With a 2023 survey of 5,902 Americans, the Pew Research Center reinforced the idea that workplace relationships play a major role in our overall satisfaction with our jobs.

That means even if employees aren’t entirely happy with their salary, workload, or career opportunities, the people around them can still make their days at the office worthwhile.

At the same time, however, unnecessary drama, lack of support, and just poor communication in general can overshadow all the positive aspects of the job and significantly reduce employee happiness.

So in an attempt to remind ourselves to stay aware of each other, let’s take a look at a recent online discussion. It started when Reddit user Puzzleheaded_Eye8358 asked everyone on the platform to share the craziest and most inappropriate things a colleague has said to them in the workplace.

#1

“You shouldn’t wear that lipstick, it makes me want to kiss you. You shouldn’t wear that dress.”
Then, when he caught me in the stairwell “can I kiss you?”
He was in his 50s. I was in my 20s. I wanted to vomit.

Image credits: dementian174

#2

When I was in retail, less than 10 minutes after meeting a new manager, she was telling me about her awful period, her marital problems and crying. I handed her tissues and prayed for either customers or for her to stop.

Image credits: _kits_

#3

A coworker sent me an unsolicited picture of her hemorrhoid that was causing her to miss work. We didn’t work in the same office. I had no idea she was missing work.

Image credits: igor6541

#4

A coworker tried to compliment me on being “one of the good immigrants who did it correctly” … I was born and raised in the US.

Image credits: Quirky_Arrival_6133

#5

“Wow, you lost a lot of weight, but at least you kept your tits!”

My two bosses (male and female) laughed when I told them.

Image credits: SteelCupcake254

#6

I used to have a federal job and my supervisor thought it was a good idea to ask me who I voted for in the general election. When I refused, she said she deserved to know, and then I hung up on her. I immediately called a colleague, and there would be a record of her wildly inappropriate question. The next day, she called me in a panic, claiming that her foot hurt, and that was the reason why she asked.

Image credits: Redditress428

#7

At my last job I had a co-worker tell me she thought she had herpes. Then proceeded to show me pictures of her bits with the symptoms. This was while we were on our lunch break…eating our lunch.

Image credits: Life_Lavishness4773

#8

I was 28 or 29, and a man commented on how I should get married and have kids soon because I was “running out of time”

I f*****g hated that guy.

Image credits: Secret_Afternoon8268

#9

I started a new job and I told my hiring manager that I preferred the men’s uniform shirts to the women’s (polo style)

I didn’t give my reasoning but for the sake of any readers this was because; there were buttons on the placket for the mens whereas the women’s were open not even just the normal placket without buttons either, it was a ‘V’ neckline on a polo shirt that was deep enough to show an uncomfortable amount of cleavage (my chest could be described as bountiful) and the length if the men’s were reasonable and didn’t have unnecessary princess seams to make it tighter or a cropped bottom that prevented tucking (I prefer to tuck my work shirts)

The hiring manager responded “you lesbians get crazier and crazier, already wearing pants now you can’t even wear the shirts designed for you??”

I thanked him for his time and walked down to HR (where I had just received my office access card) insisted that I do an exit interview with the lovely lady in the office and then I dropped my shiny new access card and walked away. I had received another job offer the day prior thankfully that I hadn’t responded to yet. Best snap decision I have ever made. I have worked with that company and an amazing team of people for the past seven years now.

Image credits: Busy-Suspect-6278

#10

When ordering uniforms, I told the assistant FOH mgr I needed a size 8 pants. He said he didn’t know they made sizes that big. I felt great after that one.

Image credits: SuitableJelly5149

#11

The person who trained me at my current position once asked, “You don’t change your own oil? Did your dad walk out on your family when you were little or something?”.

Image credits: Working-Ferret-8476

#12

This happened to a friend of mine at her old job, where her manager said to her: “I prefer you to call me ‘sir’ when we’re in bed”.

Image credits: HellowDie_Di72

#13

I was once partnered with a colleague one shift and this was a day after me and my ex had broken up rather messily. It came up in conversation and then he decided it was appropriate to ask if he could buy nudes off me since I’m single now.

Image credits: KindaFaulty

#14

Lol a coworker said that it is isn't possible to be discriminated since we weren't in the South ?.

My boss told me if a black woman has a PhD then she is now apart the privilege class and her race and upbringing didn't matter anymore ?.

I'm so glad I quit last week. This was at a state university where my first supervisor referred to me as a beaner…

Image credits: top_at_being_me

#15

Dispatched for a towing company for almost as a decade. Had a particularly useless driver come in and describe his last customer as a “fat n***er b***h.” Told him to never talk to me again and reported him to management.

Wasn’t even the last time a driver used that word in front of me. I knew I was out of place as a liberal, but goddamn.

Image credits: UnhappyJohnCandy

#16

I was all of 18 and working at a STATE AGENCY. After months of sexual harassment, I resigned. In my last couple of weeks, one of the officers said, “You know we’re going to make love at least once before you leave, right?”.

Image credits: NJHruska

#17

Spent a lot of time communicating with clients over the phone. I was also the only woman in the office, and the youngest by about 20 years. Never saw clients in person. Boss met up with said clients at dinner, then reported back the next day, in front of several coworkers, that they said I had a “sexy voice” and that they wanted to know if I was “hot”.

I’m pretty sure my Boomer boss thought I’d be flattered. When I replied with “oh, and what did you tell them?” he realised that he was in trouble. Whether it was because he realised that it was inappropriate, or because I am very overweight (i.e. not hot) and he may have said that I wasn’t, I don’t know. But he immediately dropped the conversation.

(My coworkers had my back, at least two of them tore shreds off him for being “gross”).

Image credits: Natural_Garbage7674

#18

Former Director of the Lake Erie Research Center told me I was stupid and crazy for being pregnant. Then she regaled me with her stories of when she did research while she was pregnant. But that was different because it was her and she’s special.

Did I mention she is no longer the director?

#19

My first full-time job I worked with an older lady who was a pain in the a*s and had no filter – I was a few months pregnant at the time and had really bad morning sickness, so the smart thing for her to do was accuse me of being anorexic (yes, you read that right, anorexic) bc there were times in the morning she could hear me in the employee’s bathroom. “Um, that’s not anorexicia…” “yes it is, I hear you puking in the morning!!!” I did manage to make her life miserable a year or two later when I quit to go to a much better job – apparently bc of that she “couldn’t” retire and so she was pissed at me ? (she didn’t want to leave them short handed ?).

#20

Worked in a medical transcription pool years ago. One coworker decided it was getting a little hot and stuffy in the room where we were working, about six or eight people and a dozen or so computers. She took her shirt off. She sat there in her bra, doing transcription. It took a while before we could talk her into putting her shirt back on.

We found out much later that she suffered from bipolar disorder and she was on something of a manic episode when she did that.

#21

During a staff meeting my boss told me that we could all be replaced by trained monkeys. It was one of those meetings where one person had royally fu##ked up, but they chose to punish everyone. I told my boss that if she could find a monkey with a Masters Degree in microbiology, so that she could meet regulatory requirements, to go right ahead. She shut the f#ck up.

#22

I had 3 grandparents die in an 8 month period. I was struggling. When I returned to work after the last death (my grandmother who I adored), my supervisor asked if there was anyone left to die.

#23

In my first job in my 20’s, the man I worked for came in one morning and told me “I had a dream about you last night. But I can’t tell you about it” I was thoroughly grossed out and didn’t ask. Another time he had me help him find three hidden files on his computer. They were [adult videos]. He was married with three kids and a pillar of the community. I was so glad when I was able to quit.

Image credits: SoCentralRainImSorry

#24

One of the dishwashers st the restaurant I was a manager of had convinced himself he was in love with me. He would tell me I was pretty, so funny, etc. Didn’t think it was a big deal, as it never seemed threatening. Around Christmas one year, he gave me a “gift” of lace underwear, a box of chocolates & attempted to kiss me (which I did not allow to happen). I let him know it was extremely inappropriate & he should not be doing that to anyone in the workplace He then told me he would quit so that we could be together (idk what reality he was in) & I pretty much assumed he wouldnt be getting the point then or ever. I let HR know, and he got fired immediately.

#25

Older guy that I had trained. He was a complainer, but mostly competent so we tuned it out. He grew up in a local neighborhood and was proud of it.

A new company doctor was introduced, and I went to the presentation, talked a bit to her. Nice lady, seemed competent. Asian heritage.

And old dude, upon hearing her name, said “Oh no. I bet she has a terrible accent.”

Looking him in the eyes, I said “Yeah, it’s really hard to understand her. She grew up in your neighborhood.”

Old guy blushed and suddenly went to get coffee. Our other team member was dying trying to suppress his laughter….

#26

My boss told me he hates wearing long sleeved dress shirts because sometimes when he wipes he gets poo on the sleeve ?.

#27

I worked in a small office of about 20 people. My husband and I, after several years of marriage and very careful saving, were able to buy a very modest house. One of the guys who was about my age and who had a job earning more than me, got married. I didn’t like this guy and while I was polite to him, we rarely spoke much beyond greetings.

About six months after his wedding, he came into my office and told me that his wife and he thought we should be able to loan them the $40k they needed for a down payment on the house they wanted to buy.

#28

Same company, 2 different incidents, 2 different managers:
1) Female manager asked if I would let her kiss me
2) Male manager, while on a business trip and driving a rental car, lights up a joint, takes a hit, and asks me if I want some.

Was not interested in either.

#29

I used to work out in the chemical plants so the “worst” thing said to me was sexual harassment.

Dude offered to help me in the restroom. He was more graphic but I’ll let you use your imagination.

The good thing that came from that was I saw how many people I worked with and around that said it was unacceptable. They helped me file complaints and protected me till he was run off.

#30

I’m black (West Indian black. Not African. There’s a difference) and I was sitting in my office minding my business one day. Our chief financial officer came in during December and screeched “Happy Kwanzaa!!!” I pretended not to hear her. In an effort to make her uncomfortable, which it did. She then said my name, and I was like…what do you mean? She said, “don’t you celebrate Kwanzaa?” I replied, “I never have…didn’t even know that was going on.” And she turned super red and said “oh my gosh I’m sorry!”

I was like, “ok…I’m gonna get back to work now.”.

Image credits: basedmama21

#31

In 1987 I worked as a receptionist and word processor ~ yes that was what secretary was called at the time ~ for a title company that employed 4/5 guys that were a few years older than me. I answered phones and typed up contracts and made copies of legal documents, The owners were 3 middle aged men with wives and children and the rest of the employees were single men in their late 20’s.
Within 6 weeks of working there I was groped, “joked with”, hit on, talked lewd too, told I smelled like I just had sex, told I could make extra money as a stripper at at well known strip club if I lost some weight first, followed into the bathroom and asked to cover for each of them when their side girls called. They would openly talk about their sexual conquests and discuss who had herpes which at the time was a major big deal and topic of conversation.
I finally got the guts to complain in tears to one of the bosses who seemed horrified of the things I was telling him at the time. He assured me he would do something about it and apologized profusely. That was a Friday, he told me to take off the rest of the day and Monday since I was so upset and he would handle it. I was so hopeful and relieved I remember thinking that I would be able to come to work the next week and not worry about what I was going to have to deal with.
On the following Tuesday I came in to the office eager to get on the right foot and found my desk empty. My stuff was in a box in the break room. Seems I was temporarily reassigned. Also I found out that on after I left on Friday he had called in the jerks all together and they as a group did not deny their behavior but claimed that because I had laughed at the time and not complained when it the events happened that I was as much to blame and therefore couldn’t work with them. By the next day I was replaced and by Friday, my position had been eliminated.

Image credits: professorlololman

#32

“Girl Scouts is a faith-based organization.”

It absolutely is f*****g NOT. Girl Scouts is for everyone. Religion is not involved and should not be involved. Literally anyone who has ever worked for any Girl Scout council for more than two minutes should know that.

Long story short, this is how she tried to justify having us pray to Jesus Christ Our Lord And Savior IN STAFF MEETINGS. And then *that* is how the vice president of HR had to drive across the state of Georgia to physically visit every council office and have a meeting about how you really, really cannot do that. Because I dimed that s**t immediately. Don’t f**k with my Girl Scouts.

#33

The boss said, “The only difference between me and your boyfriend is that I’ll leave you a 300 dollar tip.”.

#34

I worked at DG. Guy came in drunk all the time. Bar was next door and we were used to his s**t.

He came in one night with his daughter and grand daughter, so he was in his late 50’s for sure. He was older than me by like 30 years. He asked me to come help them find the jello. As soon as I got over there, he put his arm around my waist, and started saying dirty things to me. I don’t even remember what he said.

I stepped back and said I had a gf, wasn’t interested. I don’t fight or flight, I freeze. And he said he could change my mind.

My manager the next day told me to be more assertive… and that I liked the attention… yeah, thanks.

Store manager said I could ban him myself. She was way better. I got to two days later and he said he could persuade my boss to let him return. I said if he came back, I would call the police.

Felt good banning him.

#35

We had an “all day staff meeting,” mandatory, and actually a retreat. Basically it was an all day party. It was at a higher ups gorgeous house on the water. I was brand new. I got a ride with a coworker.

I had no idea hot tubs can “assist” you along when drinking. Also I never ate breakfast. So I’m in the hot tub, drinking, jumping into the water to cool off and back into the hot tub. I got pretty tipsy. Yeah, I ate but it was too late. I was the life of the party there for awhile. I probably would have been embarrassed the next day. But my behavior wasn’t that bad.

My ride told me it was time to leave. So I went into the changing bedroom. I was by buck a*s naked when my boss came in. I quickly grabbed a towel and covered up. He took a few steps and kissed me. I was drunk, in my 20’s. This was my first SA. I said something about my ride. About he couldn’t be in here, “everyone would know.” He was married.

Eventually he left. I NEVER encouraged him.

I got dressed. This blew me away. Now I’m totally drunk. I leave with my ride.

#36

I’ll never forget a fellow teacher saying to me, in the midst of his wife ( a former student of his when they lived in a nearby state) filing for divorce “ The most discriminated against group in America are white males.” I disagreed with him. He later lost his job and career due to some disclosed improper behavior with a younger female a few years back.

#37

About 8 months pregnant with my first kid, co-worker said ” You sure there’s only one baby in there??”
Am fat but ffs, not something you say to a preggo.

Second was an interview, guy asked me if I was planning on having anymore kids. Lmao, not illegal but hugely inappropriate.

#38

“You’re mean and selfish” because I told her to stop getting in my desk drawer and stealing my pens (bought with my own money because I didn’t like what was supplied).

Worse was another coworker was told by a different coworker “I hope you die in a car accident” because she refused to lie for him.

Another co worker stole something from me, turned me in for harassment when I asked her to not do it again (I told her she could keep what she took and I would have given it to her had she asked). She then unalived herself shortly thereafter and everyone gave me the cold shoulder for months because I “upset her”.

I work in a very traumatized and messed up place. I’ve got a few years and then I can retire. My job isn’t readily found or I’d leave. I just try to do good work, be kind, have healthy boundaries and leave it at work.

#39

I had a coworker tell me I should be “dancing the poles”. Twice. :(.

#40

I was having my third child and one of the attorneys in the high profile law firm I worked for asked me “what are you a cow”?

#41

After returning to work after a miscarriage a coworker asked if it was intentional or accidental?
The same coworker said to me while inspecting a pair of diamond studs I was wearing that she had a pair just like mine only hers were stolen.

#42

‘Your husband must be rich for how little hours you work’ I worked limited hours on weekends as I had a medically fragile special needs child with endless appointments during the week and a hubby who worked 9-5.

#43

If only I had met you first. He was married and I did NOT appreciate it.

#44

Not too crazy but shocked me. I work in a tax office, I was a receptionist then a tax pro. This is my second year as a tax pro and our office got a new receptionist and new chairs for clients… well it’s not surprising the chairs had ink pen on them as a kid who loved to draw and no one noticed he had a pen. Well, I still like to clean the office because it makes me feel good. So I am scrubbing trying to get the ink pen off the vinyl. I chuckle a bit and ask the older receptionist do you have any ideas on how to get this ink off? I get a snarky look and get told “I would try elbow grease but you probably don’t know anything about that.” Now I know there is a cleaning product called elbow grease, but not in our area, and the look I got told me she was not talking about a cleaning product. I still don’t know what her problem was as I got told by a few people that she was talking bad about me behind my back.

#45

I had an older, female boss make many inappropriate comments about her finding me attractive, but nothing so bad I felt the need to get her in trouble. Was weird, though.

#46

I used to work in an exceptionally conservative industry. The vast majority of companies in this industry still have a work culture that belongs on the set of Mad Men. It’s in dire need of an overhaul, but that’s just not going to happen anytime soon.

My boss (a woman) at the time told me with a straight face that I “…had to wear heels and a skirt, because how else is anyone supposed to know you’re a woman?”. I was so baffled that I didn’t even respond, I just stood up and left.

For context, I have proportions that could be described as extreme. I have never, and will never be mistaken for a man. Not since puberty hit me like a sack of bricks.

#47

I had a socially awkward coworker who would occasionally make inappropriate sexual comments to me in front of our other coworkers. She thought she was flirting. My coworkers would laugh uproariously. I was young, introverted and had massive social anxiety so I was mortified every time.

#48

When i was 18 i worked as a cashier at a marina. during the winter we were doing renovations on the store, which required i wear clothing that could get messed up. for weeks i wore old, loose-fitting jeans that could be torn or get paint stains on them. they weren’t flattering, but obviously they weren’t meant to be. one day my coworker (45M) approached me while we were alone in the store and struck up what was normal conversation for us. out of nowhere he said, “those pants don’t look good on you, don’t wear them when we’re on the clock together.” like SIR? the audacity he had to think he could control what i wear, let alone that i would listen to him is INSANE. this wasn’t his only offense, he behaved inappropriately towards me in other ways. this was just one of the more outrageous instances.
a message to men: leave women alone unless you’re wanted by them or know how to act. otherwise stfu and let us live.

#49

When I started my first job as a machinist at 18 I was being trained by this guy in his forties. He told me men and women’s brains work differently, so he wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle the job. This was after I’d caught him lying to me again about how to do something and he acted like I was the biggest idiot.

My coworker overheard this and reported him. Nothing really happened to him, and he vaguely threatened me to never tell on him again. Whatever, my “girl brain” ended up being better at that job than he ever was, even though he constantly tried to sabotage me by teaching me bad information.

#50

I was working on a team of four and my manager was a super religious Church of God member, which I absolutely would never hold against anyone as I am a Christian myself. My mom had just died and I was going through my fifth miscarriage, which I had to tell my manager because it was an ectopic pregnancy and I had to have some treatment at the hospital for it. I took one day off of work for it. When I returned, we were in her car on the way to a client meeting when she said, totally unprompted, “you know, it seems pretty obvious to me that God doesn’t want you to be a mom. There must be something about your character that makes Him not want to trust you with a child. I think it’s time to let go of what you want and walk in His will.”

I was speechless. We didn’t have an HR department, and our only HR rep went to her church. I told the principal of our agency and he said it was out of line but he couldn’t say anything to her because he couldn’t afford to lose anyone from the team and I guess she had one foot out the door anyway.

But yeah. That was wild.

#51

I broke my nose over the weekend and showed up to work with a nose splint. Boss asked loudly in front of everyone “why did you choose to get a nose job when you could have gotten a boob job”. Awkward silence ensued.

#52

I asked a coworker how her cruise went after I had given her an anti nausea band to wear on the cruise and a couple tips because it was her first one. The first thing out of her mouth was “It was alright but every night your skin color people got into fights.” That’s exactly how she said it verbatim because it’s forever etched in my memory. It was so abrasive and not at all what I expected to come out of her mouth. I just said “Oh that’s unfortunate” because I was too stunned to say anything else atm and I also didn’t want to say something that would lead to me getting into trouble. This was in a hair salon in a podunk southern town and she was in no way about to be reprimanded by our boss for what she said. I think about it a lot because I just shoulda let her have it bc I eventually quit bc the vibes of the whole salon were so off and tension really thick between all the girls. Never again will I let a comment like that slide, especially when I was genuinely being nice.

#53

I used to be a mortician. One day I was trying to fasten a bra on a very large woman. I’d done it a million times, but my boss happened to walk in and see me struggling and he ordered one of the dudes who picks up bodies to assist me (unnecessary and also I believe may have been illegal to help in that manner) he got in the way and made it even more difficult. I lifted the woman up in a way that would allow him to fasten the bra on, but he still couldn’t do it. I was visibly annoyed. He said “sorry about that, I’m much better at taking these things off” then he winked at me and made a honking sound as he pretended to pinch the woman’s breast. I f*****g hated it there.

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