“Co-workers – it’s a matter of liking or not, and these employees have some genuinely valid reasons to explain why they don’t. I can’t imagine having a co-worker like theirs. They are ridiculous! Content has been edited for clarity.
No Offense, But She’s A Terrible Worker
“In my previous job, I was a mid-level manager and I was assigned a small team to lead. This team was composed of four members; three of them were very hard workers who always finished their jobs and tried to learn as much as possible. The fourth one…well, she had to be asked continuously to finish her job, often tried to make others do her job, was late more often than not, would spend hours talking to others, not doing her job and disrupting others. I often asked my boss permission to fire her, but he pitied her because she was a single mother. He also forbade me from ever reprimanding her.
Eventually, I was offered a better-paying job and left the company. After a few months, I was offered a promotion that required me to assemble a team to lead, I could either choose from the company or bring new people.
I decided to contact the hard-working members of my old team and offered them the new job. It was a no-brainer for them; much better pay, much more benefits, better working conditions, and the possibility of WFH most days. They were happy to land a better job together and I was happy to have my old team back.
A couple of days later, the fourth member of my old team called me. She was very angry that I didn’t offer her the job, knowing that as a mother she could use the benefits and working hours. She demanded I hire her too, but I refused.
Since I had no one forbidding me from being honest, I told her that her work ethic and performance were terrible and that hiring her would be worse for me. There were so many more things I wanted to say, but I bit my tongue. She called me some names and hung up.
Later that day I received the weirdest and most stupid call of my career. The HR manager from my former company called me. Apparently, after calling me, my former coworker was angry and upset. HR noticed and asked what was wrong and she told them. So the HR manager called me to reprimand me for making her upset, for treating my team unfairly, and demanding that I either offer her a job in my new company or apologize. I laughed, argued with her for a bit, and hung up.”
“Everyone Was Happy For Me Except ‘Patty'”
“I’m currently 8 months pregnant with my first child. I work as a secretary in the inpatient ward of a hospital. I started working here when I was 19, so, my coworkers are like family.
When I was 4 months pregnant, I told my coworkers who were happy for me, all except ‘Patty’. She didn’t say anything. After a while, she started being friendly with me asking about the baby, my health, and my plans for the future.
I told her my bf and I were getting married and moving in together to be a family. Patty didn’t like this for some reason and started asking me about my opinions on adoption. I said NO, I’d never adopt out my child.
For a few weeks, Patty gave me the silent treatment. Then one night after visiting hours, a couple showed up. I told them that visiting hours were over and that they could see their family member tomorrow.
The woman said, ‘Oh, we’re here to see YOU! We’re so excited to meet you and want to thank you for choosing us to give your baby to!’
I was dumbfounded and shocked until the woman tried to touch my 6-month-pregnant belly. I screamed so loud all of the nurses came running.
The couple tried to explain to security, nurses, and me, that their SIL told them, that I was a young unwed mother desperately trying to give up my baby for adoption and choose them. Their SIL promised them my baby since they have been suffering from infertility for years. I told them that I had no intentions of giving up my baby and to never come near me again. I also told them that I didn’t even know their SIL, but they kept insisting that I did.
The next night Patty came charging up to my desk, screaming at me, about how could I treat her brother and SIL like garbage, after she helped me with my ‘mistake’. I called security and Patty, her brother, and sister-in-law are banned from coming near me or contacting me at work.”
Cheapskate Co-Worker
“I work at the bar attached to a bowling alley. A few months back I had a coworker named ‘Lou’ who was a bit of a problem. He’d call out sick at the last minute with insane excuses, fall asleep on the clock when he was there, and leave early most other nights, but the most frustrating thing he would do was harass the customers for tips.
We have a tip jar right by our register and the understanding is that we don’t expect a tip because we’re just taking orders at that counter and we always split evenly with the kitchen bc they’re doing the real work.
Lou was let go and although he’d show up on the occasional league night. He wasn’t a big problem, even though he’d still beg for a free drink or something. One day he came in, very happy, and asked me to ring him up a pizza, which he complained about the price of, and asked me to give him a cup of tea. I’m feeling generous, so I go ahead and decide to let him have the tea.
While I have my back turned I hear some clanging change in the tip jar. I turned around and noticed the only thing in it was a single dollar bill.
I looked at Lou and said, ‘I know there was a $5 in that jar, Lou’ and just stared at him.
He dropped a five from the wad of money he had in his hands and said ‘Sorry’ and walked away.
Ten minutes later, he came back and had the nerve to ask me for a free refill of the tea I gave him. Told him to buzz off and he literally stood there pouting for three or four minutes before saying he’d pay for the drink I sold to him while he complained about his lack of gas money now bc he had to pay $2.46 for a cup of iced tea.
Decided I was done and texted my boss about the whole thing and he went ahead and told us that Lou was gone for good. I’ll never stop being surprised by some people.”
