Sometimes, it’s really nice to have a prankster in the group who knows how to turn serious situations into playful ones. However, there are other types of these people who have zero sense of “laughing at someone” rather than “laughing with someone,” and it can get annoying.
For instance, this prank-loving woman always took things too far, which frustrated her coworker. In fact, she even ended up jeopardizing her work friend’s career one day, so she finally snapped, took action, and got the boss involved. Here’s how it sparked a lot of work drama…
More info: Reddit
Some pranksters don't realize that their "jokes" can have devastating consequences for their targets
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster was annoyed by her work friend, who constantly pranked everyone, so she asked her to stop doing it to her
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
However, the woman took things further and swapped her friend's shift as a joke, but the poster ended up getting in trouble because of her
Image credits: pch.vector / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The frustrated poster finally got their boss involved, and the woman's access to the schedule system was taken away from her
Image credits: Effective_General833
Moreover, she was also put on probation, but she and many colleagues lashed out against the poster for not "handling it privately"
Today, we dive into a story about how a “harmless joke” went horribly wrong. The original poster’s (OP) work friend was the office prankster, who loved to joke around, hide her coworkers’ belongings, and mess with people’s schedules. Most of the cafe staff laughed it off, but the poster was not really amused by her shenanigans, especially when she did it to her.
The woman previously rescheduled OP’s shifts by about an hour, so OP asked her to stop. Instead, she took things further by moving the poster’s morning shift to a late-night one without telling her. Our lady was aghast when she showed up and was told she wasn't needed. Also, she missed the night shift. Obviously, she got written up for it and fumed over her friend’s action.
The worst part was that when OP confronted her coworker, she had the nerve to laugh and claim it wasn’t a big deal. The poster’s protests that she needed this income to survive fell on deaf ears, so she decided to take things into her own hands and went to the boss. She provided proof of what the woman had done, and management investigated.
Much to their surprise, they realized that the prankster had done this before. Of course, they took away her access to the scheduling system and even put her on probation. Instead of admitting her mistake, she lashed out at OP and gave her the cold shoulder. In fact, our lady also received some heat from other coworkers for not “handling it privately.”
Image credits: katemangostar / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Experts claim that “There’s a value in being able to shock through pranks. By attaining that ‘shock value,’ you feed your personal ego. There is a status, a credibility, a kudos attached to it. Pranksters see their victims as objects for their achievement, not as a person.” Who knows, even the woman in this story could be doing it as an “accomplishment.”
However, netizens were quick to point out that it was clearly workplace bullying. Unfortunately, a report has revealed that 30% of workers have directly experienced bullying while at work. Additionally, victims have a 67% chance of losing a job they loved when targeted for bullying. Even OP was extremely terrified of losing her only source of livelihood.
Meanwhile, researchers emphasize that victims of workplace bullying can experience increased stress, feelings of anxiety, and depression. Moreover, one’s sense of security is undermined by ongoing unpleasant interactions, which can cause tension and even melancholy. Well, it seemed high time that someone stood up to this woman for all the damage she was causing.
After all, it takes a lot of courage to stand up to somebody, especially a popular coworker or a "friend." No wonder OP faced backlash from other colleagues, but she did what needed to be done. Would you have done the same thing in her shoes? We would love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to jot them down in the comments below!
Netizens concluded that the woman was not a prankster, but a bully who deserved to be fired from the workplace
