Your worst work story!

[Loa]

Do you have one of THOSE stories that you share to compare how bad your workplace is?

Tell them here!

[slj84]

I get peed on, on a regular basis... And sometime my patients wanna eat me!

Click the spoiler if you have a strong stomach....

Spoiler

one time we had someone bring in a lab that was ill.  The xrays showed his stomach was full of something, but we didn't know what.  Lucky me found out as the dog vomitted up another animals intestines.  It's one of the only things that has made me vomit at work.  Now when ever something has that same smell to it as that I start dry heaving 

[zombienixon]

Well, mine isn't so much bad as it is just plain aggravating.  I work as a drafter (with some design capacity) in a plant that makes cutting tools (drills, reamers, etc.).  We've recently gotten a large quantity of orders from a customer that wants to get the tools as fast as possible.

As some of these tools require special material that has to be designed and ordered from an outside vendor before we can begin work on them ourselves, we started working on the prints even before we got an order, to get them out faster.

As usually happens whenever we have a big rush project like this, it all started going to crap.  For starters, the customer started making changes to the tools.  This is annoying for several reasons, the first being that they should really have some idea of what they actually want before placing an order. Second, changing a tool diameter can make previously ordered material unusable (and this material is not cheap). Third, we have to go in and change a bunch of drawings and file names to have the current revision. Worst of all, we use a tabulated chart on drawings we send to a customer to sign off on, so changing one tool on that chart changes the revision for all of the tools on the chart. 

I eventually learned that the changes are because we are making tools for a customer that is making a machine for an end user.  The end user is wanting this machine quickly but is being sketchy on the details, so they have to figure it out as they go along.  Our customer then goes to us and is basically like: "We don't know what we want, but we want it now!"

Making matters worse, the man who made the drawing that the customer signed off on is a complete idiot. He managed put down incorrect diameters (which as you might imagine is kind of important on a drill) for several tools.  As I and my co-workers go off of these prints when we start to make our drawings, it's important that they are correct. And after this and other incredibly stupid (but also very funny) errors, it's hard to trust anything with this guy's name on it.

Topping it all off, two of the tools I was assigned either will not work as specified by the customer, or have an unsatisfactory design.  Both of them are due to the customer not being able to do basic math.

We're starting to get it all under control now, but this has been one of the most ridiculous situations I've had at work.

[Tigerlilyx]

I had a female boss who is borderline psychotic to work with.

I was an intern for a concert promoter company for 3 months and I quit early because the workplace is so unbelievably toxic that I was feeling depressed. Plenty of things happened but that would take up the entire thread! Basically my boss and the marketing manager are a bunch of passive aggressive bigots (both of them are siblings, hooray) who will squeeze as much labour out of you and there was zero communication in the office - a dead silent office isn't a good thing. The boss also went to talk about me negatively behind my back to my full-time colleagues; I didn't know till one of my colleagues showed me her text messages. Instead of addressing any sort of work-related problems she might have with me like any normal employer would, she rather rant it out to my colleagues. Ironic because every time I completed a given task and ask for her feedback/critique, she'll say "oh no it's great!".

Only after leaving I found out that the boss and her company have a nasty reputation in the music industry for being intolerable and crazy to work with. Explains why the staff turnover rate was so high! The only reason why everyone puts up with them is because they're one of the biggest established concert promoters in asia (they brought in big acts like Justin Bieber, Metallica etc..)

[Princess Lala]

OMG. I have one!!!

I work overnights at Walfart, er.... Walmart LOL and our Co-Manager became head over overnights where he works 4 straight days and then has 4days off, pattern continues. He is your stereotypical african-american business man in a suit that HATES germs or anything gross. He really favors me because I knock all the freight out fast and work multiple areas, then I "zone" or tidy up those areas. I work about 2-4 depts a night like Grocery isles, HBA, toys, stationary/crafts, and even electronics. He calls me a super worker, both my husband and I. As some you know im veg which means I have a HIGH fiber diet and I continously eat. Inbetween my two hour breaks, I usually HAVE to go poop. At least once every 4 hours or so. Well Mr. Manager, lets call him K, loves to stand in electronics all day and have us call extensions via the work phone to see how we are doing versus walking around. He ALWAYS paged me over the intercom to call extension 105   alllll the time when I was pooping. Yup. See.... electronics is right next to the closest bathroom and I know that he sees me RUN to the bathrooms when i got the diglets. One time I was going to the bathroom and he paged me several times. I got fed up. I walked up to him and said, "K. Hows come everytime I go to the bathroom to poop, you page me!? This is the 5th time in a row! I cant pinch that fast! You know I eat nothing bit grass and stuff so from now on if you see me run to the bathroom please dont page me." He had this gross, discusted look on his face and said," Lord forbid I know what you are doing in there or I wouldnt page you! Im sorry!"

So he stops paging me and continues to page everyone else... "so-and-so call ext 105".....over the intercom. Once I was working in infants which is next door to electronics and he actually would walk to my dept and ask how im doing with the freight in person because he didnt know if I was pooping or not and didnt wanna call me. Weeelllll...... i had NO idea he was standing next to me when I was bending over to stock the sippy cups and I let a ripe juicy one loose. Yup. A big nasty fart. I just went to the restroom before and did my business so it was loud and proud. I hear K all of a sudden say, "UH thats NASTY!"  and makes a gross face and runs off. I BUST out laughing so hard. He NEVER bothered me again. EVER! I actually saw him working at another store today LOLOLOLOL maybe I scared him off! The other employees always talk about how I farted near him without me noticing LOL. I never got in trouble at all either for any of that LOLOLOL.

Not very princess-like to fart  in public that that but I thought I was alone, I SWEAR! xD

[Dainty]

Well, I do art and image editing for a design company, it's small as in my two bosses and me, and oh my god they love to do this thing where they stand over my shoulder as i'm editing, like I'll go edit a mask file and theyll be all "why's it all white and black?? that's completely wrong!" or all put up guides and theyll be all "why did you put those blue lines on it??" etc.... like jeez its not going to look right until it's done!

[Beldarna]

I've worked retail for years so I have plenty of stories, but the worst one happened last fall. I work at a movietheatre and besides selling tickets and concession we also have to check the toilets, refill papers and soap etc. One evening it was just me and two coworkers when a customer came up saying it smells really bad of poop from one of the stalls in the ladies restroom. Me being the only female staff on duty had to check it out. Turned out somebody had pooped on the floor and smeared it allover and finally left a nasty pile of toiletpaperpoop at the wall. Considering the day of the week and time in the evening it had to be an adult doing that. I was also the one who had to clean it up.. I can easily say I've never hated my life or people as much as I did that evening.

[banditpony]

I work in a department of all girls... Oh, the drama. Does that count? Actually the worst person is an older women. Every one else is oblivious or just ignores everyone

Hazards... One job I was expected to stop a dryer (for laundry) with my hands. One day my hand slipped and almost lost my hand (I was ok). I refused after that.
Another time I worked where there was a giant heater and no ventilation. I didn't realize til the end of the day that I felt messed up.
Or... Not as bad. We would get icicles on our sweatshirt.
Or people demanding I get ice off their mirror, but I had no tools and had to do it with my hand.
Or other coworkers would go leave to smoke whatever and I had to do wxrta work and still split tips.

Very shady car wash. My first job...

Edit. Sorry if there are typos or nonsense words. On phone

[Kiwi]

One of the best was I emailed a student about something, and asked them to response.
They forwarded my email to the program coordinator saying "here's my answer, I don't have her email address, can you pass this along to her"... with my full original email below *blink* Can find the Forward button but not the Reply button?

[kaoskat]

Yikes! Those are some bad days!

[Tigerlilyx]

Your post made me laugh so hard 

"Lord forbid I know what you are doing in there"
"uh that's nasty"

OMG. I have one!!!

I work overnights at Walfart, er.... Walmart LOL and our Co-Manager became head over overnights where he works 4 straight days and then has 4days off, pattern continues. He is your stereotypical african-american business man in a suit that HATES germs or anything gross. He really favors me because I knock all the freight out fast and work multiple areas, then I "zone" or tidy up those areas. I work about 2-4 depts a night like Grocery isles, HBA, toys, stationary/crafts, and even electronics. He calls me a super worker, both my husband and I. As some you know im veg which means I have a HIGH fiber diet and I continously eat. Inbetween my two hour breaks, I usually HAVE to go poop. At least once every 4 hours or so. Well Mr. Manager, lets call him K, loves to stand in electronics all day and have us call extensions via the work phone to see how we are doing versus walking around. He ALWAYS paged me over the intercom to call extension 105   alllll the time when I was pooping. Yup. See.... electronics is right next to the closest bathroom and I know that he sees me RUN to the bathrooms when i got the diglets. One time I was going to the bathroom and he paged me several times. I got fed up. I walked up to him and said, "K. Hows come everytime I go to the bathroom to poop, you page me!? This is the 5th time in a row! I cant pinch that fast! You know I eat nothing bit grass and stuff so from now on if you see me run to the bathroom please dont page me." He had this gross, discusted look on his face and said," Lord forbid I know what you are doing in there or I wouldnt page you! Im sorry!"

So he stops paging me and continues to page everyone else... "so-and-so call ext 105".....over the intercom. Once I was working in infants which is next door to electronics and he actually would walk to my dept and ask how im doing with the freight in person because he didnt know if I was pooping or not and didnt wanna call me. Weeelllll...... i had NO idea he was standing next to me when I was bending over to stock the sippy cups and I let a ripe juicy one loose. Yup. A big nasty fart. I just went to the restroom before and did my business so it was loud and proud. I hear K all of a sudden say, "UH thats NASTY!"  and makes a gross face and runs off. I BUST out laughing so hard. He NEVER bothered me again. EVER! I actually saw him working at another store today LOLOLOLOL maybe I scared him off! The other employees always talk about how I farted near him without me noticing LOL. I never got in trouble at all either for any of that LOLOLOL.

Not very princess-like to fart  in public that that but I thought I was alone, I SWEAR! xD

[pinkkittywinks]

I've worked retail for years so I have plenty of stories, but the worst one happened last fall. I work at a movietheatre and besides selling tickets and concession we also have to check the toilets, refill papers and soap etc. One evening it was just me and two coworkers when a customer came up saying it smells really bad of poop from one of the stalls in the ladies restroom. Me being the only female staff on duty had to check it out. Turned out somebody had pooped on the floor and smeared it allover and finally left a nasty pile of toiletpaperpoop at the wall. Considering the day of the week and time in the evening it had to be an adult doing that. I was also the one who had to clean it up.. I can easily say I've never hated my life or people as much as I did that evening.

Yep! Been there and cleaned up similar.

I worked in retail for 15 years and most of my stories are REALLY gross and not PG13.

It is beggars belief what customers do and get away with

Love pkw xxx

[northstar3184]

Well, I wasn't an employee yet at the time. In fact it was my first day volunteering at the shelter. I was given a list of dogs to walk and took the first one outside. After we played in the dog run for a bit, I reached into my pocket to get my winter gloves and the list of dogs to walk fell out. The dog I was walking came running over picked up the list and ate it. So I had to go back in and explain that I didn't know who else I was supposed to walk because the first dog I took out ate my list. In the next 2 hours, I also stepped in dog crap a couple times and managed to lock myself outside.

[fingerpaints]

I don't have one story but many smaller ones. I worked security for years, and when I started out I did a lot of bouncing and event type work. I have been scratched, pissed on, spat on and even had to perform cpr on an od at a concert.

I now work in childcare, so the nasty stuff gets worse lol. On a very regular basis (sometimes daily, but sometimes I may have a day or two incident free) I have been vomited on (yesterday was the last vomit that landed directly on me) urinated on, sometimes I have been pooped on, I also work with quiet a few additional needs children which I absolutely love, but at times they can and will lash out. Its rare a day goes by I am not hit, kicked, scratched or bitten. I had one do all that in the space of a couple of minutes yesterday whilst I tried to change his nappy. Unfortunately most of the girls I work with have no idea how to handle these children, they are either scared of them or can be too confronting for them which can make a bad situation esculate quickly.

I think the worst few moments were being projectile vomited on, and pretty much my front from the neck down, including my arms, was covered in vomit. I vomited myself once trying to clean poo out of a pair of undies. Nobody should have to do that, and if I was a parent I feel the jocks would go straight in the bin. And lastly I had one child rip their nappy off and swing it around their head like a lassoo, I have never been so glad NOT to see poo in a nappy before or after.

[daffodil101]

Well, I won't share my worst days, as most of the traumas I go through at work are related to my own mental and physical health problems and struggling to get through the day, which isn't really interesting to write about.  I have some awful stories but as I'm having an alright day today don't really want to go there! So I'll just share some memorable occasions of dealing with the unexpected at work.
I work in the Cheesecake shop, and my most interesting days have been the ones where animals came in.  We've had a few over the years.  Once a chicken walked in, and since the shop is on this weird little island block all by itself, there's no way the chicken could have got in and NOT crossed at least one road.  We managed to trap it in the corner behind the door (all the walls are glass so it wasn't freaking out) and called the RSPCA.  I mean we couldn't just let it wander off, because no chicken is THAT lucky, especially since the store front is a major road.  Eventually an old man came around with a towel and just picked it up like a pro and took it home.

There have been a couple of minor animal encounters, we had a stray dog walk through the shop and out the back, presumably the smell of food brought him I guess?  Not that dogs really eat cake, who knows.  There was a sparrow that flew in and couldn't figure out how to escape-- we eventually turned all the lights off hoping he's fly out into the sunlight.

My favourite was this gorgeous husky.  He was so beautiful!  Really well behaved, obviously not a stray.  We tied him up to one of the benches with an old apron and called the number on his collar, which went to some loca council who in turn got in touch with the owners.  Half an hour later a very relieved woman turned up, we found out the dog's name was Bandit (aww!!) and he got out under the fence. 

As for people, the best one was this rather crazy guy who came in with a half-eaten cheesecake, waving his arms around and complaining it was 'too sweet' and demanding a refund.  There was nothing wrong with the cake, he was just a nutter, but he said he was going to scare off customers until he got his money back.  A lady pulled up outside and he ran out and rushed at her waving this cake, the poor woman jumped and ran back to her car and sped off!  I ended up just giving him a refund to get rid of him, but wow, you really do get some crazies!