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35 Workers Share The Creepiest Things About Their Professions
Sure, there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ job with no stress, but that’s not to say that all of them are equally good. Some professions are far more emotionally exhausting than others. And they aren't always what you think of straight away.
There are lots of hidden aspects and layers to doing any job. But not all of them are pleasant surprises.
Workers took to a thread on AskReddit to spill the tea about the creepiest parts of their professions. It’s the kind of stuff most people don’t talk about, unless they’re anonymous.
Scroll down for their stories and to get a new perspective on the job market. Meanwhile, check out Bored Panda's interview with the author of the thread, u/Raiseyourspoonforwar. Just keep in mind that some of these stories can be triggering.
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#1
Am a nurse. I’d say it’s probably the fact that people know when they’re going to die. They will straight up tell you “today is my last day, thank you for being kind” and you reassure them because their vitals are good, they are taking to treatment well, nothing happening that would indicate a drastic decline. Then, inevitably, you will hear a flatline on the machine and run in and sure enough that patient has passed away.
If it hadn’t happened SO many times, I would chalk it up to a few people who just didn’t have the will to live anymore, but I’ve seen it enough, I know that’s not it. Really creepy when you think about it too hard.
The American Institute of Stress states that at least 2 in 5 workers in the United States see their jobs as “very or extremely stressful.” And at least a quarter of employees say that they are “often or very often” burned out or stressed at work. Meanwhile, over half of American adults report that they feel like they have little control over their stress. They’re also extremely fatigued in their jobs.
High levels of stress can lead to burnout, depression, anxiety, health issues, injuries, and make it difficult to function both professionally and in your personal life.
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#2
All of us including the biggest toughest ranchers all have a baby voice they use when talking to livestock Weird but totally adorable!
Dlgredael:
Jesus Christ thank you, this is like a checkpoint in a horror game.
#3
How many 911 calls that come in with screaming or other horrid noises on the other line, where we can't make voice contact to confirm the location before they disconnect.
There are a lot of things we can do to find where a call came from, but every now and then there's a perfect mix.of variables where there's nothing we can do. And it's heartbreaking. 😞.
The jobs in the US that require the most stress tolerance, according to The American Institute of Stress, are the following:
- Urologists
- Film and video editors
- Anesthesiologist assistants
- Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Telephone operators
- Acute care nurses
- Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Public safety telecommunicators
- First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Nurse anesthetists
- Nurse midwives
- Transit and railroad police
#4
I work in an 'eco-friendly' importer who imports, well, eco friendly products that replace disposable or single use products, especially plastics.
The amount of plastic involved in production, shipping, storing, and packing those items is insane. It's just all stripped from the finished product before it lands in the customer's hands. There's also issues with ordering from abroad - everything from factory waste to the fuels to get it here. It's really, really sad, and nobody addresses it. Ever. It's not talked about - we just strip off the plastic and toss it before shipping to the customer.
Not really 'creepy' but sad, and so very obviously ignored.
#5
The amount of s*****e rates in the veterinary profession. Eight years after graduation and 2 of my classmates have committed s*****e.
High stress, not fantastic pay, poor coping mechanism, bad clients, etc will wear anyone down after a time.
#6
I drive trains. Statistically speaking a driver in my country will drive over two humans during a career. What really haunts you is the sound. It's a loud thud.
andyjim17:
In Britain I think the train company will retire you after you run over 3 ( could be 2. 3s the max) due to the emotional stress.
As per the American Institute of Stress, urologists score 100 out of 100 for the importance of stress tolerance in their profession.
“Urologists are medical doctors specialized in treating health disorders in the urinary system and men’s genitourinary tracts. They diagnose and treat the kidneys, bladder, urethra, prostate, and reproductive organs. Illnesses involving these organs are typically painful, debilitating, and psychologically exhausting.”
The Institute notes that urologists must treat their patients with compassion and empathy. At the same time, they have to inflict the least amount of pain on them as possible.
#7
Sometimes when we deliver a stillborn baby that passed a while ago the head may come off in delivery.
Fortunately it usually doesn’t.
#8
Worked 10pm to 8am shift at a gas station. The number of construction guys, factory workers, big truck drivers, basically “heavy machinery” guys who buy two pints of vodka (one for each pocket) every morning at 6am in their way to work is quite scary.
#9
Probably too late for anyone to read this but I work for a social media “influencer” who everyone praises for “keeping it real” and being such a nice and lovely person.
Reddit, she’s a huge bully and a total psycho. What you see in her posts is so fake. It’s scary to me that so many people look up to her and even say she has cured their depression or made them feel happy again. I’m glad that those people feel better about themselves but this girl is not a good person and has contributed to the mental breakdown of more than one person IRl. I wish people wouldn’t believe everything they see on social media. It freaks me out how she’s able to make herself look like such a saint when she’s so nasty.
The American Psychological Association notes that the most common sources of work stress are excessive workloads, a lack of social support, and having few opportunities for career growth or advancement.
Other major stress-inducing factors include work that isn’t engaging or challenging, not having enough control over job-related decisions, and getting conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations.
#10
I’m a dog groomer and I can’t tell you how many men ask “how much to wash me?@ that s**t isn’t funny.
#11
The amount of teachers who sleep with students. Every school I’ve been at there has been a story of “Mr. so-and-so got fired for having s*x with one of the students a few years back.”
I’ve talked to teachers who make remarks about 15 year old girls’ bodies that would be embarrassing to retell. I’ve heard rumors of students who get a little unwanted attention from some teachers.
Improper stuff happens far more than you hear about on the news.
#12
I work in college admissions. We are forced to admit kids who pay full price over more qualified kids. Talking about kids as “full pay” or “need” as they’re trying to better their lives is horrible.
Redditor u/Raiseyourspoonforwar said that they were happy to share their thoughts on the topic, including dealing with workplace stress.
"Firstly, you need to identify what aspect of the job is causing you the stress and then look at pathways to resolving it. For example, if it's because you aren't getting paid enough to have a life outside of work, then you either ask for a raise, look at moving up the ladder in your current company, or look for better-paid employment," they shared their perspective with Bored Panda.
"Secondly, understand that if you were to die today, your employer would be advertising your job within a week. If you're not married to your work, then consider taking your foot off the gas a little. Make yourself look busy whenever you're outside of your office. If you have a job that will take you 10 minutes to complete and your manager doesn't know how long it should take, then it should take at least an hour instead. Also, take little 10-minute breaks at random points through the day, provided your job role doesn't require you to be mentally switched on all day," they suggested.
#13
As a teacher, we know (but don't talk about it) how many of our kids have very f****d up lives. We know which kids have emotionally a*****e siblings. We know which kids have no friends. We know which kids' parents pay no attention to their accomplishments.
When it's something that crosses the line (sexual a**se, unsafe living conditions, etc), we will report it to CPS. H**l, as far as I am aware, we are required to in every state (certainly are in mine). But, there are so many horrible, horrifying, things that kids have to go through that don't cross the line in to reportable territory.
For example, one of my students two years ago was the only boy out of five children. His mother, her husband having walked out after baby #5 was born, took all of her aggression out on my student. It was never a*****e, to our knowledge. But, he confided in me that his mother just didn't care about him. Any accomplishment of his sisters' was praised and celebrated. His accomplishments? Ignored.
The kid was one of the sweetest boys I have ever taught. All he wanted was to make his mother proud of him. She couldn't have cared less though, because to her he was just a reminder of the man who left her. The kid was emotionally neglected and starved for positive attention.
We also know about the kids who have had seriously f****d up s**t happen to them (r**e, molestation, severe physical a**se, even t*****e). One girl I taught was r***d by her father and her uncle for years. Her uncle moved out of the country and her father is in prison. The situation has been "resolved" legally, but she is still facing years and years of psychological problems.
So, to end my rambling...the creepiest thing about my profession that we don't talk about is how many of our students are messed up and facing years of therapy because of things beyond their control.
#14
The smell of burning Human flesh. I'm an industrial welder and occasionally have a molten blob of steel land on exposed skin. We don't mention it outside of work because of obvious reasons.
#15
Honestly, the fact that most stuff we deal with causes cancer. Generally, you can be quite safe as a chemist, but it's the long term exposure that's an issue. Being somewhat not safe over time causes lots of issues. Sure, you always hear of someone who got a litre of solvent to the face, or got a toxic powder on their arm and was fine, but it's the sum of all your exposures, not the day to day stuff that k**ls you. Be smart and be safe: wear gloves, wear a lab coat, don't breath anything in, and work in a fume hood with everything.
"Third, get professional help. It's like a personal trainer for your mental health. Talking to someone is a great way to process your emotions, but with the added bonus of getting legitimate advice," u/Raiseyourspoonforwar urged workers.
"Lastly, and more importantly to me as I have ADHD, if you are neurodivergent, look at what reasonable adjustments your place of work can make for you. I have successfully been able to reduce my work days. My management knows to give me regular breaks, and I have been given a quiet area to work in due to my audio sensitivity."
#16
This isn't necessarily creepy, but unsettling. I used to work in the travel industry. You'd be surprised at how many people seriously injure themselves or even die while on vacation. People tend to think they're invincible when they're abroad. Spoiler alert: You are not. Buy travel insurance.
#17
I worked as a Marine electrician for a while (fishing boats mostly) and no one said anything weird for 3 months. Then one day my coworker told me about how he had been on a job where a boat crew member fell into a machine that was on and it crushed the guys hand, the captain came around to see what the commotion was about and told the guy to get back to work.
The whole crew said they would walk off the boat if the captain didn’t get the man medical attention.
I heard stories of people flipping breakers while people were still working inside switch boards, which makes the switchboard effectively explode with lightning and fire k**ling people.
Stories about people throwing themselves down flights of stairs to collect unemployment or LNI.
Or people jumping into the ocean because of depression.
Those boats were nightmare inducing. Rusty and disgusting.
Theres no OSHA if OSHA isn’t physically there with their eyes on something. Captain would get tipped off OSHA was coming out or the fire chief and they would cease dangerous activities. Captain would order a welder to weld up a guard rail on a set of steep stairs for when OSHA would show up. As soon as OSHA would leave the captain would tell someone else to cut the guard rail off with a grinder. It was never there for safety, but for the illusion that safety protocols were being followed.
#18
In the work comp insurance industry, each body part has a predetermined monetary value. So if you lost, say, a thumb or a foot on the job, they just check their price list and cut a check. Sometimes there are different values for the same body part depending on if the part that was lost came from your dominant hand or side.
Another fun fact is that it can be cheaper to insure roofers who work on 5 or 10+ story jobs than those that work on lower structures because the insurance companies figure in the event of a fall they’ll only have to cut a simple check for a pre-set passing benefit for the high rise workers - it’s when someone is hurt from just a couple stories that leads to years of expensive medical treatments and disability payments since they’re much more likely to survive.
I’ve always found it a little bit creepy how easily our lives and body parts can be reduced to just a few numbers and dollar signs.
The author said that, initially, the reason they asked the question was to actually find out about any paranormal or supernatural experiences that people had at work. It's something the author said they've been interested in since childhood.
According to u/Raiseyourspoonforwar, they've personally experienced creepy behavior at work before. Namely, when they were in their early 20s, a coworker in their 40s made increasingly uncomfortable comments about "what she wished to do to me and what she wanted me to do to her."
"At the time I was engaged and, whenever I brought this up, she would say something like, 'What she doesn't know won't hurt her.' She would only make these comments when no other coworkers were around. In the end, I had to complain to management, and as far as I'm aware, she was only moved to a different department."
#19
IT security at a lot of places is a joke. You’d be horrified how at some high profile/hold a lot of your personal data there isn’t really an emphasis on security. Sure they do just enough but it’s more aimed at protecting their image and whatnot than your data.
#20
Pilot here.
It is possible for an aircraft at high altitude to depressurize fast enough that nobody has time to put on an oxygen mask before losing consciousness. In this case the plane will continue to fly on autopilot until it runs out of fuel. At that point the aircraft will descend. Once it’s low enough everyone will wake up (edit: I did some more research. Waking up is extremely unlikely.) disoriented onboard a doomed plane minutes from impact with the ground.
Here’s the kicker. There’s a rule that at least one of the pilots must wear an oxygen mask at all times above 35,000 feet. I have never met a pilot that follows this rule.
Have a great flight!
#21
The fact that human organs are shipped like regular packages at FedEx. I see them almost everyday, its most a company called Cryolife I think. It's for organ donation. But we are very professional and careful with these packages in particular for obvious reasons.
What is the creepiest and most stressful part of your job, dear Pandas? What are some hidden aspects of your profession that most workers tend to keep quiet about? How do you manage work-related stress and toxicity?
If you have a moment, grab a cup of coffee and share your experiences in the comments below.
#22
I've been working as a waiter for years now. And whew boy lawdy are there a bunch of issues that are simply not addressed. Workplace sexual harrassment of women in the industry is f*****g rampant, both from coworkers and customers. D**g and alcohol consumption and a**se amongst restaurant workers is insane. The huge racial and gender disparity that exists in earnings due to tips. It's a pretty toxic business behind the scenes.
#23
The ethical implications of being a programmer.
I used to work in the financial sector, but I had to leave because I heard too many serious discussions about how much it cost to buy a governor without getting arrested.
#24
Sexual a*****t in the US Military is a huge f*****g problem. Everyone inside knows it and pretends to take it seriously. The reality is that it’s always treated like it’s a problem in another branch, another unit, another squad - never ours. We’re good guys! Those statistics couldn’t possibly apply here!
Roughly 80% of female service members report being sexually harassed and 30% s****************d. Male on male sexual a*****t is also significantly higher than in the civilian population, outpaced only by the estimates for inmate sexual assaults in prisons. A huge majority of this is never formally reported. Know why? Because more than half of the people who did formally report have experienced retaliation in some form afterward.
We have classes every year. We talk a good game. It’s not enough because we’re not willing to actually punish the perp and not the victim. It’s not just the brass either. It goes all the way down to the private who just joined. It’s a group mentality.
#25
I don't know about "creepy" but A LOT of dietitians have/had eating disorders. It can attract people who are 1) obsessed with food and 'health' and 2) looking for better ways of staying as thin as possible.
Ekyou:
On a similar note, I studied psychology and every therapist I've met had some sort of mental illness. But really it makes sense that people would want go into a field that they are personally invested in.
#26
In education as an administrator. The reality of the frequency of child sexual a*****t or child a**se and lasting trauma resulting from it is enough to make you drink.
It is so shocking the level of incompetence in parents. This is across both private schools, well off demographics and high needs, high poverty districts.
It is really hard to come to school each day and mask positivity some days.
#27
Starbucks, the amount of mainly men who decide that if a female barista does their job, she’s into him and he’s now going to make her really REALLY uncomfortable by either refusing to take a hint and leave them alone or really gross comments. Seriously guys, she’s paid to be nice. She doesn’t want your testiculars. Goes for anyone in the service industry. Good customer service doesn’t mean they want to see you romantically.
#28
Some of the people who go missing in the woods just aren't found. We don't know what happens to them. Forest rangers are always wary about missing persons in the woods.
#29
Not really creepy, but I work at a woodshop, and it is an absolute OSHA disaster. Safety guidelines are rarely (if ever) enforced, and corners are cut constantly to get stuff built on time. I'm talking fire extinguishers buried behind scrap wood and other things, almost zero use of safety equipment, and just a general disregard for what should be standard practice. Really the only reason injuries are rare is because the vast majority of people who work here are experienced and know their s**t.
#30
The company likes to pretend we do an honorable job making strategically important things for the United States military to protect us all with.
We make weapons. It's quite possibly the most lucrative industry in the world.
#31
I work in Marketing. We know so much about you that we purposely tone it down as not to freak you out.
#32
My previous job was at a canine lodging/training facility. The training was 0% positive reinforcement, only negative. One of my coworkers walked in on a trainer choking a dog out on a prong collar until it passed out. Trainer followed her out and said "there's a reason why you don't go in the training room" like he was out of a mafia movie or some s**t. SPCA was called on this place at least twice, but someone there is buddies with the owner and always gives him a heads up before they come investigate.
Not as creepy, but anyone paying for a large run during the busy season will usually just end up with their dog in a carrier crate. People will still be charged nearly $100/night for their dog to stay in a large run even if they're not actually ending up in there.
All in all, I highly advise just hiring a dog sitter on Rover. Most upscale boarding kennels don't have max. capacities and often lie/cheat their clients of money (they don't ACTUALLY read your dog a bedtime story, or give them doggie ice cream, or give them pamper tuck-ins). If you INSIST on bringing your dog to a boarding kennel, smaller is better. Don't let large upscale facilities fool you with the looks, it may LOOK nicer, but 100% chance the run-down looking one is more honest and likely to cater to your dogs needs.
EDIT: I've gotten questions from a few people asking how to tell a legit kennel from a dishonest one, and my best advice is to look at employee reviews on indeed/glassdoor/etc. Employee reviews will give you about 90% more insight than any customer review typically could. Key complaints to look out for is "profit hungry owners", "understaffing", or "overwork&underpay". These typically indicate a poor employee:dog ratio, and no maximum capacity (in states that do not have strict laws regarding a capacity).
#33
The amount of s*****e among doctors.
Physicians have among the highest rates of s*****e worldwide, but I didn't understand how significant it was until I was in the field. I assumed it wasn't a big issue - the career seemed great with prestige, high job security and income. And it is great, but I didn't know about working 60 days in a row, operating after being awake for 72 hours on call, cutthroat competition in training bottlenecks, the constant expectation and pressure to be the best and know it all from seniors and patients alike, the harassment and bullying from colleges that eat their young.
Now that I'm working in hospital networks, I don't go more than a couple of months without hearing about another doctor who attempted or committed s*****e. There is more open discussion about the crisis, but most remains unspoken. Many doctors in my country won't disclose or seek help for their mental health problems out of fear they'll be reported and have restrictions on their license.
And if you are taken to hospital for the s*****e attempt, the field is small enough that your colleagues and friends will hear about it, no matter how much staff maintain confidentiality. I visited a friend in ICU who attempted s*****e, and he was mortified that he had been transported to the hospital he was employed in. Everyone knew and he moved across the country. And you hear about funerals for an 'untimely passing' of a 30 something year old doctor, while nobody talks about how or why they died. We are very uncomfortable talking about s*****e.
#34
I work in tv news and some viewers can be veryyy creepy. People subconsciously feel like they know us, because they see us everyday, in their homes. Some of the mail my coworkers receive is so questionable. Like one guy (a well known and beloved weatherman) regularly gets postcards from the same dude that hates him and berates him. Another guy acts as if he actually knows one of our weekend anchors, in his letters talking about how they used to go to various concerts together (nope). Once I opened a p****** with all these random objects (bandaids, leis, a pair of socks, conversation hearts) and five valentines each detailing how the person would storm the building.
Once I did a story vaguely related to vaping and within minutes a guy tracked down my personal facebook and sent me three videos cussing me out and a long rant about how I was a "p**s ant w***e" and a "f*****g moron".
#35
I used to do a lot of independent IT work in rural areas before I moved to the bay, and have endless stories about utterly messed up people.
Yes, I always reported it if I could prove it was illegal, but here's just some of the greatest hits:
Was asked to install a hidden web camera in a child's room once, under the guise of it being for a baby, then find out it's the room of a 16 year old girl.
I meet a retired judge who is like the nicest guy ever, instantly find insanely long histories of mock snuff films and poetry about severing female heads.
Went to a hog farm and helped install a monitoring system for a series of pens that included couches inside and real toilets. He stood behind me the entire time breathing down my neck while I worked.
Seriously, so done with the Midwest bruh.
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