Told off by my boss for joke to colleague - I feel mortified

[SusanC86]

We have quite a laid back culture in our office and everyone generally gets along really well.

My manager asked me in to a meeting room earlier and said someone had complained about a comment I made last week.

One of my colleagues was speaking about her WFH set up - and said she had a new chair which she was getting used to and had given her a sore bum. I joked along the lines of that we didn’t need to know what she got up to in the bedroom last night. Laughter from those present including her.

I am mortified I’ve upset her and told my boss I’m happy to apologise. I am not being given any warning etc.

Do you think I crossed the line given it’s usually a jokey atmosphere?

You are honestly being quite pathetic.

You don’t know it was the colleague you made the joke about who complained? Could have been someone else who was present. I wouldn’t have liked tgat joke either, whether about me or someone else. I might not have complained but I would have felt uncomfortable. And I’m not religious or I don’t think a prude. It’s just too much for the workplace.

You're making yourself look really bad here.

I'm not particularly religious or a prude but I wouldn't think that was at all funny.

I don't think you grasped why it was inappropriate in a work setting.

Bloody hell, I’m glad I don’t work with some of
you lot! A right barrel of laughs

Oh my god. Where do you work? You all sound 14. This is surely a windup.

Good luck in your career, I'm sure you'll go far 👍🏼

Ah, see now I think you are not being entirely serious with this thread. Surely no one adult with a job actually thinks like this??

That is irrelevant. You shouldn't making such comments in the workplace.

How often do we hear people who are racist/sexist/ableist etc cover up inappropriate comments with "it was just a joke".

You just don't get it, do you?

Agree, OP is having us on for sure. No one is this dense.

“Some of you seem to have got off on the wrong foot with me. You didn't like some of the jokes I told earlier. You've got to chill out, yeah, trust me, this is what I do, all right? You will never work in a place like this again. This is brilliant-fact. And you will never have another boss like me. Someone who's basically a chilled out entertainer.”

You’re a rough one OP.

Is that you David Brent?

Exactly like wtf. So you have to be either religious or a “prude” to not want sexual jokes at work. I’m convinced people here don’t live in the real world.

The only way out of this is to over apologise. A lengthy email taking entire responsibility and making yourself abject with remorse. Then move on and be more wary of colleagues in future. We truly don’t know people.

Ah, cringe!
It would be fine in my office. But I guess it would be said knowing that someone might not see the funny side so it’s quite risky for the office. Probably best to avoid anal sex jokes in future! And I’d probably apologise next time we were alone and explain I’d took it too far and I was sorry.
Don’t worry too much - I’m sure it’ll be old news very quickly and just learn from it.

I can’t even see the connection between what she said and your joke. Even if she did think jokes about her sex life were funny, which is never something you assume in the workplace, she didn’t say “ooh, my bum’s really sore today, no idea what it could be!” She said she had a new chair and it was taking some getting used to, hence feeling a bit bruised. Case closed, it doesn’t invite speculation on what the cause might be in the first place. You piping up with an anal sex joke was a complete non sequitur.

Never, ever make a joke in the workplace. It's bound to upset or offend someone! 🤔

Who?

I doubt the reason she complained is because she’s having relationship issues. You need to own this one I’m
afraid. It sounds as if you still don’t think you did anything wrong though.

Your workplace sounds tiresome.

No worries. Maybe the chair of the disciplinary panel will get the joke.