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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:
rosydreams · 08/10/2021 09:30

for being late i was 30 mins early =p

Malin52 · 08/10/2021 09:43

For wearing 'Jeans'. I was wearing a blue skirt with yellow stitching at the side. When I explained I was told that that was considered 'denim'

In one office job back in the late 90's I was pulled into the managers office for 'bullying'. We used to take it in turns to make a round of tea/coffee and one woman I had worked with for at least two years made them that morning. When I approached the tea tray I asked which one was mine. She sniffed every cup and said 'that one I think, it smells like yours'. I gave her a Confused look and said 'oh okay thanks!' and walked away with it. Next day I was accused of bullying her and had to do a formal apology in front of the whole office.

NotMeekNotObedient · 08/10/2021 10:08

Being too punctual Hmm. Aparrently returning from lunch at exactly 2pm showed I didn't really want to be there. The guy was an absolute arsehole about everything to be fair and the whole office walked on eggshells.

Another one was being told I wasn't allowed to speak to any colleagues who came for assistance about anything other than work, not even to ask 'how are you?' Confused. Boss was cold as ice, I think she couldn't stand me getting on well with other staff and people tended to avoid her like the plague as she was so rude. Its not like I was standing around chatting all day, I was doing her job as well as my own and just being cordial to people.

penguin23 · 08/10/2021 10:39

Many years ago a colleague went on maternity leave and her hired cover coincidentally turned out to be my boyfriend's (now DH) cousin. Her work sickness record was abysmal and she would be late most days and phone in sick one or two days every week or at least every other week. My boss got wind of me knowing her and every time she was sick/late I got told off for it, or questioned about it. I didn't even know where she lived! It was a good few months of being told off most days for my sister/cousin/friend (he could never get the link right and just referred to her with the first thing that came to his mind!) being late or off sick until I snapped back that she was no relation to me and I was not responsible for her in any way. It was just bizarre. I was so relieved when my colleague came back!

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 08/10/2021 10:41

Doing a load of laundry whilst a child was napping (should of been concentrating on the child instead of laundry…the child that was asleep)

Giving the same pasta twice in 3 days. Not same meal. Same shape pasta. Kid needed variety to make sure they wouldn’t become a fussy eater and this included pasta shape apparently.

Having an earphone in whilst walking a pram for 2h to make sure small child stayed asleep (you know, that relentless pavement pounding where if you stop for a break, they’ll instantly wake up). If child had woken up and see me had a headphone in they would’ve felt I was ignoring them apparently

Got a small grass stain on the picnic blanket because it wasn’t to be used on grass.

Let kids stay at a play date I hosted for too long. I did not arrange said play date, childs mother did and encouraged parents to stay for a glass of wine. I apparently should’ve known this was just to be polite, she didn’t mean it and I should’ve encouraged everyone to leave.

My favourite is a huge bollocking (huge!) over not picking up a child from school. Child’s parent had said they would pick them up, no need for me too, they had a meeting nearby and would do it. Great. Call from the school to say no one had picked child up and they were 25 minutes late. I leapt in a taxi with baby and got there same time as parent who told me I should’ve known their meeting could run late and should’ve been at the gate anyway.

Nanny by day Clairvoyant by night apparently

GoodbyeToCare · 08/10/2021 10:47

I worked in an office of Community Nurses as their admin. One day I took a message from a patient and phoned round the nurses asking someone to visit. The Manager told me to write the message in the message book and it would be dealt with later that day.

I was later summoned into her office and given a right bollocking for not recognising the patients symptoms as potentially serious. I replied that I wasn't clinically trained so had no way of knowing, she said I should have recognised the symptoms. Round and round we went until I walked away from her.

I left soon afterwards after raising a complaint that wasn't really dealt with. She maintained until my last day that I should have recognised those symptoms Hmm.

cricketmum84 · 08/10/2021 10:59

My first ever Saturday job in a bakery. It was only about 1999 but we were expected to wear these awful polyester old fashioned button up dress type things. They were awful! And because it was food service you weren't allowed to wear the uniform to and from work and had to change in the tiny staff loo.

I had ironed my uniform and neatly folded on the Friday night. Carried it in a bag and changed when I got to work.

Shop manager started to screech at me (in front of customers) that my uniform was disgusting and not ironed. It was just the fold marks, I have no idea how she expected me to carry it around and on the bus without folding it Hmm. She sent me home and said not to return until I had a perfectly starched uniform! I was so upset and embarrassed!

So I went home. Re-ironed the uniform. Took it back to her, said "I hope that's ironed enough for you" and walked straight out.

Mamamamasaurus · 08/10/2021 11:12

I once got hauled over the coals and accused of call cutting. For not taking enough time on calls. In a call centre. For Directory Enquiries (back in the day). Our target was approx 25 seconds. I'd got my time down to around 20. But I wasn't efficient, I must have been cutting calls.off to drive down my average call length. I wasn't, I was just good at my job.... And efficient.

Another time, different job, a family menber had an accident, on my day off. I was with them.in hospital and it was clear that they wouldn't be home anytime soon, surgery was a possibility and I couldn't have left them. I was due in work the next day so I called, left a message with one of the managers and left it at that.
Got a bollocking for not calling in on that morning. The night before wasn't good enough. It took me kicking off, her listening to the call and admitting to me that I wasn't told that I needed to call back. She was a power hungry bitch.

Imdoingitnow · 08/10/2021 11:16

Having a new puppy. It would stop me doing extra work in the evening which was my own time my hours were 9 - 430 and I wasn't contracted to do any extra work. I did extra work like writing reports etc entirely voluntarily in my own time

Echobelly · 08/10/2021 11:20

It wasn't strange but my first (bullying) boss took me to task in front of everyone for my email to a contact being 'unprofessional' because it was 'too casual'

As it was I had reasons (other than gloating) to copy her into reply from said contact which specifically commented how much they appreciated my email.

Imdoingitnow · 08/10/2021 11:20

Another one. I took a day off for my dads funeral. I'd cleared it with my immediate manager and she said she'd would clear it with our departmental head. I'd even come into work the days after his death so I would miss any days work and said I would only need to take the day off for the funeral. And then I got hauled over the coals for not informing the big boss - she was an absolute cow.

Mamamamasaurus · 08/10/2021 11:23

@bloodywhitecat

I was told off for talking to a body. I used to work in a children's hospice and we sometimes cared for children who had died, I was checking on a little one before the family came to spend time with them and was telling the child what I was doing. The nurse in charge told me off for doing it because it was unnecessary and "freaky". The nurse in charge didn't last long in a hospice role and I continued to talk to the children whether they were alive or not.
You are a beautiful human 💕
underneaththeash · 08/10/2021 11:26

@ChrissyPlummer

Not told off for but once lost 3% on a mystery shop as “my lanyard was too long” and it “moved around when I walked”. Anything to not give me a tenner for the 100% Grin
We got a ranty email for getting 0% on a mystery shop. Patient had come in to get contact lenses on a Saturday and found the practice closed. It's a city practice and doesn't open at the weekend.
ChristmasCrafter · 08/10/2021 11:32

For wearing a coat in an office with no heating and so therefore freezing. Apparently it made me look unapproachable. I wish it bloody did because every bugger in that office had no problem coming up to me and expecting me to solve problems I knew nothing about!

Konfetka · 08/10/2021 11:32

At a London hotel - IT staff berated for a conference call cutting out.

The other party was in the North Tower of the World Trade Centre.

The date was 9/11.

Mamamamasaurus · 08/10/2021 11:39

A call centre, you needed a card ID to beep into the main part of the building. I'd been outside for my smoke break, then someone had tried to 'tailgate' me through the second set of doors (before the doors was a reception so members of the public could speak to reception). I stopped her, asked her where her ID was as I didn't recognise her, she didn't have it so I directed her to reception

She was the area manager. She complained about me. Because I should've let her in. Yet in training we were threatened with gross misconduct if we let someone in who didn't have their own building access pass......

PingoPingoPingoPingoPingoPong · 08/10/2021 11:40

Child being bullied at school . I had done everything in my power to help her but was really up against it with some of the attitudes within the school
Her mother asked what I would do , I recommended a fresh start at a new school . Whatever this child did would never be right where they were
Got a bollocking from the HT , even though it was my job to look after the welfare of the children. Not that I actually gave a shit as the child was much happier . Still bump into them now

Howareyouflower · 08/10/2021 12:11

My friend got told off for calling an ambulance for an elderly lady who had a stroke whilst in a nursing home. The home owner said (in front of the lady) "Why did you do that? It will cost me money and she's going to die anyway"

Howareyouflower · 08/10/2021 12:39

@JasonMomoasgirlfriend I think she meant the toilet cubicle...not that she was smelly!

LaBellina · 08/10/2021 12:43

For not wearing skirts enough, according to my boss I would look nicer and more feminine in them. This was in an office job about 5 years ago.

ManorMouse · 08/10/2021 13:11

Myself and a colleague made an arrangement with our managers and our client that we would come in early each morning. It was so that we could check the software build server and confirm that the latest build had downloaded successfully, run the safety checks and send an email saying "All is well" or "Needs to be redone". Coming in an hour early to do this freed up about two hours of billable time so the company could be more efficient.

Everyone was delighted, especially M and myself as we beat the worst of the morning rush hour and, as we started an hour early, we beat the evening rush hour too as we left at 4.30pm

After barely a month, it all came to a screeching halt because the director's PA lodged a complaint with him and with HR that seeing the pair of us swanning out the door "In the middle of the day" (sic) was all sorts of wrong and should be put a stop to. And so it was.

When she left her job some months later, her leaving do, on a floor of over 100 people consisted of herself and a handful of her cronies and nobody else. The rest of us acted like she had already left.

Drinkingallthewine · 08/10/2021 13:50

In Ireland, funerals generally happen within 3 days. It's also a given that if you know the person, or the person's relative, you'd attend either the removal the evening before, or the funeral itself - the latter assumed if you are related to the deceased.

My uncle died on the Friday, I was refused compassionate leave for the Monday Funeral because I didn't give two weeks notice. I walked straight past the dickhead supervisor telling me this to HR who rolled her eyes and told me to just gather my things and be with my family.

I was also told off for using formula in Excel. I was supposed to manually calculate with a desk calculator, hundreds of rows and columns of statistics and percentages including an updated summary each time the spreadsheet was updated every day. I think the supervisor viewed formulae as akin to witchcraft.

Very early on in my working life, a prick of a manager in the shop I worked sent me home at 11am to put on makeup and 'sort out my appearance' (I was quite a nice looking girl back then and was dressed in a smart suit jacket and trousers so I did look neat and professional!) So I reappeared after about 3 hours later with the kind of make-up that would fit in well with RuPauls Drag race.

MiaMarshmallows · 08/10/2021 13:56

For telling off a child who had deliberately knocked over a whole lot of paper cups full of water. Hmm

Polkadots2021 · 08/10/2021 13:57

@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 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.

Not selling flavored oxygen.

ITS IN THE AIR ALREADY.

If some twat at a posh gym or (God help me) an oxygen bar tries to sell you oxygen tell them you weren't born yesterday, thank you.

Tiredf · 08/10/2021 14:00

Having too much space in my emails between the email and my signature. I had a whole meeting about how unprofessional it was. The worst work place of my life

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