Workplace Fails: 75 Examples Of Unprofessional Behavior

Those who have worked in an office have their stories about an annoying coworker. It could be about stolen lunches from the fridge, microwaving the most pungent fish dish known to man, or even clipping their fingernails at their desk. 

We’re taking things up a notch in this list by showing actual photos of awful workmate behavior. These images could make you question how supposedly full-grown adults could act like undeveloped human beings. 

If you’ve experienced these sorts of actions firsthand, you may feel some secondhand annoyance as you scroll through.

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#1 My Coworker Told Me That Everyone Dressed Up At My Office. Now I’m The Only One Dressed Like Captain Kirk Amongst Khakis And Polo Shirts

© Photo: DukeMaximum

#2 Colleague Destroyed A Painting I Wanted To Buy

I work at a thrift store and we had about 10 paintings coming in all really beautifully done, the frames where also very neat. I fell in love with this one in the photo but someone else had to price it before i could buy it so i ended up waiting until the end of the day to see if they got priced yet. My workday was almost over so i decided to walk to the back to see if the painting was priced yet and lo and behold, 10 painting in the trashcan. And not just in the trash can, my coworker stabbed them with a scissor. She smashed up the frames from the other paintings too and did the same to the art. I asked her why she did that and she just said “they never sell in store” while ive seen plenty of painting leaving the store for good prices and if we cant sell them we always end up using them for our own creative projects.

I of course went to my supervisor and he said he would have a word with her but i was absolutely furious, i cant stop looking at the painting and how beautiful it was. I also feel bad for the person/artist that donated the paintings thinking they would get a loving new home.

© Photo: zhayona

#3 The Office Fridge Today

© Photo: jimthehacksawduggan

One difficult thing about having an annoying coworker is that you will have to deal with them every day you’re at work. It’s likely why every action, even if it doesn’t directly concern you, can be vexing. 

But according to licensed psychotherapist Dr. Maria Baratta, it could also be because they may remind you of a family member who causes you the same aggravation.

#4 Dirty Bowl In The Shared Work Fridge

© Photo: DoctorBlazes

#5 Co-Worker Thought This Was A Harmless Prank

I went out to my car to find a coworker had dumped the contents of the shredder in the front and backseat of my car. Everyone thought I overreacted a little, but this will take me a long time to clean up all the way. I’m right to think this isn’t a very good joke right?

© Photo: Dallinboi347

#6 Smelled So Bad

© Photo: TheVentiLebowski

“Perhaps your overbearing supervisor reminds you of your father and just might trigger anger that is disproportionate to the situation at hand,” Dr. Baratta wrote. 

“So not only is your coworker annoying, you are doubly triggered by behavior reminiscent of someone annoying or difficult in your family.”

#7 My Coworker “Locked” Me In The Porta Potty And Then Went To Lunch

© Photo: TheAtlasComplex

#8 Imagine Opening The Office Fridge And Finding…this

© Photo: nes12345678

#9 My Fridge At Work Today

© Photo: deeperkyo

According to psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Abby Medcalf, there are several types of difficult colleagues. One of them is what she refers to simply as “The Angry Coworker.” 

While it is self-explanatory, Dr. Medcalf says this person can be so confrontational that they may leave you feeling inadequate, frustrated, and resentful.

#10 Coworker Walks Around The Office Barefoot

© Photo: Justletmedieplease_

#11 A Conversation I Had With My Coworker

© Photo: ALowlyBiscotti

#12 I Hate My Co-Workers

© Photo: Rigamix

Dr. Medcalf says the Angry Coworker may struggle with low self-esteem and lash out to assert dominance or to feel superior. And one of her most important tips in handling this type of person is to hold your boundaries. 

“Be clear about what specific responses you’ll have if they continue to act this way with you in this conversation, and then follow through,” Dr. Medcalf wrote.

#13 Coworker Announced That She And Her SO Are Finally Pregnant After Years Of Trying, I Got Her A Box Of Pastries To Celebrate And When The Party Was About To Start I Open The Fridge At Work And See This

© Photo: Weyland223

#14 Someone In My Office Ate My Yogurt And Then Put It Back In The Fridge After

© Photo: ILoveToWiggle

#15 Open Can Of Sardines Left In The Office Fridge Overnight

© Photo: User

Then, there’s the “Identified Patient (IP) Coworker.” According to Dr. Medcalf, this person has either been identified for treatment or as the problem in their family. 

As a result, they also become a headache to deal with in the workplace because of their baggage, whether it’s an underlying mental health issue, unresolved grief, or problems with another person in their life.

#16 Found This On The Work Fridge… Apparently A Few Lunches Had Gone Missing Leading Up To These

© Photo: User

#17 My Passive Aggressive Coworker Saw Me Shut A Slightly Open Drawer On My Way To The Bathroom…came Back Out To This

© Photo: ZorkfromOrk

#18 The Way My Coworkers Park

© Photo: anonymous

When dealing with an IP Coworker, Dr. Medcalf’s most important tip is not to feed the person’s story. She also urges shifting the conversation to something along the lines of, “I hear you, and how are we going to deal with this now?” 

The goal is to stay in the here and now of the underlying issue, not in the unrelated problems they bring to work. 

#19 I Bought A Danish For My Coworkers. Someone Cut Out And Ate The Jelly Part, Leaving The Edges

© Photo: thegrisleybear

#20 We Had Donuts At Work, And I Watched A Coworker Take Two Bites Out Of This Donut And Put It Back In The Box

© Photo: User

#21 Lazy Coworker Decided He Was Too Good To Help Ring Up A Line Of 5 People. Left Me High And Dry To Deal With Frustrated Customers

© Photo: jordyn22k

#22 Coworker Ate My Food

© Photo: PresentationPutrid

#23 I Left My Lunch At My Desk For 10 Minutes And Came Back To This. Pretty Sure My Perpetually Drunk Coworker Is Responsible

© Photo: User

#24 Look What I Found When I Opened The Office Fridge This Morning

© Photo: rexhardwick

#25 My Coworker’s Typhoid Mug

© Photo: scraplog

#26 My Coworker Returned The Front Desk Stapler Like This. Told Me It Ran Out Of Staples

© Photo: Stupid_Genious

#27 My Coworker Left His Tooth On The Desk Again

© Photo: PizzaGuyNYC

#28 Coworkers Not Cleaning Their Hands Before Using The Oven Mitts

© Photo: PandaSushi06

#29 My Coworker Eats All My Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches, And Leaves The Empty Box

© Photo: unknown

#30 Deli

© Photo: escalatorkid37

#31 My Coworker (Also A Dishwasher) Leaves Me Really Gross Dishes Overnight When I Never Do That To Him

© Photo: 0Sweet_Shark0

#32 The Way My Coworker Put This Boxcutter Away After His Shift

© Photo: RavensAndRacoons

#33 I Work At A Hospital And My Coworkers Think Their Mothers Work Here Too. These Have Been Sitting In The Break Room For 2 Weeks

© Photo: ExternalStress

#34 In Work Fridge 🙁 Come On Man

© Photo: backpackalpaca_

#35 Someone At My Work Has Left This Bag Of Watermelon In One Of The Fridges For Almost 3 Months

© Photo: runnerboiii

#36 The Way My Coworker Used My Tape

© Photo: chillicheesefrog

#37 How My Coworker Cuts Onions

© Photo: itscharminultrasoft

#38 My Coworker Let’s His Dishes Soak In The Bathroom Sink

© Photo: Goatmo

#39 I Work In An Office Full Of Grown Men Where Lunch Stealing Is A Problem. I Made A Sign Yesterday For The Fridge And Saw This The Next Morning. No One Was Ever Told To ‘Help Themselves’

© Photo: ally-sha

#40 Shared Office Fridge. They’re All Empty Except That Half Full One On The Left

© Photo: gloucma

#41 Bit Of Banana Left In Shared Work Fridge! I Work With Animals

© Photo: cfzeppelin122

#42 When It’s Lunch Time And You’re Excited To Eat.. Only To Realize That Some Unknown Person Has Helped Themselves To Some Of It

© Photo: Lijey_Cat

#43 We Have 300+ Employees

© Photo: corvoapiano

#44 Coworker Asked Me If I Got Her Note That A Customers Order Needed Canceled. This Was The Note…

© Photo: Skwellington

#45 Coworker Has This Old Milk In Staff Fridge

© Photo: unknown

#46 This Is How A Coworker Parks Every Day…

© Photo: Plastic_Ad_1459

#47 Just Bring Your Mom To The Office! This Has Been Piling Up Over A Few Days

#48 The Fridge At My GF’s Work

© Photo: CaidaVidus

#49 This Person’s Lunch Container In The Work Fridge

© Photo: anonymous

#50 Some Jerk In My Office: “That Was Close. If I Took That Last Ice Cube I Might Have To Refill The Tray”

© Photo: Canisteo99

#51 All My Coworkers Do This. Makes Me Want To Quit

© Photo: Cavetroll771

#52 My Coworker Always Sits Like This In My Work Truck

© Photo: Phishphrog

#53 One Of My Coworkers Used Their Finger To Scoop Margarine Out Of The Tub

© Photo: User

#54 Coworkers Still Won’t Close The Fridge

© Photo: eggpricesarewildrn

#55 My Desk Phone vs. My Coworker’s Desk Phone. These Were Brand New In March

© Photo: User

#56 Office Fridge Jenga

© Photo: User

#57 My Coworker’s Desktop

© Photo: unknown

#58 How One Of My Coworkers Leaves His Trash After He Is Done Taking His Break

© Photo: voltagesergal123

#59 The Way My Co-Worker Mops The Floor

© Photo: whatthefunkmaster

#60 Today Was My Co-Worker’s Birthday And He Brought In A Round Cake To Share With The Office. This Was The State Of That Cake An Hour Later

© Photo: PonyToast

#61 When Someone Leaves Their Sushi In The Office Fridge For A Few Weeks

© Photo: jco23

#62 People Keep Leaving Their Open Drinks In The Work Fridge Like This, And When They Get Knocked Over They Get Angry

© Photo: choogabalooga

#63 This Is The Only Fridge At Work

© Photo: DogOfTheArmy

#64 A Coworker Put An Entire Pressure Cooker In The Office Fridge. Why

© Photo: unknown

#65 I Thought The Point Of A Lunchbox Was To Not Have To Use The Fridge. I Play Tetris In The Work Fridge To Fit My Small Container In

© Photo: LyricalLinds

#66 My Coworker Yawned While Using My Computer And Left This For Me

© Photo: User

#67 My Coworker Takes Off His Smelly Shoes And Sleeps In The Break Room While We Eat Lunch

© Photo: shredbmc

#68 A Coworker Throws Out Half Used Receipt Rolls Because He “Doesn’t Like When The Receipts Get Curly”, I Had To Fish These Out Of The Bin

© Photo: unknown

#69 A Coworker Uses A New Plastic Cup Every Time They Get Water

© Photo: toshiro-mifune

#70 Someone Brought Halloween Candy To Work That Expired 4 Years Ago

© Photo: theraphosangel

#71 The Caveman Like Way My Co Worker Has Opened His Bread

© Photo: unknown

#72 When My Idiot Coworkers Can’t Punch A 50+page Document Correctly And I Have To Put It Into A Folder

© Photo: Scilaci

#73 My Coworkers Are Idiots

© Photo: Rick-the-Brickmancer

#74 This Half And Half Container In The Work ‘Fridge

© Photo: User

#75 My Colleague Placed The Server Up There, Alone. They Have The Network Rack There

© Photo: Tehpava

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