Halloween is coming up, and we all love a good scary story for Halloween, right? Fans of a good scare know that the scariest stories are the ones that happen in real life, to real people. Here are 5 true horror office stories that can happen to anyone.
Send to all
This story is at the top of the list for a reason: everyone is terrified of sending out emails that are misspelled or mistakenly sent to an unintended recipient. The most horrifying one is a badly spelled email that has been “sent to all.” You will go down in history as that person who sent “I apologize for any incontinence” to everyone in the mailing list. So proofread your emails, make it short and to the point, and please only include pertinent recipients.
The sick co-worker
In light of recent happenings, it is a huge no-no to sneeze or cough in public. If you want to disperse a team meeting, all you have to do is cough and watch how quickly everyone disappears from the vicinity. Now, imagine having a co-worker with allergic rhinitis who has a sneezing fit of 6 to 7 sneezes but does not leave the meeting room. This used to be a mild annoyance. Now, everyone sees this as an affront to their health and safety. If you are sick, please do not go to work and see a doctor. If it’s just a case of bad allergies, be considerate and work remotely so as not to scare everyone.
The “Legally Blonde” moment
Remember the scene in the movie “Legally Blonde” where Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) shows up to a college party in full playboy bunny costume, only, it turns out to be a regular house party. Remember this when you decide to dress up for Halloween. A costume theme only works when everyone knows that there’s a costume theme going on AND has agreed to join you. So make sure that the team knows that you all agreed to dress up in costumes for the day. Otherwise, you will forever be known as “The Office Clown” if you show up dressed as Pennywise to the office.
Too much Halloween fun
Do not overindulge at office parties. This goes not only for Halloween parties but for all office parties in general. And by overindulging, I don’t mean just drinks. This goes for food, candy, and even (God forbid) office supplies. Moderation is key. Be a team player and save some for the others.
True story, bro
I leave you with a “true” office horror story. You can read more real-life office scary stories, here.
“We’ve come to believe a terrible accident took place during the building [of our coffee shop]. The first time I noticed anything, I was in the lobby alone, no customers, all co-workers in the back room, and I heard a man ask, “Where are my hands?!” I nearly peed my pants. Since then, every now and then, weird things will happen. We’ll hear someone asking for help or saying, “Hello? Hello? Hello?!” when no one is in the store.
There have been multiple times I’m in the back alone washing dishes and see something move out of the corner of my eye or hear something fall or shuffle. I’ll check, and no one will be there. We’ll hear the bell of our door opening, but no one is there. I definitely don’t enjoy my shifts when something like that happens. —Francisca, barista for a major coffee chain in Washington”
Do you have your own office horror story? Share them with us in the comments. Happy Halloween! Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!
Written by Jaie O. TheHelp