes I was a support worker, but I was there to support the patients not him. And if it were the job of the support workers why was it only me who was meant to do it and not the men. And that it wasn't his desk, it was a shared office/desk/ computer for him and the support workers.

He was a total bastard though and one of the reasons I left a job I loved. :(

singlemama91 · 11/10/2021 17:53

@ImNotWhoYouThinkIam

Ahhh so sorry that he was one of the reasons that made you leave! He sounds the same as the guy I have to deal with.

He is a team leader but only in his mid twenties and he's decided its my job to make the drinks each morning. I havent got the confidence to say no to him since i got told off for not doing it so I just accept it now.

Imdoingitnow · 11/10/2021 18:56

Got told off by my boss because I pronounced someone name differently to the way my boss did - neither was wrong.

cheeseontoastllove · 11/10/2021 20:00

I got told off by the MD because there were a load of archive boxes near to my desk that the facilities guy hadn't yet collected. He went ballistic in front of everyone and asked me why hadn't I moved them. I was 7.5 months pregnant at the time so I looked down at my bump and said to him "so you think I should move all of those boxes myself in my condition do you?" Everyone was sat staring at him, he didn't say he word he just strutted off like the prick he was!

WeatherwaxOn · 11/10/2021 22:03

A colleague got told off by our mutual boss for having acne.

Same boss made me go to occupational health when I was off with a broken bone and had been signed off by the doctor as being unable to commute. Workplace were supposed to organised a laptop and courier to me but hadn't. I turned up at Occ. H on crutches to their third floor office - Occ H consultant took one look at me and said, "You're not able to go into the office like that."

PangoPurrl · 11/10/2021 23:41

I once got told off for managing my team of carers incorrectly- apparently sickness levels were too high and it was because I needed to make them scared of me. As apparently they wouldn't dare phone in sick if I did that, and would come in and do shifts with vulnerable people despite having all kinds of coughs, colds and lurgies ☹️

Heartofglass12345 · 13/10/2021 19:18

@PangoPurrl that doesn't surprise me one bit unfortunately Sad

PangoPurrl · 14/10/2021 00:39

[quote Heartofglass12345]@PangoPurrl that doesn't surprise me one bit unfortunately Sad[/quote]
One of the 237 reasons I now scrape by working for myself making jewellery, after 20 years of witnessing bad practice through to full on abuse I got so burnt out by it that I don't think I'll ever be able to work with other people again. Especially in the health sector ☹️

themanicyears · 14/10/2021 11:27

Oh I got told off for not asking anyone who looked under 30 for ID once when I worked for the local Sainsbury's. We had a god awful supervisor who was a control freak (this was at a time before 'think 25' was out, it was 'think 21' at the time...)

She came out one day whilst we were in the tills and just went 'just to let you know it's think 30 tonight now guys...'

We all refused to ID people who looked just under 30 and she went ballistic over it. She was a temp supervisor and that was not our rule, it was think 21 and common sense.

On the same note, my friend came in on his birthday and I sold him alcohol. Bearing in mind I knew the guy and he had just turned 21. Of course I didn't ask for ID.

The manager made a huge scene over it when i tried to explain the situation and I knew for a fact he was 21 and over she screamed at me red in the face until I cried and gave me a warning.

PaperhouseLegs · 14/10/2021 12:53

I got bollocked for not attending a voluntary event at the weekend, out of working hours because I broke my nose the same day as the event. I hadn't even said I was going! I was 16 and had dragged myself in on the Monday feeling like hell and looking just as bad so that I didn't let them down on a working day. Other staff who hadn't attended were never asked about it. I was basically the bosses punch bag for a year until I grew up a bit and wouldn't stand for it anymore. She was a total bitch and there were quite a few episodes of her being awful to me. Once at the work Christmas party she handed out presents to all, except me. She said she had forgotten mine, but it never materialised. Bizarrely after I left, she was desperate to have me back and made numerous attempts to persuade me back.

pickupstix · 14/10/2021 13:00

This reply has been deleted

Hi all - we're afraid that we don't believe the OP is genuine. We've removed their threads and posts.

Jericha · 14/10/2021 14:22

I got told off for throwing paper balls around the office. Apparently me being in a completely different city that day, off work and with my mum with photographic evidence of this wasn't enough to clear my name since an unnamed colleague "saw you do it". Hmm

Beeinalily · 14/10/2021 15:29

@themanicyears the "supervisors" at Sainsbury's aren't paid any extra, they're just given the title and the ability to lord it over the others on checkouts. Who'd have thought that would attract the bullies and egotists. Hmm

iklboo · 14/10/2021 17:32

I got told off for throwing paper balls around the office. Apparently me being in a completely different city that day, off work and with my mum with photographic evidence of this wasn't enough to clear my name since an unnamed colleague "saw you do it".

I had something similar. Got into work with angry boss demanding to speak to me RIGHT NOW. One of our reception staff had posted something out before it had been recorded as received so there was no audit trail. When it was noticed she said I'd told her to do it.

I protested saying I'd never tell her that. Boss replies 'Well, Sarah* wouldn't lie! I trust her' (with emphasis).

Asked again when it had happened. Told boss I couldn't possibly have told her as I'd been on holiday for 2 weeks.

Boss - you must have told her before you went off!

HOW? I didn't know they were going to be coming in.

She wouldn't have it though.

Alleycat1 · 14/10/2021 18:26

I was new and at a junior level in an Admin. position. I was screamed at by a senior colleague because I hadn't put myself on the rota to buy milk for the office coffee and tea and to make the tea and coffee. I don't drink either and used to bring in a bottle of water everyday. When I refused to go on the rota I was sent to the boss. Fortunately, he backed me up but the senior colleague never missed a trick to have a go at me. It was sweet when, a couple of years later, I was promoted and ended up as her boss.

Wauden · 14/10/2021 20:02

@iklboo

Not being able to give my boss directions. She was in Belfast, I was in London. Pre-smart phone days.

She was genuinely 'I'm facing a red brick wall. Which way do I turn'.

This isn't Challenge Anneka you dim woman. Why not go back into the hotel & ask. Or phone a bloody taxi.

Go straight ahead, boss, go straight ahead. ;-)