14 Office Stories That Are More Entertaining Than “The Office” TV Show

We spend so much time at work that we unwillingly become aware of all details of our coworkers’ personal lives and know the name of the cat of the client who calls 17 times a day. And even though workdays often similar to each other, there is a place for funny and weird stories that are worth sharing online.

• I recently overheard a very amusing conversation at work. Our accountant, an older woman who had been working in our company for a very long time, was sitting in her office. Our boss came up to her with a cup of coffee and asked with a smile, “You have worked in my company for more than 10 years, but for all this time you have never asked for a pay rise. Are you involved in some shady secrets?” She was fired the same day. © Ward 6 / VK
• We had a guy come to interview for a job recently, and I was quite surprised at the way his eyes were lit up. Apparently he really wanted the job, and he was a good fit for us. We chatted, he asked a lot of questions, and we agreed that he could start on Monday.
  But on Monday, he didn’t come to the office and didn’t answer his phone. On Friday, he showed up. He wrote that he didn’t feel like working, but instead he wanted to lie on the sofa with a laptop and ice cream. I can understand him very well, so I don’t judge at all. © Ward 6 / VK

• A coworker told me that his friend, let’s say Dan, who worked in the IT department of the revenue agency, received a good offer from a large company. Just in case, he didn’t tell anyone about it.
  When he wrote a letter of resignation, the deputy director of the agency who supervised the department called him to his office and said, “Tell me, Dan, where are you going? After all, we have worked together for so many years. Maybe I also want to change the sphere of activity. Yes, don’t be afraid, I’m only asking for myself.”
  Dan told him the name of the company. They said goodbye, Dan resigned, and the next morning came to his new place of work. And they turned him down there, “We don’t want to have problems with the revenue agency. The deputy director called us and said that if we hire you, we’ll have a lot of problems.”
  So Dan ended up with nothing. The only good thing was that the deputy director was removed from his position 6 months later because he had made a mistake somewhere. © PolAnd1234 / Pikabu

• I’ve made it a habit of going to a job search website once a month. I check on salaries, what companies are out there, what they offer. I keep my CV up to date, but I usually don’t apply for any vacancies. I changed my job a few months ago, and I’m fine with everything.
  On the weekend, I decided to take a pick and saw a vacancy. I fitted the requirements, the salary was 50% more than mine. I had no plans of changing my job in the near future, but 50% increase played its role, I applied. And on Tuesday, the HR manager called me and was like, “I saw your application.” I didn’t even realize at first what it was about, what application, what she saw.
  It turned out that I applied to our company but under the different name and the vacancy was fake. It was embarrassing, that’s a fact. I told her honestly that I applied because they offered more money.
  Of course, the management found out about it. But what the hell is this new culture that it’s forbidden to look around? It’s the market. Just as you are looking for staff, we are looking for companies with better working conditions. © oksana1050 / Pikabu
• Manager: Hey, I sometimes noticed you clock in and then use the bathroom. Can you wait to clock in until after, or at least get some things done beforehand?
  Me: Get me what you said signed and in writing, so I know what exactly I’m agreeing too.
  Spoiler: they didn’t.
  Manager: Hey, we sometimes noticed you take too long in the bathroom, that needs to stop. Or at least go on your break.
  Me: Who’s keeping track of my bowel movements? And what exactly is an appropriate time? If you could let me know signed and in writing the appropriate times, duration, and who to report to for accountability, I’d appreciate that.
  Spoiler: they didn’t. © teahman / Reddit

• Not long ago, I started an internship in one of the city pharmacies. I’m in my second year of medical school, so it’s good for me to get experience and practice. We often have really funny customers in our pharmacy.
  The other day a man came and said, “Miss, give me white pills, please!” I didn’t understand what he wanted, but calmly replied, “We have a lot of them, specify, please.” He said, “I’ll have one, please!” Good thing I had a pharmacist on shift with me who knew this man. © Ward 6 / VK
• At work, the boss has been trying to hit on me for a long time, saying that I have beautiful legs. I got tired of his compliments and decided to stop it.
  I didn’t shave my legs for 2 weeks and then came to work wearing a short skirt. I thought it would scare him away, but he said he liked it even better. Should I quit? © Ward 6 / VK
• I was asked, “How many children do you have?” I said, “29.” They asked about my own children, but I’m a teacher. I said that on autopilot. © Ward 6 / VK

• At a team building, I pushed Olivia in admiration:
  — Look, how great Nick’s performance was!
  — Yeah, I’ll tell him that at home.
  — At home? So you two are together?
  — Yeah, we’ve been married for 5 years.
  — I would never say that by the way you behave at work: you come at different times, don’t talk to each other, you don’t have lunch together.
  — Mary, I sleep with him, I have breakfast with him, I have dinner with him. Can’t I at least have lunch without him? © MadTillDead / Pikabu

• 8 years ago, I worked in a small advertising agency. Among my coworkers was a designer, Mike, who took a shower in the office toilet. He reasoned that he lived in a dormitory and was afraid to use the shower there, because it was very dirty. There was always a wet towel of terrible colors hanging on his chair.
  And yes, he did his laundry in the office, too. And after that he would dry his underwear and socks on the radiator, in public view, without the slightest embarrassment. And he was very indignant when the director made him put it all away, because the clients were surprised to see this, to put it mildly. “They haven’t dried out yet,” he muttered, “They’re going to smell bad now.” © Luanna Kira / ADME
• I had a coworker, we had a good relationship. But every time we went to the canteen for lunch, I’d get a glass of juice, and she’d always ask me for a sip at the end.
  Why should she buy it? She wouldn’t drink the whole glass, but she could have a sip from mine. It was really annoying. © Marisha from Paris / ADME

• I had a coworker who liked to taste my food. Once I brought pasta with porcini mushrooms and cream. So he came in, saying, “What is it so nice you have?”
  He grabs a spoon and starts eating, and suddenly his face changes, “Are those mushrooms?” He ran out of the office to the toilet. He doesn’t eat mushrooms. What a pity! © la / ADME
• A young woman started working in our library. I don’t know where our boss found her, but she was a graduate of a university and was expected to know what she was doing. In fact, it turned out to be the opposite: she scared away readers, rocked on a chair and fell down, was instructed to glue pockets on new arrivals — everything was in glue.
  On the fourth day, she simply didn’t come to work. 3 days later, we called her. Her grandmother picked up the phone and said, “Our Nataly is too good to work for you.” © Geriknas / ADME

And here are some stories that prove office life can be full of drama.