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“A lady kept hugging the young male colleagues” – The most unbelievable HR complaints

Szőke Angéla3 min read
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“A lady kept hugging the young male colleagues” – The most unbelievable HR complaints — Lifestyle
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The Phantom

The Phantom
Several ladies reported regularly finding “porn viruses” on one of their office computers. I reviewed the security footage—suspecting maybe a cleaner or janitor—but it turned out the department head was the one watching adult content and pleasuring himself at the computer after hours.

Status Symbol

Status Symbol
No one would guess how much employees value having a printer in their room. It’s a status symbol for them, and they feel humiliated if they have to walk to another room to print. I’ve handled countless complaints about this. (There’s even fierce competition over color printers, even when black-and-white printing is enough for work.) My favorite was an assistant who explained her request by saying that wearing heels made it hard on her feet to walk to the opposite office to print.

The Fifty Shades of Red

The Fifty Shades of Red
A young colleague joined the HR team, a bit too enthusiastic. One day, I rode the elevator with her when a middle-aged man in jeans and a t-shirt got on. Before I could introduce him, she said, “That’s pretty casual for work, isn’t it?” He replied, “One perk of owning the company.” I barely held back my laughter as she turned bright red from head to toe.

Relocation

Relocation
A gentleman complained that the toilet paper holders were mounted too low on the wall and he kept bumping his knees while using the restroom. We raised all holders higher in the men’s restrooms because employee satisfaction is a top priority for HR!

A Few Examples

A Few Examples
I’ve been in HR for 15 years, here are some complaints I’ve handled:
A middle-aged lady was often complained about for constantly hugging others; the young male colleagues literally ran away from her. I had to explain she can’t hug those who don’t want it, but she insisted she had the right.

A young female colleague complained about rumors that she was “clinging to male coworkers.” An investigation found eight male coworkers she had sent nude photos to within two days.
A receptionist brought a grill and cooked meat on the lobby counter. When we told her it wasn’t allowed, she was surprised because “no one told me I couldn’t.”

Unpleasant Encounter

Unpleasant Encounter
A man complained about a colleague who “responded rudely, unfriendly, and impolitely” when asked a computer question. We called the colleague in, who explained he was using the restroom when the question was asked, so he wanted to file a complaint for sexual harassment.

Too Hot

Too Hot
A complaint came in because a colleague overheated his food in the microwave, and when he offered it to another coworker to taste, that person burned their mouth.

Afterlife

Afterlife
A foreign colleague reported his wife had died. He received extended bereavement leave and extra financial support to cover travel expenses for the funeral, along with many condolences. The problem was, the wife wasn’t in on the deception and called the office one day asking when her husband would be finished. Coworkers alerted HR about the “call from the afterlife,” and the man was fired the same day.

Bathroom Battle

Bathroom Battle
A man accused a male colleague of always “watching when he wants to use the bathroom, sneaking in before him, and leaving a terrible smell just so he has to deal with it.” We installed an air freshener in the restroom, but then complaints came that the colleague deliberately didn’t use it.

Pay Top-Up

Pay Top-Up
Several complained about a lady who offered her used underwear for sale to male colleagues in the company cafeteria. When confronted, she said she needed the money for makeup products.
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