This electrical retailer in an English mall had seen plenty of strange customer requests, but none quite like the couple carrying in a giant cracked TV as if returning a loaf of bread. It's the early Wii era, when motion controls met chaos, and safety straps were merely decorative suggestions. The couple storms in, insists their television "just broke," and demands a replacement from a store they never bought it from. Their kid, temporarily abandoned at the counter, casually reveals the truth: the Wii remote slipped mid-bowling game and found its target bullseye in expensive glass.  

While the adults spin a story about spontaneous screen failure, the manager already knows the truth and, adding insult to injury, discovers the TV isn't even their brand. The parents, desperate for someone else to foot the bill for their clumsy offspring's fastball, turn hostile, red-faced and defensive. Then comes the magic phrase from the dad, admitting it was "an accident caused by the Wii," sealing their own comedic defeat. The manager, tired and amused, threatens to call security if they dump the evidence and walk away. 

I can't think of one job candidate who loves the interview process. And, of course, depending on the level of the position and one's personal experiences, some processes can be more tedious than others. But that's just the way it is, because how much can you really learn about someone in a 20-minute interview? In that time, they could crack two perfectly-timed jokes that suggest they're 'perfectly-fit', but does that mean they're the Excel wizard the company's looking for? Not necessarily. Ensuring someone is the perfect fit for your job offer may require a stronger look at the experience, skills, and perhaps seeing how they work with your material…but not every job seeker is going to be too fond of those long-process requirements! 

Especially this employee, who feels at though he should be exempted from this 4-stage interview process due to applying for a senior position. He can wrap his head around the concept for those new to the working world. But in his mind, he has enough experience that doesn't need to be justified by a few at-home assignments or 'culture fit' interviews…So he withdrew his application for the job, applying for one that required a single yes or no interview instead!

We all have that one coworker (and it's not the office manager) who tries to run their workplace like the Navy. No, Stacy, you don't have full rein over the soap choices in the communal bathroom. Hey, Andrew, the office pantry is not the place to take out your at-home frustrations on—the same sentiment applies to your coworkers, too.

Each workplace has someone like this. This specific colleague might not be as abrasive as the colleague in the story below, but they come pretty dang close. Why do folks think they're entitled to treat their coworkers like kindergartners? Then, they come to realize that they're the ones who are actually acting like the children they believe exist around them. It doesn't make any sense… But, then again, in their minds, they don't need to make sense. They just need to scream, and scream loudly.

The narrator in the next story describes their colleague as the "Pantry Queen". This colleague visits the office pantry at least eight times per shift, and she admits that she needs to be in the pantry for at least 15 minutes, too. Well, this pantry-centric colleague loses it when their picture-perfect setting—the pantry, of course—is tainted: Someone forgot to fill the ice cube tray. All heck breaks loose. Scroll to read.

We love New York. 

The only reason people don't end up staying in NYC and living there forever is that they're likely priced out of the market. It's understandably expensive because it's so magical and mysterious in the city, so landlords can get away with highway robbery, charging $3000+ for a closet-sized apartment infested with rats. Alas, despite this battle of supply and demand, New York City has a few pockets of hope in buildings with rent control. Few and far between, these are the pure and perfect housing zones where residents aren't charged astronomically, often enjoying the same rent price they've been paying since the 80s. 

As you would imagine, these are very competitive accommodations. 

However, every once in a while, the stars will align for some fatefully lucky NYC resident, bestowing upon them a rent-controlled apartment and access to the city without breaking the bank. A man and his girlfriend recently scored the NYC lottery (the REAL one, not the one with lotto tickets at the bodega), when they found out their apartment was in a rent-controlled building. Not only was their landlord overcharging them for years, resulting in $30k in backpay, but from this point onward, their 1-bedroom apartment in an extremely high-cost-of-living area would only be $500 per month. 

I guess that means they can never move anywhere else. 

One rule I was repeatedly taught growing up was to never borrow something unless I was certain I could return it in the same, if not better, condition than when it was borrowed. Whether it be a toy or a Toyota…it wasn't about the cost to replace it, it was about the principle. And if, by some unfortunate event, you did end up damaging someone else's belongings…the first step was accountability, and then offering to replace it! If you were unwilling to do either, then you should not have the luxury of borrowing. 

This employee is starting to regret his generosity as he lends his car to a fellow coworker for some last-minute after-work errands…He was pleasantly surprised to see that she had re-filled the tank upon its return. However, when he took a closer look at his car, he noticed something concerning. The windscreen looked as though it could have been the set of a Grim Reaper movie, covered in cracks. He confronted his coworker, as he was certain it was untouched before she borrowed it! But she denied any 'suspicious activity' happening under her watch, refusing to contribute to any repair costs…Maybe this will teach him not to lend out his car to any more coworkers…

A blue collar worker was excited to leaven his last job and start anew. He had been working too closely to a man who quickly turned into an enemy. He played it cool his entire career there, but after he left, he was glad to be rid of him. However, a few months later he gets a promotion out of the blue. He is excited and happy for this opportunity! He was ready to hold a higher title and make more money. However, we he got to the new workplace, guess who was there? Yup, his frenemy. At least now he was his manager, but he still was not excited for that. 

 

After a while of difficult work with him, he gets the opportunity to promote him. Now, he knows this promotion includes back-breaking work that no one likes to do, but it also provides a lot of good connections with higher ups and potential for a "permanent contract." The frenemy was not happy about this promotion, but also couldn't pass it up. Thank goodness too, because now he would no longer be this blue collar manager's problem. 

 

Another promotion came through that he was offered but knew it was actually loathsome. So what did he do? He recommended his old frenemy for it! (He still didn't get it lol) 

Sometimes, people really do get what they deserve.

You just have to give the universe an extra push in dishing out that sweet, sweet karma. It's best served by local, small businesses, and luckily, you can find them all over Etsy.

Earlier this year, a New York Knicks fan paid an Etsy witch to protect the team against a loss late into the NBA playoffs. It was game five against the Indiana Pacers, and the team won. Unfortunately, the Etsy witch flopped for game six…

Etsy witches have grown in popularity among believers and skeptics alike, and it's because the idea of purchasing a witch's spell via Klarna seems a bit… unorthodox. Whether you like it or not, though, the concept is hilarious. That's why when this employee purchases a spell from an Etsy witch to cast upon their former toxic manager, they thought nothing of it. That is, until the manager is demoted in what the narrator describes as a "major reckoning". Magic or not, this tale is a testament to karma finding its way in the end. Scroll to read.

There is simply no way this woman is trying to turn such a kind and caring gesture into something so negative! This young woman has put all her time and effort into bringing this shared neighborhood garden back to life…and not just for herself, but for their whole community to enjoy! A place that was once neglected is just starting to flourish again, all thanks to her…but it seems like some attention-craving neighbors are jealous of all the gratitude she's been receiving! So instead of hopping on the thank-you train, this neighbor has got something else to say!

Whilst sweeping away some weeds, this woman was confronted by her neighbor for her garden 'works', accusing her of making everyone else look lazy…Like what? So instead of picking up a white flag (and some soil) in an attempt to change that narrative, this neighbor wrote up a complaint letter addressed to the HOA, regarding this woman's garden makeover! Who in the world complains about someone who's trying to improve their environment with no strings attached? A jealous, bitter woman…that's who!

It comes as no surprise that far too many employers out there are charmed by the so-called efficiency of AI in the workplace.

What's especially humorous about this concept is that these are the same managers who tend to be slow to embrace change. They didn't like the concept of fully remote work, and they don't enjoy more contemporary ideas like the four-day work week. However, when it comes to using AI and Chat-GPT in particular, some bosses have rushed too quickly to embrace these tools simply because they are seemingly cost-efficient.

Once again, what these employers are sacrificing is accuracy. We've seen this kind of sacrifice manifest itself in the workplace time and time again. Whether it's consolidating positions to save costs or eliminating certain elements of a due diligence process to maximize speed, a human attention to detail tends to be on the chopping block over and over again.

That's exactly what happened in this workplace environment, in which this author was encouraged to use Chat-GPT over their own tried and true methods of analysis for an upcoming monthly report. Despite numerous attempts on the part of the author to explain why this was not a good idea, the boss refused to budge. So the employee complied, albeit maliciously…

Workers, let's hear it: why did you, or a legendary coworker, get fired from a job? 

The list of offenses that can get you fired from a job is long and hilarious, and chances are, if you haven't gotten canned in a ridiculous way, you know a coworker who has. Some people have a short temper, and it makes them both hard to employee and impossible to forget. After all, it's not every day you see someone flip out at the boss for asking a simple request (usually something in their job description!) 

One person got fired pretty quickly because he was misusing the company car. That's totally understandable — if you're being reckless in a vehicle branded with your employer's info, you're just asking to be let go! But some stories were totally inexplicable, like the sandwich artist who simply did what a customer asked. The customer just wanted extra olives, which this person obliged. I wonder if their mistake was putting on a handful of olives instead o of counting out like 4 olives and adding that, since some chains are very stingy about these things. Still, that's a hilarious reason to fire someone, and I'm sure it remains a treasured memory of the time they got fired for over-oliving a sandwich. 

This office manager learned that she was part of a shadowing consultant's layoff plans to cut costs for the company.

What this consultant underestimated, however, was the office manager's legitimate value within the organization as well as her resolve to prove that everyone would be completely lost without her presence.

When she was initially hired, the author quickly realized that no one around her knew how to properly incorporate modern technology into their daily tasks and responsibilities. On top of filling her own duties, she became an unofficial advisor to the mostly older crowd of employees, frequently helping them with automating repetitive tasks and ensuring that efficiency was prioritized without sacrificing accuracy. 

Then the mysterious consultant began shadowing meetings. The author knew instantly that he didn't take a liking to her after she made a minor mistake confusing clients in a team meeting. Apparently, that was reason enough for the consultant to put her on the list of people who should be let go. When the office manager put two and two together and learned that she was on the chopping block, she decided that she would prove her worth, albeit in an unorthodox manner.

How big does a mistake have to be for this manager to hold herself accountable?… In this case, it seems the answer is: pretty major. This manager approved her employee's time off several months in advance, yet scheduled her for multiple shifts during that period anyway…Then proceeded to blame her for not showing up to work for the last eight days, despite being on a pre-approved, off-grid camping trip!

Surely, when the front desk of their retail store was empty on the first day, that would be the indication that this manager had seriously messed up with the scheduling. Yet, she proceeded to blow up for her employee's phone anyway, telling her that they needed to have a 'serious conversation' when she returned… The only serious conversation that needed to occur was between this manager and her mirror. Just because you have a 'management' title, it does not mean that you are not entitled to make a mistake or two. So trying to place the blame on someone so obviously innocent is just a complete waste of energy and time, doesn't it…? She should rather be spending those precious minutes re-arranging the weekly schedule, instead of trying to convince herself that she was always in the right!

All these flavours, and you choose to be salty…

The irony of working in a salt production facility and getting overly salty about something so small is palpable. But who knows what else had been going on in this coworker's life that made her lose her cool over pizza? This was probably just the proverbial straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. 

There is further irony here in that the pizza party has essentially become the symbol of everything that is wrong in a modern workplace, with empty, hollow gestures made to lazily board up gaping holes in employee morale and working conditions. It really is comical how what was once a kind gesture on a slow day of work has now become almost a caricature, a mascot, and a red flag signifier of a toxic workplace. 

Clearly, pizza parties work for some, as it was apparently something that this part-time worker just couldn't live without. When the company decided to hold a pizza party for morale on a day she didn't work, she lost her cool and set an ultimatum: either serve her pizza on a day she was working or accept her resignation. The company, perhaps wisely, decided to take her up on her exit and called her bluff, which turned out to be disastrous for the employee.  

Trust your intuition — if you fear a job is going to be impossible right from your first day, it's best to just walk away and start anew somewhere else. 

Getting a new job can be so exciting. Although you're nervous to meet your new coworkers and impress your new bosses, after the nerves wear off, you realize that job isn't worth keeping. Just ask these people, who decided to leave their new gigs before they got through day one! People noted some waving red flags that you can keep an eye out for next time you're job hunting. 

A common experience were people who tried working in call centers. It seems like you either stay at places like that for a day, or a lifetime. That's the kind of polarizing job that some people thrive at… but just ask the people below, who shared that they only lasted a few minutes before realizing they hated being the annoying cold-caller blowing up random strangers' phones. 

Other people just immediately got that gut feeling that they were in too deep, like one dude who tried working as a dishwasher, and quickly realized how unpleasant it was. They worked a single shift before telling the boss that they'd be hitting the road. At least that person's boss was nice enough to slide them $40 and a bowl of risotto before they began that search for new work! 

Like many other office friendship stories, this one is truly a slow-motion train wreck waiting for applause. A new hire, a quick connection, a splash of shared hardships, and suddenly it's a two-woman drama about envy, rent money, and emotional bankruptcy. The 26-year-old escrow professional becomes the villain in her own story, accused of crimes as absurd as being more complimented and more employed,  when she's assigned to train 29-year-old Barb. 

Barb, the "friend", once compassion in heels, grabs her chance, gets her mentor fired, spreads rumors, and then spins out into a trilogy of poor choices. Eighteen months later, the universe restores balance: the protagonist is thriving again at the same company, now several rungs higher, and the ex-friend is home, broke, exhausted, and haunted by diapers and bad decisions.  

Jealousy smells like cheap perfume in stories like this. It starts fragrant, a little sympathetic, then turns to vinegar the moment one woman realizes the other's highlighter blends better with success. Barb wanted the spotlight, but forgot that envy does not come with benefits or paid leave. The trainer gave kindness, rent money, patience, and her trust, while Barb offered betrayal in return, wrapped in Facebook posts and sad emojis. People like Barb crave proximity to competence until it reminds them of their own mediocrity, and then they bite the hand, the job, and the reputation that fed them.  

Family comes first… but what if your parents always put your brother first and you second? At that point, the phrase starts to lose its meaning, so why should this daughter stick to it when her parents clearly don't? This 29-year-old woman has been underestimated her whole life, constantly compared to her brother's sugar-coated success, even though she was the true star. Her brains, beauty, and hard work were repeatedly overlooked by her parents until she finally decided to chase her own dreams, with or without their support.

Her brother reached his goals through connections; she reached hers through determination. That dynamic worked until their goals suddenly overlapped. And by overlapped, we mean they applied for the exact.same.position. at his company. She didn't feel the need to tell her family until she'd actually gotten the offer… so it's no surprise her brother assumed he had the job in the bag, especially since he already worked there. But not everything always goes to plan. One day, you might think you're on the road to becoming CEO, and the next, your younger sister has just over-qualified her way into your dream role. Leaving you feeling less-than for the first time in your life. 

This employee was sick and tired of being intimidated by HR when he knew his rights inside and out.

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder that you are permitted to discuss your salary privately with your coworkers. It doesn't matter whether or not those conversations are an inconvenience to your employer. That's their problem to fix. After all, they offered and agreed upon those salaries. If they cannot provide a legitimate reason as to why Jim is making twice as much as Joanne despite the fact that they are working the same job with the same responsibilities, then that's their issue.

This employee was reprimanded for being transparent with his coworkers about his annual salary, which prompted him to go above his manager and send the email (included below) to HR. It ended up taking the department five business days to respond to this completely valid and reasonable message… probably because they had no idea what to say. After all, the author pointed out that there could be no legitimate legal recourse for having this transparent conversations. 

Keep scrolling below for the full email exchange, including HR's carefully worded and empty response. 

Just because this wife is a stay-at-home mother with a nursing background doesn't mean she should be the sole caregiver to her husband's parents…They have three sons, among whom they should share equal responsibilities, whether their wives work a 9-to-5 job or not. She is more than happy to lend a helping hand, but opening up her home to people who haven't been the kindest to her in the past is not really something this wife is willing to compromise on. Do you agree with her? Why should it be her role to care for her parents-in-law, when they have three children who should be taking on the role of 'caregiver' themselves, or come up with another option that doesn't let the weight fall solely on her shoulders… 

Being a stay-at-home mother is truly looked down on these days…According to society, it almost feels like if women aren't doing it all, then they aren't doing enough! And yes, maybe the other brother's wives work, and they cannot afford a single-income household, but that is not the issue here! The issue is that they shouldn't be making their wives responsible for their elderly parents, while they carry on with life as usual. 

An FAA facility is a very important place for any sort of airplane activity. This is where they take car of the planes. Full of engineers and technicians. Unfortunately, it is also filled with entitled managers who think they're better than everyone else simply because of their job title. (Even though the techs and engineers are way smarter…) Recently, a FAA facility manager got humbled by his own techs. 

 

It all happened when a tech communicated with a client. It's not like the client was unhappy or anything, the manager just didn't like how he wasn't a part of it… Yeah, it's that petty. So, the techs maliciously complied. Then one day an auditor came into the facility. The only person on the floor at the time was a tech, and he had to tell him he wasn't allowed to talk to him. He even printed out the email that stated so and gave it to the auditor. 

 

The next day, the manager was in front of everyone with his manager chewing him out. He revoked his "rule" and was even put on PIP (performance improvement plan) for it. Just goes to show you that even if you are the manager, you should listen to your smart employees.  

Every day you wake up, drink coffee, feel anxious, procrastinate, get everything on your work to-do list done in the last hour of work. Then you go home, eat something, scroll, and fall asleep. There might be some little things added here or there, but that's the gist of it. So why not enjoy the little things a little more? Enjoy that sugar in your coffee. Pat your back for all the things you get to cross off of your to-do list even if it was last minute. You are amazing and doing your best and we're proud of you for that. So, let's meme about it for a little. 

 

That's right, laughing is our favorite thing to do, so let's share a LOL. Laughing with someone, like truly belly laugh hysterical laughing is so intimate and beautiful. We hope everyone gets to experience it! If you haven't yet, you can start by sharing memes with each other. Fill up that crush's DMs. Tell your mom you love her in the form of an awkward meme she probably doesn't really get, but is just happy to be involved, Live your best life! You don't have to travel the world or do extraordinary things to live an extraordinary life. You're doing awesome right now.