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Original poster

Strangest thing you have ever got into trouble for at work?

264 replies

NoEffingWay · 21/05/2022 21:04

Not 'looking like I was listening in a meeting'- I was actually listening and was able to recite information but apparently that wasn't good enough!

For 'not having a degree'- I was a Saturday girl in a shop, I was 16 at the time. Confused

For 'being tired'-I had a baby at home and was getting up at 4am to look after them so wasn't feeling well rested but was expected to pretend I was energetic Grin.

OP posts:
Blueotter10 · 21/05/2022 21:40

My skirt being too short. It was a uniform provided by the company.

thefirstmrsrochester · 21/05/2022 21:41

I got a disciplinary for non attendance. I’d been in hospital overnight with a very very unwell ds (2 yrs old). Blue lighted. Didn’t have a phone charger and the payphone on the ward wasn’t working. Text my colleague who I was working with in the morning to let her know what was happening, then my phone died. My colleague told my line manager what had happened but my bitch of a manager refused to accept this as my notification of absence as I hadn’t called in myself. I got a disciplinary and a warning for not calling in before the start of my 8am shift. Fuck you Jackie and fuck you RBS.

ChagSameachDoreen · 21/05/2022 21:42

I got told off for not staying past my paid hours. I told them to jog the fuck one

ChagSameachDoreen · 21/05/2022 21:43

*on.

SW1amp · 21/05/2022 21:43

I had a boss who flat out refused to do anything deemed below their grade

We had a rota within our team for uploading news stories to our website, so we would have one week in 3 where we had to collate and format things then send to the web team who would make it go live on the site

My week fell while I was on holiday, so it became my boss’s job by default

He wrote and collated the story but refused to email it to the web team

instead, he emailed it to me, then texted me to say he had emailed me and I had to forward it on

so I logged into my work email from our hopeless corporate webmail (I had left my work phone and laptop at home), forwarded the email to the web team and copied him in

when the story went live, several people spotted he had made typos on the story and clearly not properly proofed it before I sent it on even though his email said something like ‘this is all checked and ready to go live on the site’ AND I only sent it because of his weird refusal to do things beneath him

Afonavon · 21/05/2022 21:46

Working in a dark office. I had a migraine and wasn’t allowed home as no-one was available to cover.That’s when I planned to leave the company as soon as possible, arseholes!

I once got hauled in by HR because I got sunburned whilst doing some outdoor work that the company had insisted on on the spur of the moment (I didn’t have sufficient sunblock to spend hours in the mid day sun). Again, arseholes!

As a teen I worked in a greasy spoon and was told off for stirring the vat of baked beans. The bottom inch was burned because it was cooking on low all day and I had disturbed this disgusting thick layer ironically as I was hoping to avoid the beans sticking to the bottom. No one told me about this weird beans situation.

ScrumptiusBears · 21/05/2022 21:47

We had a colleague who I realised wasn't coping and I believed he was heading for a mental health crisis which I reported to my line manager. Manager dealt and he ended up signed off by the doctor for some months.

On a performance review I got marked up for highlighting serious concerns for the welfare of a colleague. Then in a separate section got marked down for bullying because I highlighted what I thought were serious concerns for the welfare of a colleague. 🤣

TheFairyNamedMary · 21/05/2022 21:49

I apparently called someone a BIATCH and emphasised the A. I said if I was to call someone a bitch I would say BITCH not BIATCH as I don’t speak that way. Manager was adamant she had heard me outside! When I tried again to tell it wasn’t me she said…I know what I heard, moving on.. her way of saying Fairy Stop talking.

funnest one.. I left one book out on the table, nothing sensitive or anything.. came to work and my manger shouted at me that I hadn’t put this item away and it made the place look a mess. Even now I take the piss out of them, it was so ridiculous. 8am and being shouted at about one book… really!!!

Crimeismymiddlename · 21/05/2022 21:50

Asking customers if they would like a bag. She was a dick.

DolphinaPD · 21/05/2022 21:51

Making a joke that I'd look horrible in any photo.

The silly cunt was taking our pictures for the website or brochure or something. She went to show me the picture and I joked any would do, I'd look just as terrible in any picture.

The next morning, I got called into the office where she went into one, going I have never been spoken to like that ever etc etc etc Confused

So I walked out that afternoon and never went back. Got on the phone and walked into a new job the following day.

Fuck that bullshit.

ThisBooksCanDo · 21/05/2022 21:52

Got told off for being too productive and showing up the rest of the office while 9 months pregnant. Apparently I had a productivity rate of 93%, the rest of the office average - 32%. I knew I wasn't going back after maternity so let rip. When my maternity leave was up he was on the phone begging me to come back. Not a fucking chance.

majorquimby · 21/05/2022 21:54

Years ago, for not wearing a bra (I was young, they were perky and it wasn't something I'd given much thought to). This would definitely not happen now!

More recently, and fairly regularly, from the same senior person at work...for sending her emails that she hasnt read. So she will chase me on something, I will respond saying 'I sent it to you on X date at X time' and will get a shirty response saying well I haven't seen that yet I haven't had time to look at my emails!

ErinAoife · 21/05/2022 21:54

For taking holiday to attend counselling sessions (only 1 hour a week) after suicide attempt and being told by my manager that it was not fair on my colleagues as they have to cover me when I wasn't there. Not very helpful and it was only an hour a week and they did not give me the time for free, It was taken out of my holiday.

Cornishmumofone · 21/05/2022 21:54

I got told off for sneezing too loudly by the woman I shared an office with. I was 19, suffered from severe hay fever and she kept bringing in daffodils.

ShaneTwane · 21/05/2022 21:57

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

GrumpyTerrier · 21/05/2022 21:59

For moving a stapler from one area of the office to another. "Don't you move anything in this office unless I tell you!"

For starting work at the time I was told to start work. Same boss as above had her son as the manager. One day he told me "my mom has decided to allow you to start at 9am instead of 830." I do this. She spots me at 845 and she says to me "why are you not in the office right now?" When I told her that her son had instructed me to start later, on her say so, she denied ever giving that instruction. She then called him over to verify---- and he straight-up denied ever telling me to start at a different time. So I just stood there with them both accusing me of randomly lying about an agreed change to my start time that THEY decided on! What a bunch of utter arseholes they were!

Fernsinthegarden · 21/05/2022 21:59

Oo I’ve got another one. Different job that I mentioned earlier on, this was for working for an independent, not particularly nice hotel. Called out by my boss for not wearing heels to work and not wearing makeup. For reference, I always looked tidy and wore flat brogues.
We weren’t allowed to leave the reception desk at all for our entire shifts, despite always working in pairs. This lead a colleague of mine to have constant UTI infections and we had to eat lunch/dinner under the desk to avoid being seen. Even having water on the desk was deemed inappropriate. That was a baffling place to work and I left the same day that my line manager stood and screamed in my ear whilst I kept a smile on my face and checked in a guest to the hotel.

I’ve generally been lucky to work with decent people but two jobs in particular really were made miserable by my direct superiors.

crowsfeet57 · 21/05/2022 22:00

I got pulled up my my bitch of a manager for not processing four items. I had done them but due to a computer glitch they jumped back into the unprocessed items folder overnight. This had been happening for eight years and happened every time I put them through. Despite me having confirmation in an e mail from the IT manager that this was a glitch they were trying unsuccessfully to fix, she eventually sacked me for it. Bitch!

AnnaBegins · 21/05/2022 22:02

Not staying late enough - I was already working later than contracted hours but apparently that wasn't enough. I was a very young grad so I did start staying much later.

Wearing green shoes.

Looking rushed.

Contradicting my manager - in private I very politely pointed out a procedural error she'd made. I was right, but was told I should never contradict her even if there would be serious consequences (which there would have been).

BritInUS1 · 21/05/2022 22:05

Wearing a thumb ring

Nomad916 · 21/05/2022 22:05

For not socialising (drinking) with the team after work.

Motherhippo · 21/05/2022 22:07

Folding some paperwork "the wrong way"
And not opening an envelope correctly are up there with the most ridiculous petty things I've ever been pulled up on

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 21/05/2022 22:08

I had a sexual harassment claim
against me for a few years. It has now expired I think, but I left that company nearly 20 years ago. This must be pretty unusual for a woman working in construction.0

Hadtonameychangey · 21/05/2022 22:10

TheLittleCabbages · 21/05/2022 21:18

I got disciplined for raising a legitimate health and safety concern. To say I'm still upset and angry about it would be an understatement.

Yes me too. It is staggering that they can choose to ignore such things.

I also was told I’d made an error of judgement by reporting my bully and they watched it escalate for years.

We are asked to report anything which may cause difficulties going forward. I’ve challenged something, practically been told to shut up by the department concerned and was then asked last week why the problem is ongoing/escalating.

The job I loved and took such pride in is gone. I am now only here for the money and long for retirement.

goingback · 21/05/2022 22:10

saying hello to a customer

getting the manager to deal with a complaint

reporting someone (bosses friend) for theft, was accused of bullying and threatened with disciplinary action,

told my performance reviews were too honest and might upset people

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