Have you ever done something odd at work and thought to yourself, “Whoa, that’s beyond unprofessional” or something along these lines? After all, it happens to the best of us.
Since it’s a rather pretty common phenomenon, today we have a whole list of stories about that. Essentially, it’s an entire collection of stories about people being unprofessional in the most entertaining ways. Let’s jump in, shall we?
More info: Reddit
#1
I had a plant super who I really couldnt stand and he didnt like me.
Smarmy back he was.
Think”Yeahhhh, that’d be great.”
He kept pulling me in the office telling me I “wasn’t pulling my weight.”
I asked who was complaining and he wouldnt say, just kept saying the same things, and eventually I realized he was trying to make an example of me to prove he was “tough.”
So, I called HQ and told the head of HR for the company, who was a frequent presence at our facility that if he did not get down here and get this solved that I was going to file a lawsuit for hostile work environment.
He was immediately adamant that I not do that, and he was there the next day sitting down with me and the accuser.
I had copies of all my work proving that I had met all my metrics, and that it was harassment, plain and simple.
Got an acknowledgement from the idiot that I had in fact been doing everything correctly.
With an apology from the corporate head of HR.
The best part?
The idiot was let go 6 months later.
Me?
I worked there another 30 years until I retired.
Image source: big_d_usernametaken, Getty Images
#2
Spent an entire 8 hour day browsing this website
EDIT: pretty good day at the office… What’d you do today?
I was a lab supervisor… most days were really busy, but there were days when projects were completed, and my techs didn’t have any issues with their projects, so there wasn’t much I could do.
Image source: anon, Firmbee.com
#3
I watched my boss lie in a meeting, and pass blame to a subordinate. Said subordinate was later written up and quit randomly. .
Image source: Signal-Process-1348, Curated Lifestyle
In a way, the workplace is a lot different than the rest of your life. By this, we mean that it has certainly different rules, or in other words, it requires professionalism. When it has its own name, it might seem that it’s pretty cut and dried on what kind of rules an employee should follow in the workplace.
And, of course, it does suggest how one should act, but it’s only a rough idea and not an exact set of rules. The latter usually depends on each workplace, its values, and people.
#4
I worked my second real day at a retail job when I was in my early 20s, was at the cash register one day. Dealt with an irate customer who decided to throw coins at the counter so I had to pick them up off the floor. I asked her to stop, she continued and called me a name at which point I threw all of their merchandise on the ground from the counter, walked out. Never came back, even to pick up what little money I had earned of a paycheck. Just left the awful customer, the counter and the store to handle itself.
Image source: vesnapukanic, Getty Images
#5
I work in a male dominated field, so I’ve had to put up with some stuff…
1. Male coworker grabbed the back of my slacks as I was sitting down, facing away from him. He said, out loud, that he wanted to see what color underwear I was wearing.
2. Male supervisor sent me a text message saying that he would like to show me what his tongue could do. I handed my phone to my other male coworkers so they could see what I got to deal with and what a slime the guy was.
Image source: thebitchycoworker, Getty Images
#6
I was cornered at my desk by a coworker asking if I had a problem with her. Asked what was wrong, she said “Don’t play that game, you know.” and that we’d be meeting HR at 3. It was quashed by management pretty quickly, but to this day I have no earthly idea what set her off.
But I *do* have a problem with her now.
Image source: almighty_smiley, Campaign Creators
It doesn’t mean that the difference between professionalism in each company is worlds apart; it just means that they all tolerate different levels and approaches to it.
Still, there are certain things that are pretty unprofessional, no matter which company you are going to ask. Things like tardiness are frowned upon everywhere. Granted, some places might look at it a little easier, while others might highly punish it, but the fact that it doesn’t look good anywhere stands.
#7
I use to work at a sports store and on a really slow day we received a new supply of crossbows. These crossbows were so awesome that I just had to shoot it, so I run to my manager who I was really close to and I say, “Do you wanna shoot at stuff with these crossbows?! Before you say no, just think about how awesome it’ll be!” His response was “Yeah I wanna shoot stuff with the crossbows!” So we grabbed a bunch of broken or flawed items we couldn’t sell any more and just shot at them for the rest of our shift. One of the best days at work ever.
TL;DR- I spent a whole day shooting crossbows with my boss
EDIT: One word too many.
Image source: anon, Craig Lovelidge
#8
I worked at a pool, and anytime it got hazy, or looked like it was going to rain, we would have someone go out and bang on the dumpster because it sounded like thunder. Hello, break-time.
Edit; I receive the most up-votes when I do jerky stuff, hmm…
Image source: Tondor, Mihály Köles
#9
My old boss once told a girl she’d make a good exotic dancer on TWO occasions, then his son called a young black coworker the N word in front of us and the boss gathered us together and told everyone that “it never happened”, then he told everyone he couldn’t give out raises this year then proceeded to buy himself and his brother both Maseratis. I hate that guy.
Image source: Empty-Inspection4342, Getty Images
Similarly, an untidy appearance isn’t a sign of professionalism anywhere. It doesn’t mean that you have to wear a suit every single day (unless your specific profession requires it), it just means that you should wear tidy clothes that fit your workplace’s dress code. Maybe avoid flip flops, joggers, and stuff like that, you get the gist.
But these examples are pretty common sense, aren’t they? So, in addition to them, we decided to serve you more specific and less common ones as well. Just take a look at our list – it’s full of people opening up about the times they were unprofessional at their work.
#10
I had a supervisor give made up bad references so she wouldn’t have to fill my position when I left. In 4 years I couldn’t figure out why my performance evals were exemplary but no one would hire me. When I found out what she was doing I started using her boss as my reference and was offered the first job I applied for.
Image source: RottingGudetama, Microsoft Edge
#11
As a caddy, I was told not to touch the grips of a golf club, because “my sweat is different from his sweat.” I rubbed the grips on my privates when he wasn’t looking.
Image source: RedditRuinedMyGrades, Frederik Rosar
#12
I put tape on my coworkers mouse.
Image source: presaging, Curated Lifestyle
Are the stories specific enough for you? Maybe you have something similar to share yourself? Please do in the comments!
But not before we discuss why professionalism is so important in the first place. You see, essentially, unprofessional workplace behavior is frustrating for everyone around. And over time, it can nip the team spirit in the bud, reduce productivity, and even cause high employee turnover.
Of course, there are always reasons why a person behaves unprofessionally in a workplace. It can be a toxic work environment, poor management, burnout, or an employee’s neurodivergence – there are plenty of options for what it can be.
#13
I was 18 or 19, smoked with the new owner while we were working, ( I was a delivery driver and it was his idea) then he handed me $60 said take him to the liquor store down the street. Proceeded to get a 12pk of coronas and sit in the back drinking them. He handed me another 100 when a delivery order popped up and told me i couldnt drive the last two hours of my shift and to just hang out with him.
His wife whom he was avoiding came in, found him drunk and dragged him home. Needless to say she came to work with him every day after 🤣 i miss you Mr. Patel!
Image source: Inevitable-Pie-724, Victória Kubiaki
#14
Not a coworker, but a sales representative that came to our office. He took my “department” (a grand total of 2, including me) out to lunch. And then out of nowhere began talking about how he and his wife had separated and maybe heading for divorce and just all the details about that had culminated in that. The most awkward business lunch I’ve ever had by a long shot.
Image source: eaglescout1984, pressfoto
#15
Installed cable for a while, one day I was training a new kid and saw him snatch a wad of cash from an old lady’s dresser.
After I saw that I told him we had to go back to the warehouse to pick up some equipment I needed, and when we arrived I told him to hang out in the truck and I’d go pick up the gear and come right back so we could hurry back to the site. Went in and called the police then the supervisor to tell him what happened. I waited in the truck saying the warehouse manager was having trouble with finding what I asked for until the police arrived,then I took the money and I gave the police the address of the woman who he stole from. Went back and told her, along with the police, what happened, finished the job and never saw that kid again.
Image source: Navett, Getty Images
And as long as they’re addressed on time, they can be solved without hurting both the employee and the company too much.
Even if those problems manifest themselves as unprofessionalism, like in any of today’s stories, hope is still not lost. As long as the employee understands their fault and can improve from that point on without it becoming a recurring thing – it’s all good.
#16
I worked at a pizza place and the owner, a mildly overweight greek dude in his 40s, lived upstairs and would occasionally drunkenly come stumbling down to the kitchen in his underwear (tighty whities) and tell us to “cook him up a rack of ribs”. The kitchen was visible from the dining room.
Image source: anon, Julia Michelle
#17
Worked at a popular clothing retail store in the mall back in high school. One of the ones where the staff wears earpieces & walkie-talkies to communicate with each other and the people in the inventory area.
One afternoon on a busy Saturday, one of my co-workers – lets call her “Beth” – was M.I.A for like 15 minutes. My manager, trying to find her to help on the floor, called over the headset (reminder, every employee can hear this)
“Hey, Beth, where are you? We could use some help out here.”
… silence for a few seconds. Manager again: “Has anyone seen Beth anywhere?”
After a few more seconds of silence, Beth responds, and I mean yells into the headset “IM IN A TOILET, JUS GIVE ME A MINUTE”
Now every employee can barely keep it together, in a packed store with customers everywhere. Hilarious, but highly unprofessional.
#18
Two co-workers flat out left for two hours when our assembly line went down for 20minutes. They left got high and didnt bring me any of the beef jerky they promised.
Image source: StriveforFive, Arno Senoner
#19
One night while working at a call center the phone system went out…the nationwide phone system
Since none of the reps could take calls within five minutes it was like the Lord of the Flies at the center with reps running all over the place hooting and hollering for two hours
These co-workers who up til then I had only seen quiet and wore down from taking horrific calls all day turned into animals once they knew they were free
This lasted until our shift ended at 1am(and wasn’t fixed til nearly noon the next day)
How they kept that from hitting the papers I’ll never know(this was a major telecommunication company).
Image source: smilingonion, Alex Kotliarskyi
#20
I was a lifeguard. I worked with this guy who insisted on wearing a wetsuit while guarding. He was just generally weird. He would saw logs between his legs on free time and when he said he was going to the bathroom would come back a half hour later with his upper lip stained with slushie. Way too many stories to tell. Anyway Tim is guarding the deep swimming area and a kid starts to get tired and clearly needs help. We scream to him “tim help him!” he slowly looks up looks back at us, sighs takes off his towel stands up. Reaches under his chair to get goggles.
Keep in mind this is all while his kid is about to become an active drowner.
He puts he goggles on and starts adjusting. While this is going on one of the other guards saw Tim taking his sweet time, ran down the dock, jumped in the water and helped the kid out.
Tim was kept on special details around the area from then on.
Image source: ClearlyDoesntGetIt, isi martínez
#21
I used to work in a call centre. I used to patch irate customers through to my firends’ mobiles.
Good times.
Image source: n0solace, Berkeley Communications
#22
Had a coworker spread rumors they slept with another coworker. Which was humorous for her and I because we were hanging out during the timeframe he claimed he was happening.
Image source: Scottyjscizzle, freepik
#23
I worked at Lowes and someone left a rusty bmx bike outside behind the concrete pallet. So I took the bike, spray painted it neon green and hid it in the lumber dept. A few hours later I found a box from a water tank and turned it into a robot costume. Costume and bike at my disposal I rode around the store for a few minutes getting laughs out of everyone. And then I got fired.
Image source: anon, Maxim Yuryshev
#24
I use to work at a grocery store. I still do but I used to too. A fat kid stole a tv dinner, warmed it up in the microwave in the breakroom, climbed up into the ceiling through those removable panels to eat it and fell through onto the breakroom floor below. He broke a table and created a huge mess that someone else had to clean. Didn’t even get fired.
Image source: comparativelysane, Franki Chamaki
#25
I work at a daycare and after work on a Friday night my buddies and I went and cooked pot brownies in the kitchen because we didn’t want our place to smell bad.
Image source: Always_Observing, Gautam Arora
#26
I used to work at one of the top pizza chains some years ago. We had one employee who had a “Don’t care” attitude. He did his job but sometimes he would do odd things.
The worst was picking up the phone and told a potential customer “[Pizza Chain Name], go to hell” then hung up the phone and continued working like nothing happened.
Image source: DD225, Oscar Ramirez
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