Workplaces are supposed to be all about collaboration, bad coffee, and pretending to understand spreadsheets, but sometimes they feel more like high school with fluorescent lighting. You’ve got the cool cliques, the gossip clan, and the one guy who thinks every meeting is his personal stand-up special.
And don’t get me started on the not-so-subtle bullying that somehow survived past puberty. Turns out, some people never grow out of being jerks—they just upgrade to fancy suits and passive-aggressive messages. Just ask our netizen—she experienced this firsthand.
More info: Mumsnet
Office life is just high school with fluorescent lights, bad coffee, and detention disguised as meetings
Image credits: Anna Shvets / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One woman considers reporting her coworkers after overhearing them mocking her intelligence during a video call without realizing she was listening
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman had a rough night because of her daughter, so she admits she had trouble answering a few questions during the meeting
Image credits: DC Studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The woman mutes herself for a minute to grab a delivery, and overhears her coworkers calling her pretty but dumb
Image credits: AndreaGreen
The woman is conflicted, unable to decide if she should report her coworkers to HR, as she doesn’t have proof of the comments
The OP (original poster) was on a video call, running on approximately 1.5 hours of sleep, a prayer, and whatever caffeine she managed to chug before the meeting. She was just trying to get through it without accidentally calling her coworker “mom.” Been there.
That was the OP’s vibe—exhausted, trying to keep it together, and lowkey praying the camera didn’t catch her eye bags. So, when the doorbell rang mid-call, she excused herself for just a sec to grab a delivery. Totally normal. Except she never left the call, just muted herself and turned off the camera. And her coworkers? They forgot how microphones work.
While she was away, the roast session began. One person groaned that the meeting was “hard work,” and the other? Oh, they took it to a whole new level of gross, basically saying the OP is lucky she’s cute, because she’s not very smart. Hmmm, what would you call someone who mocks their coworker on a group call? Asking for someone.
Overhearing everything they just said, the OP quietly exited the call, claiming something came up, and then cried her eyes out. Because honestly, who wouldn’t? Now she’s left wondering if she should report her coworkers or if she’s just overreacting.
No, OP, you’re not overreacting. This wasn’t just a cringey offhand comment—it was rude, unprofessional and just a sexist insult wrapped in office banter. And before someone says, “maybe they didn’t mean it like that”—please. Saying a woman’s only worth is their looks? That’s not just shady—it’s textbook misogyny with a side of bullying.
Yep, bullying didn’t retire after middle school, apparently. Turns out, some bullies just traded uniforms for button-up shirts. Adult bullying is very real, and according to a survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute, nearly 30% of workers in the U.S. have experienced it firsthand.
Image credits: prostophotokate / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Workplace bullying is not always loud or obvious, either—it can show up as gaslighting, sabotage, deliberate exclusion, or humiliating comments disguised as jokes. The reasons? Power trips, insecurity, or just a total lack of emotional maturity.
If you’re being targeted by adult bullies at work, document everything—screenshots, dates, times, and even how it made you feel. Don’t confront them alone if it doesn’t feel safe. And yes, you can (and should) go to HR. You’re not being dramatic—you’re protecting your peace.
You’d think with all the women’s empowerment campaigns and DEI panels, we’d be past casual sexism at work—but nope, it’s hiding in plain sight. Women still get interrupted more in meetings, have their ideas ignored until a man repeats them, and are judged more on appearance than competence.
In fact, a Pew Research Center study found that 42% of women in the US say they’ve faced gender discrimination at work. Wild, right? And it’s not always overt. Sometimes it’s subtle microaggressions like “you’re too emotional” or “you’re intimidating.” If you’ve got receipts, bring them. Don’t laugh off sexist jokes to keep the peace—it just teaches them it’s okay.
At the end of the day, the OP is not overreacting for considering reporting her coworkers. She’s just acting like a human being who just got blindsided by a couple of mean-spirited, frat-boy-level insults in what’s supposed to be a professional environment.
So, what do you think of this story? What would you do if you were in the poster’s shoes? Share your thoughts and comments below!
Netizens encourage the woman to let her coworkers know she heard what they said and report them to HR
