13 Coworkers Who Made Work a Daily Episode of Drama

Office life is full of surprises, but some coworkers turn everyday work into full-blown drama. These 13 stories from our readers prove that when it comes to workplace chaos, some people truly take it to the next level.

1.

I found out my coworker was reporting everything I said in private convos back to my boss — and not even accurately. I only found out because she slipped up and forwarded me the wrong email.

2.

Our office had a strict no-perfume policy, but I started noticing that every time I came back from lunch, my desk had this overwhelming smell of vanilla. Then it was lavender, and then something musky.

I was losing my mind, convinced someone was messing with my workspace. I finally caught my coworker in the act—she was lightly misting my area “to make it more Zen.” When I asked her why, she admitted she thought I was the one secretly wearing perfume, and she was trying to “balance out” my scent with neutralizers. We’d been unknowingly scent-warring each other for weeks.

3.

My manager started borrowing my phone charger occasionally, which I didn’t mind at first. However, it became frequent, and he even entered my locked office to take it while I was on vacation. To stop this, I installed a lock on the charger. Some coworkers thought I overreacted, but I believe in setting boundaries and respecting personal property.

4.

A coworker asked to crash at my place after a fight with her roommates. I politely declined, valuing my personal space. She then spread rumors at work, accusing me of making her ’homeless.’ Ironically, she was staying with her boyfriend all along. The situation escalated, and she eventually ended up in jail.

5.

Our office was giving out new ergonomic chairs, and one of my coworkers wanted one so badly, she stole mine while I was in the bathroom. I found her sitting at her desk with my new chair, her old one under my desk, and her expression completely neutral. When I pointed it out, she claimed it “came with her job title.”

6.

At our office holiday, everyone was exchanging little gifts. I got a gift bag from my coworker. When I opened the bag, I found three things: a half-burned candle, a cracked mirror and a note that said: “Reflect on your actions.”

No explanation. No smile. She just handed it to me, sat back down, and started chatting with someone else like nothing weird had just happened.

The whole night, I kept wondering if it was some kind of joke I wasn’t getting... or if it was serious. To this day, I still have no clue what I supposedly did to deserve that kind of passive-aggressive present. And honestly? It’s been eating at me way more than it should.

7.

A male coworker reported being harassed by three women during his shift. HR investigated but found no such employees existed. When confronted, he claimed the women communicated with him telepathically. He was sent for a psychological evaluation.

8.

I started receiving “anonymous” tips about my performance, critiquing my outfits and word choices. Finally, I discovered my coworker had been leaving them, claiming they were “sourced from feedback she’d gathered.” When I asked why, she said, “I thought you’d appreciate proactive feedback.”

9.

This past Easter, my coworker Megan gave me a tiny gold egg locket. We weren’t super close, but friendly enough, so I thought it was a sweet gesture.

Last week, I finally figured out how to open a hidden latch inside. Tucked inside was a tiny note: “Stay away.”

Now I can’t stop wondering — was it a joke, a mistake, or has she hated me this whole time?

10.

I kept getting unsolicited “advice” from a coworker who wasn’t even in my department. When I finally asked why, she revealed that her boss had assigned her to secretly “mentor” me to help me “succeed.” I’d had no idea, and neither had my manager!

11.

I started noticing that every time I arrived at work, my coworker was already parked in the spot right next to mine, waiting for me. Then she’d follow me into the building, keeping an odd silence. Finally, I asked her about it, and she casually explained she’d been “monitoring” my arrival time because she felt I was “cutting it too close to 9 AM.” She had even compiled a spreadsheet.

When I reported it, she claimed it was a “team-building accountability tool.” HR had to give a company-wide statement about respecting personal space.

12.

During an ’anonymous’ feedback session, our manager became furious over comments about his temper. Ironically, he shouted, ’I DO NOT SCREAM IN MEETINGS!’ during a meeting.

13.

I spent days preparing a presentation, but the morning of the meeting, my coworker started presenting the same topic ahead of me. When I asked her why, she said she thought my slides were just “ideas for her own presentation.” She hadn’t even bothered to change my name on one of the slides.

Here are some tips on how to handle a toxic person and protect your well-being in challenging situations.