17 Work Horror Stories That Hopefully Aren’t Familiar
When work gets strange, unfair, or just plain awful.
Published 22 minutes ago in Wtf
Most jobs come with the occasional bad day, but some work experiences go far beyond spilled coffee or a missed deadline.
From nightmare bosses and toxic coworkers to crazy office mishaps and truly chaotic customer encounters, these are the kinds of work horror stories that make you wonder how people made it through the day.
Hopefully, your job isn’t anything like this, but if it is, you’ll find plenty of relatable (and maybe therapeutic) moments in this collection.
These real-life tales from the workplace are wild, frustrating, and sometimes just plain ridiculous. And they are proof that when it comes to work, truth is stranger than fiction.
10
Grandma-shamed
Near the end of the holiday season, around 11 PM, I got a rare call from my grandma while chatting with coworkers. Concerned, I answered. Afterward, the manager publicly scolded me in front of new hires, saying, “This is an example of a bad employee. What’s your name?” I explained it was my grandmother, but he didn’t care and said if I used my phone again, I’d be fired. Meanwhile, he spent half the day texting on the sales floor. I quit a few days later.
12
Punished for being sick
A coworker undergoing cancer treatment missed several months of work. When holiday vouchers were handed out, he was denied one due to his “sick leave record.” HR was contacted, but they stood by the decision, saying “rules are rules”, even though it was a global company and likely a system error.
15
Toxic boss
My former boss constantly used negative reinforcement. It was a small company with no HR, and he exploited that. Since we worked on commission, he often threatened to cut our pay if we didn’t perform. He drank in the office, used drugs at holiday parties, and encouraged managers to join him, likely so he could hold it over them later.
16
Heart attack? Still have to come in
In 2012, my dad had a heart attack the morning of my shift at a major bank. I called my manager from the hospital, and she immediately said, “No, no, no, we’re busy today, you have to come in.” I told her I was staying with my dad, who was critical. She kept insisting I call her back with an arrival time. She never once asked about him. I didn’t go in, and I never forgot how she responded.
17
Alone on my first day
On my first day of an apprenticeship, my boss, the secretary, and the other office staff were all absent. I had to ask strangers in the production area to let me in. I had no computer, no directions, and no idea where to go for lunch, so I stayed at my desk, alone and hungry, for the entire day.