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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to ask you to cheer me up with your first day at work horror stories?

92 replies

roconnell · 26/03/2018 17:04

First day at my new retail job today. Absolute shit show. Weird colleagues, endless improvement 'feedback' which was just management telling me to smile. I constantly felt like I was in the wrong place and doing the wrong thing. I'm feeling pretty deflated. I hope tomorrow is better.

AIBU to ask you to regale me with your horrible first day at work stories? Please come and cheer me up

OP posts:

Watto1 · 14/02/2022 21:45

Temporary Christmas job in British Home Stores. The shop was boiling hot. A few other new starters and I were being shown how to use the till. I fainted. I woke up in the big bin we put the coat hangers in, surrounded by half a dozen concerned faces.

RagzRebooted · 14/02/2022 21:50

First day at the Covid vaccination clinic I work at, Jan 2021 so the stuff was precious and treated with kid gloves and great ceremony. We had to move it and draw it up very carefully, with incredibly strict instructions and every dose was looked at as a potential life saved...

I went to get a vial out of the fridge, they were nestled in flat boxes and as I picked one up, I knocked one over. It had to be binned and I felt like I was actually murdering grannies by my careless wastage . I was so embarrassed!

ButtercupOfFlorin · 14/02/2022 22:02

One job I had, on my first day I was told I was coming into an environment where there were a lot of issues and I was disliked already because I unknowingly got the job above an internal person who’s interviewed. That was an interesting few months! Especially as people seemed to think I ‘stole’ the job from Jean on purpose despite never having met her or knowing about the team structure

Yoyokitten · 14/02/2022 22:29

I was a student in catering college, and got a job in a very prestigious restaurant in the same city. My first day, Saturday, I turned up at 6 pm. I was given a quick intro. At 8pm I was put in charge the table of a famous football team, so was a bit nervous.
Approaching the table with a tray full of drinks, I tripped over a loose carpet edge, flung the drinks over everyone, fell, hit my head, knocked myself out and wet myself all at the same time!! Great first day at a new job. Was funny afterwards, and I stayed for the 2 years I was at college. The players were great and rang up next day to ask how I was 😁 I came to, legs akimbo showing my pants to a table ful of soaked customers. It looked like the aftermath of a bar room brawl in a western 😀

Hugoslavia · 15/02/2022 22:29

Not my story, but my friends. First day at work as a PA and she sees a senior manager walk into the Directors office. Her new colleagues decide to play a trick on her and one of them calls her with an 'urgent' message for the director. She had been told that when his door is shut he is in an important meeting and must not be disturbed. They trick her into believing that it is of paramount importance, so she knocks and flings open the door ...to find him shagging said manager on the desk! Apparently everyone else in the office knew what was going on between the pair of them, but thought it funny to have her burst in on them. He bellowed at her and She fled and spent the rest of the afternoon hiding behind a row of filing cabinets in a store room.

Hugoslavia · 15/02/2022 22:30

@Yoyokitten

Good god. That's horrendous. At least you were out cold for some of it though.

HazelBite · 15/02/2022 22:38

I turned up on my first day to a new job to find the person I was replacing had decided at her leaving party not to go!

NewYearNewMinty · 15/02/2022 23:17

Secondary school...had to help supervise 2 year groups walking to church for end of year service.

Got about 20 metres from the school gates, tripped on a wonky paving slab and went flying in front of 500 teenage girls.

I didn't volunteer for that job again for about 4 years!

Lampyshady · 15/02/2022 23:21

Was taken to pub at lunchtime by boss and senior partners, they were joking about needing a drink. I ordered wine to try and fit in even though I wouldn’t normally drink in the day and everyone else got soft drinks and I looked like an alcoholic

Norgie · 15/02/2022 23:46

I had chunks of my hair torn out of my scalp, bite marks and some nasty bruises.

BowerOfBramble · 16/02/2022 00:28

@Troubleinstore

I wore a purple dress. When I walked into the massive shared office I realised it was exactly the same colour as the carpets and chairs and desk dividers. Talk about blending in!!! I was mortified.

I proudly wore my brand new red jacket. Turned out all the reception staff wore the exact same shade of jacket and I spent all day with people asking me where stuff was and whether I was new on reception. Never heard the end of it from the actual reception staff who pissed themselves every time they saw me.

Starlightandsparkles · 16/02/2022 00:29

Few years ago now but for context we’d bought one of those curry,ready meals for two the night before-had them before,very tasty and no issues

I did have a few dodgy smelling farts before I headed off but didn’t think much of it-just put it down to nerves

Anyway,I get to work and was told what to do and just to get on with it-all fine

Only my tummy kept cramping-followed by a silent but very deadly fart

Curry scented farts-every few minutes

I worked in a well known burger place that’s no way known for curry

This went on all day-I kept hiding in the cupboard and the toilets just to let them go-I couldn’t keep them in-it was really painful

Well over 100 people complained about the smell (I did try to be discrete) and 5 years on my boss still wonders out loud about the day the restaurant stank of bloody curry and what could have caused it

Only myself,my partner and my son know the truth and they’ve sworn they’ll take it to the grave with them

MingeofDeath · 16/02/2022 00:42

I had an argument with the equality and diversity bod on my induction day. My organisation is a Stonewall champion so it didn't go down well when I said that gender was not a protected characteristic but sex was. Diversity bod said ORG uses that term, I replied they wouldn't have a leg to stand on if someone mounted a legal challenge. Bod also said something along the lines of " Are we all in agreement that transwomen are women?" To which I replied " No" and that I do not think there is such a thing as a women with a penis. The Diveristy bod and the rest of the trainers just glared at me from then. I wouldn't mind but a couple of my fellow inductees approached me afterward to says that they agreed with me.

Cheeseandlobster · 16/02/2022 16:13

@HazelBite

I turned up on my first day to a new job to find the person I was replacing had decided at her leaving party not to go!

That's terrible. What happened after? I would have been furious

smellycat21 · 16/02/2022 16:16

Worst snowstorm on record for however many years. Car got snowed in and I couldn't get home so had to stay with my new boss, his wife and teenage son as it was a walkable distance. Son was made to sleep on the couch and give me his bed.

With hindsight I should have slept in the car.

IntermittentParps · 16/02/2022 16:50

@Yoyokitten

I was a student in catering college, and got a job in a very prestigious restaurant in the same city. My first day, Saturday, I turned up at 6 pm. I was given a quick intro. At 8pm I was put in charge the table of a famous football team, so was a bit nervous. Approaching the table with a tray full of drinks, I tripped over a loose carpet edge, flung the drinks over everyone, fell, hit my head, knocked myself out and wet myself all at the same time!! Great first day at a new job. Was funny afterwards, and I stayed for the 2 years I was at college. The players were great and rang up next day to ask how I was 😁 I came to, legs akimbo showing my pants to a table ful of soaked customers. It looked like the aftermath of a bar room brawl in a western 😀

That's hilarious, and how sweet of the footballers!

honeylulu · 16/02/2022 18:19

I haven't had loads of jobs but not great starts at at least 3 of them.

Bar job, not first day but during first week fainted behind bar whilst serving. Boss was not a patient man and rolled his eyes and huffed, probably thinking I was a right snowflake. Never happened again though!

First day of my training contract at London law firm. Turned up in reception, met the other two trainees, nice chat. Then the head of HR arrived and announced the firm was merging, the London offices would be closing and we would soon all be working from Kent. I lived in Berkshire so this was a disaster! I managed to do my whole training contract in the small satellite London office they kept. I actually stayed there for 7 years. When I came back from maternity I rang several times to make arrangements with HR but no one called me back so I couldn't get a season ticket loan or find out the new door code (had arranged an early start and finish to manage with nursery). Talk about making you feel welcome back! I think I sat on the stairs crying and missing my baby for an hour before someone turned to and let me in.

Current job. Turned up first day and was met at reception by lady from IT as I had to do 2 days training. When it got to lunch time she literally showed me out of the building and told me to come back in an hour! I went and sat in the park, shivering. The next day I pulled myself together and asked to be shown to a staffroom instead which she got all huffy about. I've been there nearly 14 years. The induction is more welcoming these days!

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