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We’re all human and we all make mistakes. However, while these blunders are often learning experiences that make us better, some of them can be so mortifying that they linger in our minds for a considerable time.
These individuals know that feeling all too well, as they candidly shared some of their most embarrassing work slip-ups. While a few of these anecdotes are harmless and even funny, some were so costly that they no longer became a laughing matter.
Have you messed up really badly at work? We’d like to know your stories, so feel free to share them below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
when I make a mistake my boss says "as long as no one is dead, we will figure it out." if this isn't how your boss is, know that it should be. mistakes happen and it's okay
StrangeOne 2 months ago
This was the attitude of a lady who owned a small book store I was working at for a couple weeks, in my High School years. I made some pretty bad mistakes, such as trying to rearrange, or tidy up, the books. I accidentally misplaced a book someone called about and ended up costing her a much needed sale. Felt bad. She was understandably not happy, telling me that is why she has her books placed where they are, and not to mess around with the order. I apologized and she said "Well, mistakes happen. That's how you learn." I have taken that wisdom with me everywhere. Not everyone shares that mentality, unfortunately.
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#2
The DOD, VP and other high ranking government officials used an uncleared plateform to exchange classified info and then accidentally added a reporter to the GC and got nationally exposed
#4
Boss asked me to forward her the invoice for an unpaid bill of a major client- I included a meme saying “y u no pay me” for a laugh but she didn’t see it & forwarded the email chain to the client…
#5
My friend is a dental asssistant, she dropped and shattered a very expensive custom made set of some kind of implant for a patient. She cried for days. She’s still there, very valued, and forgiven
StrangeOne 2 months ago
When genuine remorse is shown, it shows that the employee is not out to be uncaring and reckless. So there's no point in firing someone, especially for a one-off situation and they're normally on their game.
#6
Deleted 20 years of data entry from a database. Had to wait hours for IT department to see if they could restore the information. Laid on the bathroom floor cause I was afraid of passing out
#7
Messed up the sourdough starter for our sourdough bakery. It took three years to grow it
#8
When Pixar was making Toy Story 2, an employee accidentally deleted 90% of the movie. The only reason it was able to be recovered was because an employee on maternity leave had a backup file
StrangeOne 2 months ago (edited)
I was skeptical about this one, but upon research this did happen. It was an incomplete version, anyways. They remade it within nine months.
#9
Got drunk at a work Christmas party and loudly told the bosses wife she was too hot for him.. everyone heard and I still work there two years later. I don’t drink at work events anymore though
#10
I typo’d “let’s cuddle” instead of “let’s huddle” to an extremely serious slack inquiry
#11
I’m a 911 dispatcher and I have made SO many mistakes. And in my line of work, people’s lives are on the line. You are human, as is everyone. I promise it is okay to make mistakes. Give yourself grace
FlamingoPanda 2 months ago
The more important thing in this line of work is to catch your mistake as quickly as possibly and correct it appropriately. Or have processes in place designed to help reduce human error.
#12
I sent a man flowers to congratulate him on his wedding but he never updated his address so it went to his ex wife and that’s how she found out he got married to his affair partner
#13
I wasn’t trained on how to use the og barista machine so when a guy came in for a regular coffee I didn’t know what to do so I gave him 8 shots of espresso
#14
Accidentally revealed the gender of the baby to the mommy rereading the cake order out loud
#15
Was making dog food at a production plant. Added green BEANS instead of green PEAS to the mix all day. Cost the company like 75k bc they had to throw it all away
#17
I priced a brand new 900 sq ft apartment for $390 on our website. It sat there all day. How someone didn’t see it and apply I have no idea. We would’ve legally had to honor the price
#18
Deleted our entire website once
#19
Girl one time I literally left the doors unlocked when I closed at the store I worked at
StrangeOne 2 months ago
Haha I did that once working at a mall. The security guards left some sort of warning notice on the gates and my manager wasn't too happy.
#20
Paid $50k to the wrong person. Settled a case with authority I didn’t have. Sent an email to a partner talking about how much I hated that partner. Everything passes. It will be okay.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 2 months ago
Three pretty serious mistakes in one career? And still employed? Must be an executive.
#21
Accidentally gave my managers personal number instead of her work number to a disgruntled client
#22
I accidentally left confidential papers in a public space and a reporter found them and it nearly blew up a major criminal investigation. Didn't get fired because I was covering a job I wasn't trained
StrangeOne 2 months ago
If such confidential papers were left out for someone untrained at a job to see, then OP wouldn't be at fault. It would be whoever was in charge of the investigation who have to answer.
#23
accidentally posted a selfie to Petco’s Facebook & IG instead of my own account
#25
Worked at an auto body shop. Backed a customer’s car into a building a few weeks after I started. Sobbed. Didn’t get fired
#27
Girl I used to work in tax. Unless you’ve caused your company to owe over $30,000 in penalties and interest to a government entity, you’re good
Michael Largey 2 months ago
That would really depend on the size of the company and the nature of the owners.
#28
I was working front desk, and forgot to click that a patient arrived. They were there on time, the doctor left for the day and they came up to me and asked when they were gonna be seen
SchadenFreudian Psychology 2 months ago
I was the patient in a situation like this just a couple of months ago. Foot & Ankle Center?
#29
I accidentally charged someone $25,000 for a pizza instead of $25😀 (it didn’t go through so it was all good) but got yelled at by the managers. This was also within like my first month of working
#30
Called my boss on vacation to tell her we’d been robbed. I miscounted 5x and we had all the money.
StrangeOne 2 months ago (edited)
LOL I took out 80 gbp on my first trip to England, on the first day I landed, at an ATM. I had in my head 80 pounds I was going to take out. I knew I had Cdn dollars on my card. My head couldn't comprehend that the amount that was spit out to me in pounds wasn't the same in dollars. So when I checked my account later I thought someone hacked into my account or managed to steal my card info. I was frantically calling the bank. It was many minutes on the call before I realized there's a conversion difference. Don't get me wrong, I knew that well before I went there, and on the plane ride, that there's a difference in currency. Through my frustration, jetlag, sleep deprivation and excitement all in one, my brain went scrambled in a fog. I'm not sure if this is a similar situation, it just reminded me of that time.
#31
I put in my two weeks using chatGPT and forgot to delete the random “sure! Let me help you tell your boss you’re leaving”
The Other Guest 2 months ago
Why in the world would one need chatGPT in order to write a resignation? "Boss - Effective (date), I am resigning my position with (company). I am grateful for all I have learned in the (amount of time) I have worked here. Thank you." Boom, done.
#33
I cashed two fraudulent checks that were literally signed by Oprah Winfrey
#34
My first and only two days working at jersey mikes I gave everyone with the app (which was EVERYONE) discounts, when it was only supposed to be given to first responders or military
Grumpy old man 2 months ago
Not a big deal markup is 40%, so a loss of 10% is NBD. Sodas should be free, but theyre pure profit
#35
When I was a supervisor at Starbucks I fell for a scam and gave them like $1500 from the safe. I didn’t get fired because they knew stuff about us they shouldn’t know.. I cried for days lmao
#36
I accidentally charged a customer $2,000 TWICE
StrangeOne 2 months ago
Omg. This is why I'm always checking my account everyday, after every purchase. I do see some inconsistencies time to time.
#37
I accidentally posted 8 million dollars to someone’s account then realized and reversed it.
#38
I sent a $10k check for a bill we weren’t supposed to pay
#39
Accidentally gave someone a Dyson air wrap for free…she then tried to return it and I hid while my manager at the time explained to her she can technically keep is cuz she was never charged
#40
My first day working at Wells Fargo as a teller I lost them $1500. I just handed out extra money on accident. they did not fire me LMAO
#41
I work at a daycare. had a 4yo trip, her nose bled a little, then she was good so we didnt call home. turns out she had a concussion & we had no clue. her parents were furious & I felt horrible
#42
I worked as a chiropractic assistant with no experience and lost dozens of elderly patients thousands of dollars of reimbursement in the span of 6 months. Each
#43
used to work at a car wash and I kept accidentally sending more than one roller after each car and I ended up sending so many extras that one car rear ended another one
#45
I lost the company credit card once because I put it in a pocket that had a hole in it
#46
For 2 years I told all costumers we didn’t do change just rounded up or down bc I don’t know the difference between nickles and quarters
#47
Never forget when Kate Spade sent a mass email with the subject line “Hanging with Kate Spade”
#48
I tried to blow dry my hair at work but plugged it into my literal computer. It broke my computer & the whole building lost power.
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Upstaged75 2 months ago
I run webinars at work on Zoom. One time I posted a message to the speakers in the chat. Except I actually posted it to the entire audience. (Around 100 people) It was NOT something the audience was supposed to see. 😫 Thought I was going to have to quit my job - or get fired. Kept the job.
Corbmi 2 months ago
A long and dull story short, I worked for an investment bank. In 1999 I was a junior, booking trades. Misbooked one (in to the positions / trading exposure spreadsheet, not the trade settlement system). No-one noticed for 6 months. When I finally spotted and corrected it, the loss was a smidge over £600k. That was not a fun conversation to have.. (Thankfully my boss at the time couldn't have reacted better - swept the loss under the carpet and didn't mention it again. 99% of the time people would have been fired for that. I was very, very, very fortunate. I was working 18 hour days so maybe he felt sorry for me?).
Asri 2 months ago
I was running sound for a fairly major awards show (like a step down from the Oscars.) I accidentally hit the wrong button and the "thank you for coming" voiceover started instead of music. Afterwards I cringed as the my boss walked up while we wear tearing down. He said nothing. When I brought it up he only said, "you are going to punish yourself more than I ever could." How well he knew me. He continued calling me to work gigs for him.
Michael Reid 2 months ago
I was updating code on the safety plc for a gas storage facility and unplugged my laptop from the machine without exiting the application, it went into emergency shutdown mode and vented over £50,000 worth of natural gas before I could stop it. I didnt get fired, but shortly after I parked a hire car on the beach and the tide came in and ruined it, I did get fired for that.
Emilu 2 months ago
When I worked retail, I left a POD (can't remember what it stands for, but basically when the register has over a certain amount of cash in it, our computer system flagged it needing a POD) of about $2k by the television display at the back of the store. I was running the shift but so tired and just wanted to get home. Luckily my manager saw the funny side of it and also knew that it was incredibly out of character for me, so nothing ever came of it.
Robert Campbell 2 months ago
I ordered a piece of air monitoring equipment worth 15k, the first day we took it out, we climbed a 60m chimney set it up but forgot to lock it in place. Within 30 seconds of starting it fell inside the chimney and we had to stop the entire factory to get it back. It was shattered
Gavin Johnson 2 months ago
Second day in my job running weddings at a five star hotel, I had to move a wedding cake for better lighting for B&G having photos with it. Slid the table, it caught on the carpet, £2,000 wedding cake crashes to the floor in front of the happy couple 😳 good work Gav! Ever thankful to Stefan, our pâtissier, who managed to do an emergency patch up job on the icing. The bride and groom were super relaxed about it and said my look of horror and guilt made it all very funny. I dodged a bullet there!
Bertha Madott 2 months ago
The other side of the coin. I was an accountant/bookkeeper for 40 years. Very accurate. But…. Mistakes happen when you’re processing zillions of numbers. It is very important to know how to fix mistakes correctly. So I was fixing a mistake in some office. Dreadful place, stingy clients. The owner’s husband saw me with my white-out and made some sarcastic comment. A$$hole…
Upstaged75 2 months ago
I run webinars at work on Zoom. One time I posted a message to the speakers in the chat. Except I actually posted it to the entire audience. (Around 100 people) It was NOT something the audience was supposed to see. 😫 Thought I was going to have to quit my job - or get fired. Kept the job.
Corbmi 2 months ago
A long and dull story short, I worked for an investment bank. In 1999 I was a junior, booking trades. Misbooked one (in to the positions / trading exposure spreadsheet, not the trade settlement system). No-one noticed for 6 months. When I finally spotted and corrected it, the loss was a smidge over £600k. That was not a fun conversation to have.. (Thankfully my boss at the time couldn't have reacted better - swept the loss under the carpet and didn't mention it again. 99% of the time people would have been fired for that. I was very, very, very fortunate. I was working 18 hour days so maybe he felt sorry for me?).
Asri 2 months ago
I was running sound for a fairly major awards show (like a step down from the Oscars.) I accidentally hit the wrong button and the "thank you for coming" voiceover started instead of music. Afterwards I cringed as the my boss walked up while we wear tearing down. He said nothing. When I brought it up he only said, "you are going to punish yourself more than I ever could." How well he knew me. He continued calling me to work gigs for him.
Michael Reid 2 months ago
I was updating code on the safety plc for a gas storage facility and unplugged my laptop from the machine without exiting the application, it went into emergency shutdown mode and vented over £50,000 worth of natural gas before I could stop it. I didnt get fired, but shortly after I parked a hire car on the beach and the tide came in and ruined it, I did get fired for that.
Emilu 2 months ago
When I worked retail, I left a POD (can't remember what it stands for, but basically when the register has over a certain amount of cash in it, our computer system flagged it needing a POD) of about $2k by the television display at the back of the store. I was running the shift but so tired and just wanted to get home. Luckily my manager saw the funny side of it and also knew that it was incredibly out of character for me, so nothing ever came of it.
Robert Campbell 2 months ago
I ordered a piece of air monitoring equipment worth 15k, the first day we took it out, we climbed a 60m chimney set it up but forgot to lock it in place. Within 30 seconds of starting it fell inside the chimney and we had to stop the entire factory to get it back. It was shattered
Gavin Johnson 2 months ago
Second day in my job running weddings at a five star hotel, I had to move a wedding cake for better lighting for B&G having photos with it. Slid the table, it caught on the carpet, £2,000 wedding cake crashes to the floor in front of the happy couple 😳 good work Gav! Ever thankful to Stefan, our pâtissier, who managed to do an emergency patch up job on the icing. The bride and groom were super relaxed about it and said my look of horror and guilt made it all very funny. I dodged a bullet there!
Bertha Madott 2 months ago
The other side of the coin. I was an accountant/bookkeeper for 40 years. Very accurate. But…. Mistakes happen when you’re processing zillions of numbers. It is very important to know how to fix mistakes correctly. So I was fixing a mistake in some office. Dreadful place, stingy clients. The owner’s husband saw me with my white-out and made some sarcastic comment. A$$hole…
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