#1
I took a picture of the whole thing and debated on what to do with it for a while. On the one side, I didn't want this guy to lose his job nor have to explain why he was rubbing his girlfriend's feet at work (imagine the awkwardness). On the other side, he missed a turn and then took a U-turn on a downhill blind curve where we could've easily gotten nailed.
In the end I came to the conclusion: when other people's lives are in your hands, that's what your hands should focus on.
#2
I had to explain to a middle age woman that it was not her right to hug people who didn't want to be hugged. She still didn't get it and left thinking she was still in the right.
#3
The letter had been written by an employee, who let herself into the boss’s office and left it on his desk while he was out, complaining she was unhappy about how the staff were “mistreated and disrespected” because he often left during the day to “go shopping and get haircuts” (this rarely happened, probably not even once a month), and that she thought it was appalling that he left for a week over Christmas to see his family, while they weren’t allowed more than 3 days off over Christmas.
Had a meeting with her and literally had to explain that he is the owner of the company and can come and go as he pleases, that he works evenings and weekends when others don’t, and that the week off was the first time he had taken holiday in 8 months, unlike the rest of the staff who get 28 days throughout the year.
She looked at me, expressionless, and said “and? I want a week off at Christmas. If he gets it, I should have it.” I told her her complaint had been logged and we’ll look into it. She walked out, relayed a different version of our conversation to a dozen employees and gossiped about the boss. She was gone within a month of the letter.
You might be a ‘regular’ employee and have pretty strong opinions about HR at your company. You might work in HR yourself. Or you might work in HR and still have strong opinions about HR. Whatever the case, the reality is that Human Resources is an incredibly challenging area to work in. It is often very draining, responsible work that is both emotionally and mentally taxing.
According to Forbes, HR executives are on the front lines of responding to trends, events, and developments that impact the employees at their companies. “Unless handled the right way, those issues can lead to a crisis that impacts the morale and retention of workers and corporate profitability.”
Some of the main challenges include the rise of AI, issues with keeping employees engaged, the changing nature of work, economic pressures, hiring, burnout, bad managers, a maturing workforce, and low morale. On top of that, you also have to contend with the fact that the nature of HR continues to change.
#4
"Hostile and unfriendly behaviour"
I had to explain to the head of HR that the complainant had walk up behind me whilst I was relieving myself at a urinal, launching into a detailed explanation of their computer problem. Rather than say "shut up, reboot your pc and leave me alone" I replied "please log a ticket for me"
So yeah, prompting them to follow the proper procedure, never mind accosting me whilst urinating was me being hostile...
The complaint was promptly filed in the under desk circular receptacle.
#5
#6
Roksolana Stupen, HR Manager at IT Monks, told Forbes that employee engagement is one of the biggest challenges facing HR executives right now.
“People don’t want company slogans or team-building exercises that feel forced. They want an environment where they can grow without feeling suffocated by endless meetings or micromanagement. One of the best developers I’ve worked with nearly quit, not because of pay, but because his schedule was overloaded with unnecessary [tasks].”
Meanwhile, morale is at a low. A recent Gallup poll has shown that just 37% of US workers feel treated with respect.
“When an employee feels disrespected, the consequences for the company are significant: lower productivity, diminished teamwork, and weakened collaboration. Negativity can spread like a cancer, dragging down overall morale,” says Amy McCord, CEO of Flower Moxie.
#7
One day, someone who was newer accidentally ate one of the mini muffins. Pandemonium followed. There was screaming. Tears. Thrown pastries. Threats of physical violence.
I had to complete a report explaining that the scuffle ensued because another woman had ‘violated her mini muffins’, and the whole time this woman is FUMING AND CRYING, like someone ate her firstborn child instead of a muffin.
#8
#9
“Good employees will start looking for other opportunities because everyone wants to feel like they’re part of a winning team and valued. Our culture, as a whole, now understands that life is short and we spend so much of our life at work, so there needs to be intrinsic value, and the minimum standard is respect,” McCord explained to Forbes.
Furthermore, burnout is harming both employee retention and talent attraction, as stress, bad managers, and overwork lead to higher turnover rates.
“HR isn’t about rules or perks. It’s about creating a workplace where people want to be. If companies forget that, they lose their best talent before they even realize what happened,” Stupen says.
#10
#11
“I want to get a transfer to the countryside to get away from all the Syrians who are coming over on the boat.”
When I asked her “what boat?” She replied “the Syrian boat with all the immigrants on. It was in the Sun (horrible tabloid paper) didn’t you see it?”
She was in her 20s and not the brightest crayon in the box. I said I’d follow up her complaint but knew it wouldn’t go anywhere. She’s still in the same store 4 years later and that boat still hasn’t arrived. Funny that!
#12
Once you’ve read all of these stories and upvoted the ones you loved to hate the most, join the discussion in the comments at the bottom of this post.
What is the weirdest complaint that you have ever gotten or made, no matter if you work in HR, management, or are a ‘regular’ employee? Who is the most bizarre coworker you’ve ever had the ‘pleasure’ of working with, and what’s the worst thing they’ve ever done?
Share your work stories, tips, and rants with us!
Oh, and don’t forget to forward these work complaint stories to everyone at the office, and show them to HR the next time you get in trouble.
#13
#14
New girl came in last month to complain she was getting shafted because she had to work two weekends in the same month, despite myself and multiple people trying to explain that sometimes there is more than 4 weekends in a month but the rotation is the same.
#15
My favorite was an Executive Assistant who stated that, because she wears heels to work she couldn't walk to the new copier and requested that a reasonable accommodation would be to replace the printer she had in her office.
#16
#17
#18
#19
