No matter how hard you try, you can’t avoid embarrassment. At some point, you will make such a dumb mistake that it will keep haunting you at odd times of day—trying to fall asleep in bed, in the shower, during your commute—for years to come.
It hurts to remember these cringey fails. But when you share them, it’s oddly cathartic. Employees revealed the very worst and facepalm-worthy mistakes they’ve ever made at work, and we have collected their most powerful stories to share with you. Get ready, you’re about to get a month’s worth of secondhand embarrassment in one post.
#61

Spilled a big bowl of hot soup on an old man, cleaned everything up, went back and got another bowl, and then I spilled that one too.
4points
#62

One time I charged someone $90 for a watermelon and neither of us realized till I looked at the transactions later.
4points
#63
First day on the job taking an old guys order, he asked for his senior discount and I jokingly said “you don’t qualify for one of those” (intending to “make him feel young” ig idk) then he goes YES. I. DO. and i’m like oh ok im sorry.
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4points
#64
I ruined a mans sobriety by giving him what I thought was a Virgin Pina Colada it was a double & he laid out his AA chips on the table for me to see after I think about it atleast 2 times a week.
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4points
#66
Not necessarily a mistake but I worked at a deli and a middle aged man wanted to try one of the hams- I sliced him a piece and as he was chewing I said “u like that?” And I was so embarrassed I think about it all the time.
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3points
#67
One time I worked at a Land Rover dealership and I used the money counter but I had it set to 100 dollar bills and she had 20’s and I gave her most the money back like girl this is way to much money are you crazy? She was about to leave with her discounted Land Rover when I noticed and had to tell someone before my safe was WAAAAYYYY OFF.
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3points
#68
So stupid but I called out sick from my job w an ai picture of a thermometer and they fired me so quick.
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2points
#69
I told my bald cancer patient “alright now, I’ll get out of your hair” after being sent in to do a bunch of labs, vitals, and other annoying medical tasks. It wasn’t until I closed the door and left that I realized what I had said.
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2points
#70
One time Jessica Alba showed up to eat at the restaurant I was a hostess at. Idk why I didn’t connect that it was THEE Jessica alba and I told her we couldn’t sit her sooner and it was like an hour and a half wait. The manager came running out and immediately showed her to a table.
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-2points


