Did something a bit silly at work

[Saracopp]

I regularly visit schools for my job. One school had to change premises to a larger school site whilst building works were being undertaken on the original school building.

The support staff of the new building were unpleasant and unfriendly- possibly because they didn’t want to share their building with another school.

Each week for the past nine months or so I’ve experienced unpleasantness with one particular member of staff on the front desk. Things like deliberately keeping me waiting to let me in and out of the building (she would pretend she wasn’t in the office, but I could see her in the reflection of one of the windows, she thought she was out of sight), abrupt manner, unhelpful, not passing on messages, rolling eyes because she has to get out of her chair to press a button to release the door, huffing because my mere presence is an inconvenience etc, you get the picture.

A couple of weeks ago we had a slight altercation, she was scowling as usual as I arrived and I asked her if everything was ok as she seemed quite unhappy to see me. She immediately became defensive and gave me a right mouthful so I calmly told her she maybe should develop some social skills given she was on the front desk 😳

I spoke to the head teacher of ‘my school’ who said she’d deal with it. Miraculously, over the next couple of weeks the doors were unlocked and she was not in the office as I walked passed. Result

Today was my last day as the school are moving back to their original premises after half term and I did something a little immature. In the foyer at the entrance is a photograph of all the school staff and their names, there was no-one around. Without thinking I got out my sharpie and drew a moustache and angry eyebrows on the picture of this person. Under her name I wrote ‘Miss Funsucker’. I did chuckle about it for the rest of the day but now I feel a bit bad and anxious I will get into trouble- it wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out it was me 😬

should I do nothing or should I do something - if so what? I know it’s a long shot but has anyone else done this?

while the vast majority of school admin staff are really friendly, helpful, hard working, and conscientious, I think those of us who work in schools have all come across the very occasional miserable old boot who is a complete jobsworth and is as unhelpful as they can be. It sounds very much as though it is one of this small minority that the OP has encountered. As a result of this thread, I suspect that there may be a spate of schools finding that some of their staff photos have been embellished 🤣🤣

Highly improbable.

I’m in my 50s and still have my filters. Losing them is not something to be proud of. If you’re found out, then you’ll get what you deserve.

They will probably suspect it was you, but withouth actual evidence there is little they can do, and for those saying it MUST be on CCTV its impossible to cover every inch of a school there are many many areas not covered.

Yeah, sure you did.

Exactly

It is in Leicester and Leicestershire.

However, reception areas are.

Also Haringey

It’s not in most of south London.

Well it’s certainly given me ideas that I didn’t have before 🤣

It never happened! This is such made up nonsense. It is like the kind of crap that used to be in the People's Friend magazine.

Local Authorities with Half-Term on 19 October 2026
Surrey County Council: Community and voluntary-controlled schools are on a two-week half-term from Monday, 19 October 2026 to Friday, 30 October 2026.
Leicester City Council: Schools have their autumn half-term from Monday, 19 October 2026 to Friday, 23 October 2026.
Nottinghamshire County Council: Some schools and institutions (such as Ash Lea School) have a two-week break from Monday, 19 October 2026 to Friday, 30 October 2026. _
City of Wolverhampton Council: Standard half-term runs from Monday, 19 October 2026 to Friday, 30 October 2026 (including teacher training days on 19–20 October). 1]
London Borough of Bromley: Local term dates schedule half-term from Monday, 19 October 2026 to Friday, 30 October 2026. 1]
London Borough of Bexley: While general council dates vary, specific local schools (such as Birkbeck Primary School and Crook Log Primary School) are taking a two-week break starting Monday, 19 October 2026. 1]

You sound like a silly little girl, with low professional standards.
What a role model to school-aged children.

😂😂😂😂

😂😂

now I feel a bit bad and anxious I will get into trouble- it wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out it was me

Nothing from your responses to others demonstrates the least bit of anxiety about your actions. You are proud and confident about your actions, and are effectively saying ‘she deserved it and they can’t prove it was me on CCTV’. Do you think your subsequent posts exhibit any anxiety or remorse?!

And you can ignore it of course but no, you can’t stop me judging you.

I don’t work in any of those areas. The school I was in yesterday was most certainly open. One of the secondary schools I work for has a two week half term but most primaries in my area still close for one week for the autumn half term.

I don’t work in schools. Can I ask what these freelance roles are? People who go from school to school offering these in-demand services and don’t need references or recommendations? Presumably some kind of DBS check is needed at least? Are professional checks done? Are schools having to look for the cheapest people due to decimated budgets?

Yes I did say that but my anxiety has now dissipated, things change

I think you underestimate the grapevine. There is absolutely nothing to.protect you if you are freelance. H/Ts or Bursars, whoever normally engages your services don't even have to tell you why they no longer approach you. Do you not realise that the world of education is very small, managers speak to one another frequently and unprofessional behaviour can get you unofficially blacklisted, very quickly?

No. I can only speak for secondary schools. We occasionally bring in Specialist Counsellors. Other than that, people to support practical subjects or, for teacher absence, supply teachers. Everyone is DBS checked and has photo ID.
Everyone has to adhere to the standards and recognise Ofsted requirements.
Security has to meet certain standards as well.

This sounds like something I would do. I cannot bear people who are unpleasant for no reason. I suspect you’re not the only one who thinks she’s a funsucker op 🤭. Can I suggest some stick on googly eyes next time? They are less noticeable but very funny.

I work in heavy industry. In one of the work sites, I was making my way to the gym early in the morning and saw the deputy manager wiping away graffiti from the IN/OUT board. Apparently every single night someone wrote CUNT next to the site managers name. This had been going on for weeks. I ask why he was erasing it. He said it was to protect everyone from consequences of the SM seeing it and to make his own life easier and more peaceful. He had been getting up at 5am to clean the board, but someone had been going out of their way to deface the board in the wee hours - given the rotational shifts, this was either a group effort or someone was being very determined and getting out of bed some of the time to do this. I asked why he didn't move the board over to the CCTV covered area and he said he'd have to explain to the SM why it was moved and, consequences. So this was the most peaceful option. The SM was a nasty horrible man and I doubt many would have had any sympathy for the slur. Even his deputy agreed it was an accurate description and he had no intention of trying to find the culprit. Who was likely to be a highly paid and very qualified engineer in an age group of 35-60 and almost certainly male.

I am not at all surprised by OPs tale and I suspect it happens a lot more than you would imagine.

I'm cringing for you OP. Although more than likely this never happened, but if you actually did it then you are quite pathetic.