The HR manager grabs the mic, and starts listing who has been sleeping with who. An employee punches her manager and a company executive before driving her car into a lake. The Head of Sales goes topless and proceeds to dance on the table in front of everyone…
It might sound like “The Hangover” meets “The Office,” but it’s not. These are just a few of the unhinged and crazy incidents that have taken place at people’s work parties over the years. The scandals came to light after someone recently asked, “What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever seen happen at a work party?“
And if you’ve ever misbehaved or embarrassed yourself at a company function, clearly you’re not alone. No less than 3,000 comments came flooding in, as netizens recalled the times a co-worker (or boss) risked their reputation in the name of fun. Bored Panda has put together a list of the wildest “Woah!” moments that happened when people blurred the lines between work and play.
#1
The quiet HR manager got drunk, grabbed the mic, and started listing who was sleeping with who. Party ended. Careers ended. HR ended.
Image source: Great_Mortgage3761, Jeff Vinluan
There’s always that one person… The “Go Big Or Go Home,” the “Turn Down For What,” or “YOLO!” worker who loses all inhibitions – and their reputation – at the office party. Whether booze is to blame, or year-end fatigue, this colleague somehow manages to get tongues wagging for long after the festivities have ended.
Yes, end-of-year events can be a great way to socialize with co-workers, have some fun and let go of the stress of the year for a few hours. But too often, people forget that it’s still a work event and this calls for a certain level of professionalism.
#2
At the company Christmas party, both the owner and his wife cheated separately on the other one…
Image source: TheePizzaGod, shyam mishra
“Sorry to break it to you, but when the words ‘party’ and ‘office’ appear on the same invitation, the emphasis ALWAYS remains on the word ‘office,'” warns etiquette expert Maralee McKee. “While it’s called a party, it’s one in name only. Technically, it’s a time for you to show the office what your best self is like when you’re out of the office.”
And no, your best self isn’t the one who can knock back 20 tequilas, dance on the table, pinch the boss’ bum or prove how well you drive under the influence.
#3
We had a chick get extremely belligerent and tried to drive herself home. An Executive and her direct manager ran out to the parking lot to stop her, where the woman proceeded to wrestle and punch both of them in the face to get into her car. She then drove into the lake 300 feet away…
Image source: Coconuts11, Sherman Trotz
#4
Christmas party years ago, everyone got kinda lit.
Dude tried to pick up the head of HR (older lady) for some reason. He lost his balance and fell over backwards essentially body slamming her through a table WWE style.
Nobody got fired but we couldn’t have fun Christmas parties anymore :/.
Image source: KingKliffsbury, Sincerely Media
#5
Worked at a Toyota dealership. A bunch of the main office ladies got [wasted] at a celebrity golf tournament and crashed a bunch of golf carts and got the dealership banned from events being held there.
Image source: Neurodrill, Frames For Your Heart
McKee cautions that while an office event is more casual than your average working day, your bosses, co-workers, people from other divisions, and even the wait staff have their eyes on you.
You are still representing your business and your professional ethics at the party, she cautions, “and they shouldn’t differ very much from how you do, or would, conduct yourself in the boardroom.”
#6
Dude crashed the stage at the karaoke bar, got told to leave by the bar staff immediately. He refused, so they literally carried him hog tied style, and physically tossed him out the door. It was incredible to witness, especially since the guy in question was a complete [jerk].
Image source: BroYourOwnWay, Fotógrafo Samuel Cruz
One of the most obvious ways to ensure you don’t embarrass yourself at a work party is to limit your intake of liquor. Even if everyone around you is knocking it back like it’s 1999.
“Drink slowly and drink no more than one glass of wine, beer, or alcohol per hour,” suggests McKee. “It’s better if you don’t exceed two the whole evening.” The expert adds that soda water or ginger ale with a twist of lime is a great walk-around drink in between alcoholic beverages, or for those who don’t drink.
#7
For my part: I caught our married marketing manager (M46) going at it with our intern (F22) in the toilets. They did not seem to notice anyone had walked in and she seemed to be clearly (and loudly) enjoying it, so I just awkwardly backed out and left them to it.
Image source: South-Truck-3061, Anna Shvets
#8
Topless table dance from the head of sales before her husband grabbed her and walked out with her over his shoulder.
Image source: perfidity, freepik
Alcohol isn’t the only reputation-ruiner, though. You can be as sober as a judge and still be the talk of the town in the days following your office party. According to experts, one of the biggest faux pas people make at year-end events is not dressing appropriately.
“It’s OK if your dress has spaghetti straps or even no straps as long as your cleavage is invisible or almost invisible. Your hemline can be shorter than on a regular workday, but not by much,” advises McKee. “Sequins and high heels are fine. But leave the fishnets for a non-work-sponsored party.”
#9
A coworker told me that he wanted me to sit on his lap and call him daddy . . . There was alcohol, I was like 23 and he was in his 50s. I didn’t work there long.
Oh, and his wife was at the party too.
Image source: Witchy_Mommy84, Alena Darmel
#10
My manager get tazed down a flight of stairs, resulting in his arrest and surgeries that put him out of work for awhile. Then ultimately let go.
They tried to cover it up, and he would video call into meetings with all the lights off and his hood up like evil Kermit 😆.
Image source: JAK3CAL, Kindel Media
#11
A co-worker in my department won the Employee of the Year award in a 10,000+ employee corporation which was announced at the annual holiday party. As our branch director was presenting the award, the winner was absolutely plastered and threw up all over the director mid-speech. My co-worker ended up leaving the company a few weeks later.
Image source: eatingpopcornwithmj, Andrej Lišakov
McKee says men should aim to dress one notch up. For example, if you’re unsure whether to wear a tie, wear one anyway and take it off at the party if you feel it’s too much.
“The same with a suit coat or sports coat,” she adds. “If the invitation states ‘Holiday festive’ or ‘Cocktail attire,’ a tie and jacket will make sure you’re well suited (pun intended) for the evening!”
#12
Head of sales got really drunk and forgot he was supposed to MC the whole party. Got up and immediately started to insult the wives of all the executives, calling them ugly and fat. That was the last Christmas party that they allowed alcohol.
Image source: STFUBuddy, Matheus Bertelli
#13
My boss was getting hammered on espresso martinis and demanded a group of us go with him to the liquor store, where he hit a dumpster driving someone else’s SUV, dragged us to KOD only to get kicked out, then broke his femur trying to prove he was still athletic and could jump a fence. Good times.
Image source: Black3Series, Jonathon Burton
#14
At a very polite work dinner a typically shy, mousy coworker took off her cardigan, climbed **onto the table** and yelled “THIS IS WHO I REALLY AM!”, and started dancing.
What a legend.
Image source: Cutezacoatl, DANIELA CAPPELLA
#15
Flew down to an all inclusive resort in Mexico for what was a 3 day trip. One of the guys didn’t even make it past the lobby bar checking in, ended up [urinating] in the infinity pool, fighting staff and then the Mexican police, night in jail, first flight back home the next morning. Never even got to his room.
A separate employee got held by the strip club overnight because he couldn’t pay his bill and had to get bought back by a VP the following morning.
Image source: onwo, Kindel Media
#16
One of the female employees scooped up ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate, and smashed into the face of another female employee. Why? She thought it would be funny. No one laughed and she realized in a nano second that she had [messed] up.
Image source: Prestigious-Bike-593, Seth Lemmons
#17
The owner of multiple urgent care clinics had live goldfish in bowls in the center of each table at the Christmas party. He proceeded to get blackout drunk, swallow four goldfish, then sing Metallica with the band.
Image source: AMostSoberFellow, Erisson Lima
#18
Spanish teacher got hammered and ended up sleeping it off for a while underneath the dining room table, and he was still in rough enough shape when he woke up we still got him an Uber.
Image source: GeneralOrgana1, freepik
#19
I worked at SpaceX and back in 2016ish I saw Elon Musk get walked out of his own company Xmas party (which were absolutely epic there btw) by security because he was too [wasted]. Seeing the richest man on earth get removed from his own company party was awesome haha.
Image source: No_Use__For_A_Name, Getty Images
#20
Cat fell through a ceiling tile. Cat lived in the office, not sure how she got up in the ceiling.
Nearly landed on the boss’s head.
Image source: Ok_Spell_4165, Shuaizhi Tian
#21
I worked overseas at a remote site. Lots of people hooked up and were couples. After the job was over, a lot of us went on to other sites in the states. Some of those people had their families move to be with them. It was hella awkward when you would say “Hey Dave, where is Carol?” “Dunno, she must be around here somewhere, HAVE YOU MET MY WIFE SUSAN AND MY KIDS?”.
Image source: Read_it_all-7735, August de Richelieu
#22
Party was themed so people dressed up…me included.
2 ladies from IT came dressed up like she was in Roller Derby, flashy outfit, roller skates on….the whole bit.
The two ladies were skating around the venue drinking and eating canapes enjoying themselves.
A little later, the music gets turned up, and one of them is a few white wines into the evening and is out on the dance floor, in roller skates.
Well, she has a stack. A big one and face plants the floor….hard. blood everywhere. Ambulance is called to help her and takes her to the hospital where they do x rays and see that it’s like she has been in a motorbike accident wearing a open face helmet.
She has broken her nose but also her cheek bones and sinuses. Surgeons are brought in to see what could be done.
Didn’t see her for some time after that as she had to have multiple surgeries to rebuild her face and nose.
Image source: ringo5150, cottonbro studio
#23
Not really a work party, more so a work trip. We were all at the bar and our new hire was a middle aged woman. Unbeknownst to us at the time. She had a drinking problem. She was trying to “cheer up” one of the other office girls and flashed her, also flashing the whole bar while the owner of the company was there.
An organization that makes up all the rules and regulations we have to follow was also there and witnessed the whole thing. This was literally a get together for my boss to meet his other potential partners as he was trying to get a spot in their organization to help us in the long run. Needless to say, she was fired right after we returned to our state lol. This was on day 2 of our 10 day work trip.
Image source: wassuh___foo, Nicole Sabilia
#24
I went to our annual Christmas party a couple years ago. It was an award ceremony where we celebrate those who work hard and have notable achievements plus celebrate the holidays.
This party comes after asking for a modest raise and being told “You don’t really do anything that warrants a raise”. I was livid. No negotiation, no appreciation for my work, nada.
I was the Director of IT for this company and successfully completed several large projects.
When my name was called up at the award ceremony, I was given a milky way bar.
A milky way bar. A single milky way bar, given to me with them all knowing good and well I’m fighting diabetes and can’t eat it.
I left the company a month later and took off on my last two weeks in the middle of an ERP migration project as retribution I suppose. Lol.
To me that’s pretty wild!
Image source: Time-Industry-1364, Willis Lam
#25
They said there’d be pizza and that the party was mandatory to attend, but only had a small 8 slice pizza for 14 people. The supervisor ate 2 slices.
They also had white claws available. It was 8am, no one wanted white claws.
Also the “party” turned out to be the usual monthly meeting, but with pizza and white claws.
And then we found out come payday that the party (which was a meeting) was unpaid because there was alcohol (that no one even opened) and I guess that’s a loophole.
Image source: 13thmurder, fauxels
#26
Partying with clients at the end of their visit, but still on the clock. We’re all sharing drinks and things get rowdy. One [client] jumps out of a tree and breaks their ankle, a colleague is doing donuts in the company car, and another two colleagues (one in a relationship) sneak off to hook up in a nearby park.
Wildest part was Management never figured it out.
Image source: Sorels, Emre Aslihak
#27
Marketing VP’s wife got super wasted, flashed the party and puked all over the dance floor.
Image source: ashton8177, Alina Rossoshanska
#28
At our work party/coworkers surprise party a few years back I got into a fist fight with our manager. Both walked into work the next day with busted up faces 😂.
Image source: HAXKED, MART PRODUCTION
#29
My wife’s coworker punched the boss in the face.
They were both drink and apparently actually good buddies so there was no animosity afterwards and the whole office laughed about it the next day. I didn’t know any of this context in the moment and was absolutely shocked to watch it all go down.
Image source: scooboy, Tahir Osman
#30
Fortune 500 company christmas party. Fist fight on the very top of an escalator between a few upper management guys and some teens in starter jackets trying to steel booze. At the W hotel.The best part was that the US CFO was in town and was at the party. He was white as a ghost with his jaw dropped as he watched the entire scene unfold from less than 10′ away.
Image source: Silver_Lifeguard7346, Dan Burton
#31
Just randomly, I saw someone drunk fall into a large cactus just outside the work party venue. They had to go to the hospital.
Image source: Watanabe18482, Kawê Rodrigues
#32
Company the wife worked for was owned and run by 4 guys who started in HS and made a gob of money. Christmas parties were at the CEO’s house. These guys never grew up and liked to party HARD. First time we went to the shindig they asked what I do I explained that I worked on a SEAL team, but I wasn’t a SEAL. My glass was filled all night.
I don’t drink. They wouldn’t take no for an answer so I was discreetly dumping my glass in flower pots. Found out later I dumped over $2000 worth of scotch and [ruined] 3 plants.
Image source: Amazing_Variety5684
#33
C-suite decided to take our team of highly uncoordinated technical consultants who work remotely building mathematical models all day and night to top golf and get us all hammered. Someone shanked a ball so badly that it ricocheted off the roof and nailed the CEO on the forehead.
Ironically, the CEO left the company about a month later for unrelated reasons, but the inside joke is that he left because of concussion induced PTSD.
Image source: ScientistFromSouth
#34
My boss demolished and rebuilt an exterior wall while fairly hammered. Would not accept help from anyone. To the best of my knowledge it’s still standing.
Image source: lew_rong
#35
A career scam artist who just didn’t want to work got hired at Pfizer where I worked.. Within 2 weeks he “injured” himself _accidentally_. And was gone 6 months on work comp.
The week he came back was an office party and there were tennis courts. During a match he collapsed and an ambulance was called. He was gone for another 6 months. Then he quit. He only worked 3 weeks and got paid for like a year.
Image source: bajungadustin
#36
They gave us drink tickets but didn’t tell us we couldn’t order top shelf. Company picked up a 12 thousand dollar liquor bill.
Image source: anon
#37
Head cashier at the grocery store where I was a bagger during high school jumped on a table and proceeded to take her top off while dancing. Party was at the American Legion around 1984, I was 16 and they had a beer keg sitting with a hand tap where no one cared if I poured off it. Those were the days.
Image source: switchingtoam
#38
Wasn’t even a party, we went out for dinner and drinks. I had a great idea to use bird scooters to get back to the hotel. 30 minutes to get everyone on and paid, within 10 seconds into the voyage a coworker fell and broke BOTH wrists.
Image source: BJosephD
#39
I work at a school and following finals on the last day of the semester we had a staff lunch. Between the time the students left and the lunch one of our assistant principals was fired. She had mismanaged funds, missed testing students for a required test, and was recorded berating a student and parent. The Triple Crown.
As the staff is line up for the “Holiday” buffet she storms out of the office, grabs a plate and cuts to the front of the line. She filled her plate and walked out of the building.
Image source: Hoopscoach32
#40
The company IT guy got so drunk he started saying the N word (hard R) super casually to anyone who would listen to his conversation.
In front of his African girlfriend, mind you.
That Monday at work was wild and awkward. Supposedly his girlfriend left him that night, but I never found out. He also never showed up at the company again.
Image source: MoTardedThanYou
#41
Company breakfast at Cracker Barrel: some dude on the maintenance team saw one of our female leasing agents get up to go to the lady’s room, and so he decided to go and inhale her seat cushion in front of all of us. Buddy was gone pretty fast.
Image source: Dispo-Astatine
#42
Guy puked in the middle of the floor at the restaurant we worked at *in front of customers, fired.
Different non-restaurant job, sales guy smashed a rocks glass across a customer’s head over a dispute about a lady, not fired.
Image source: TERRAIN_PULL_UP_
#43
We had put these 3 huge Rubbermaid containers full of drinks on ice, in our Hospitality Suite, in the afternoon before our banquet, for the after party. A couple of hours into the after party the containers are largely just ice water and slush. At some point people start daring other people to dunk their heads underwater. Then other people start betting on it.
I get dared to dunk my head for 2 minutes. I agree, but need $100 for it. I plunge my head into the freezing water, it is shockingly cold. My buddy is counting down, but it seems to be in slow motion. The last 15 seconds drag on and there are purple flash bulbs going off on the inside of my eyelids. I feel hands on my shoulders pulling me out, someone hands me a towel, and a fistful of $20’s.
I’m in a fog, it’s like I’m looking at everything through 3 sheets of wrinkled Saran Wrap. My sinuses are plugged up, my ears are plugged up, my eyes are watering. I go to bed and wake up the next morning still plugged up.
Over the next two years I have ear infection after ear infection. 30 of them , sometimes lasting for 10 days. I’m on antibiotics solid for a year and a half. My ENT Doc is on speed dial. I can’t fly, as the plane climbs my ears plug and it feels like someone is twisting a screwdriver into it. I have surgery twice to install drains.
Finally after 5 years I am back to normal, but it was a long excruciatingly painful journey.
Additional funny fact, I did get paid the $100, but in my state of diminished capacity I lost track of it, so I suffered for 5 years for free!
Image source: LOUDCO-HD
#44
Managers got our new hire so drunk she puked in the restaurant, they ordered her an Uber to send her home…. Then the managers drove their own cars home, while being drunk.
Image source: WantMyEggsCracked
#45
I seen a married man, have a girl sitting on his lap…. And the girls bf was sitting next to them.
Image source: WantMyEggsCracked
#46
It was me. I got blackout and fought security. I don’t drink anymore.
Image source: obi_won_jabroni
#47
Company paid for minibuses to take us all home, 2 ‘straight’ (and very drunk) women loudly hooked up in the back seat.
Image source: DivideOk9877
#48
The service manager, my direct supervisor, spent 2.5 hours following my wife( gf of 3 years then) around Dave and busters hitting on her.
The.
Entire.
Time.
She was 25, he was 51. And an amatuer body builder on a metric ton off steroids and probably not 100% rational…. I offered multiple times to bail her out but she was bemused at the buffoonary. He doesn’t drink, so escalation into something darker wasn’t realistic. Just an entire company embarrassed for him.
.
Image source: Lutiskilea
#49
It was around Christmas. Company bought out a nice restaurant for the evening. Told us to get whatever we wanted. Our company has always been kind within reason when it comes to dinners. Knock back a couple nice beers, maybe a shot or two of well liqour with your besties, but nothing too crazy.
We had a new guy start like two months prior in October. He went way over the top. Ordered dozens of shots of Don Julio 1942 for himself and whoever he thought he could sweet talk into doing shots with him.
He focused quite a bit on a woman I work right alongside. Kindest lady ever! Has a husband and kids as well. But man, he didn’t seem to care about that at all. He spent a good amount of time hitting on her, handing her drinks, offering to drive her home, and so on. Despite the fact they were told to knock it off by several other people. Eventually he left, but not before leaving a note in her handbag that she later showed me. Basically said like, “here’s my number. Call me any time.” Winky faces and all that cheesy [stuff].
He showed up to the office the next morning and was met by our production manager right outside who told him to [back] off and call our HR rep. Never saw him again.
This is really a nice place to work. Pays more than it ought to, relaxed for the most part, and no one minds too much about hours so long as work gets done. Idiot blew an awesome job by spending hundreds (thousands?) on liquor and hitting on a married co-worker.
Image source: zanskeet
#50
Got invited to a release party for a big IP (not my company, but was a +1).
Open bar, lots of hammered young people. A young guy sidles up to me as I’m chatting with a group. Everyone knows him as Chad-the-Intern. Chad-the-Intern has had enough and is speaking in tongues. We’re laughing at his expense and trying to keep him calm.
In a flash, Chad-the-Intern spews an absolute river of vomit onto the floor in the center of this very large room. Chad-the-Intern is left standing dizzily alone as a horrified group howls at him. Two girls mercifully grab him and walk him out as 500 people clap. Can’t imagine what that Monday was like for him, but I’m guessing he was just Chad by then.
Image source: lastMinute_panic
#51
An ea got wasted, an ambulance was called.
A girl wore a sheer dress with a white bikini g string thing for the Halloween luncheon costume party.
Someone fell over the partition at a fancy restaurant that overlooked the beach and fell headfirst onto the sand about ten feet down. To be fair, he was trying to get an Instagram photo.
I worked at a very popular dating app company back in the day.
Image source: ThetaGrim
#52
At this job I worked at there was a mandatory “team-builder” called “Rest and Relaxation”. Free food and free open bar at a really glitzy restaurant. Problem is, the entirety of the staff hated each other. The event was canceled indefinitely because one of the supervisors had a little too much to drink and rolled her car. She was in the hospital for months. She healed up quite nicely and fired me a few years later to make room for a friend she wanted to hire. Fond memories.
Image source: mrnoire
#53
Female co-worker made intense drunk/high advances on a male co-worker, injured herself by accident and got let go not long after for harassment.
Image source: WhiteWolf2077
#54
Male Co worker walked up to another male co worker and slapped them across the face and walked right out the bar.
Next day at work was interesting. Everyone had to give their account. Slapper was terminated. Slappee was kind of [jerk] anyway so most people were happy it happened.
Image source: Salt36
#55
Charge nurse who was MARRIED making out with an ED tech, then they all went to a bar afterwards and he grabbed a RN and she slapped him. Allegedly he also attempted to take the ED tech into the bathroom at the party.
He lost his job.
Image source: PrincessMoustache795
#56
A woman dancing on the table, falling, dress came off, no undies.
Image source: the_beeve
#57
Interns tried to eat a for display only gingerbread house. The restaurant told the party organizers we weren’t welcome back.
A different party, several younger guys started dueling with umbrellas like swords and were asked to leave.
Image source: exscapegoat
#58
We no longer got an open bar at a Christmas party where we rented out a ballroom at a hotel. This was because someone got so drunk they crawled under the stage and passed out. Passed out so hard they awoke the next morning and crawled out from under it making the worst hangover noises.
This frightened and concerned the wedding that was happening the morning after in the same ballroom.
Image source: OnBlueberryHill
#59
Mid 2000’s. At the company Christmas party with a $20 limit for gifts the boss buys a $400 ipod touch for his person, then gets hurt when he receives a hand crocheted oven mitt and changes the whole thing to a yankee swap. This pisses off everyone so the boss then goes down the street and purchases 16 bottles of vodka for maybe 20 employees total to smooth things over. Needless to say, things got out of hand and the last scene I remember is the lady in charge of supplier relations flashing said boss and him taking a picture with his digital camera.
Image source: The_Portlandian
#60
This girl got absolutely plastered. I mean throwing up face down on the sidewalk outside throwing up. A fire truck happened to be driving by and stopped to ask if she was alright. It was a mess.
Image source: perfuzzly
#61
My wife’s former day care had a staff party.
50 young to middle age women getting plastered on an open bar and talking trash or telling fish stories about their boyfriends/husbands.
Image source: KW5625
#62
The owner telling the only black employee that he’s “never been with a colored girl before”.
Image source: joon-p-bug
#63
At sales kickoff our CRO got wasted and drove a few employees back to the hotel…crashed into a snowbank and was arrested…no one ever spoke of it…he was fired 18 months later for projecting insane sales goals that were no where near what he company was doing…its amazing that being a C level executive just excuses reckless behavior….
Image source: codenameyoshi
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