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!
#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
#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
#3
Went and sat in my car on my 30 min lunch break.. Woke up 4 hours later
#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
#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
#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
#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
#16
Accidentally gave everyone 75% off the entire website, oopsies
#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
#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.
#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
#23
accidentally posted a selfie to Petco’s Facebook & IG instead of my own account
#24
I accidentally sold a wedding dress that was $3000 for $300
#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
#26
I accidentally sent a $1,000,000 check to the wrong client
#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
#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
#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.
#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”
#32
I overpaid someone 3800 in payroll
#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
#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
#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
#44
I made something take 4 months that should have taken 1 hour
#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.