Boss branded ‘toxic’ after putting up sign telling employees not to make friends in the workplace
‘Work is not meant to be fun’: Boss labeled ‘toxic’ after putting up sign saying employees are not allowed to make friends or discuss non-work topics
A ‘toxic’ boss has sparked fierce debate online after he put up a sign saying that employees are ‘not allowed to form friendships’ during working hours.
Earlier this week, a photo of the sign appeared on a Reddit forum – where 5.6 million members from the UK and US share things they find “mildly annoying”.
After seeing it at his workplace, an anonymous employee invited other Reddit users to comment on the boss’s crackdown on office socializing.
The board is printed on an A4 sheet and opens with the statement: ‘WORK IS NOT MEANT TO BE FUN’.
Typed in all caps, it says, “This is your job. Don’t spend working time discussing non-work related topics.’
The anonymous employee shared a photo of the workplace sign on the Reddit forum ‘Mildly Infuriating’ earlier this week
In addition, the boss then reminds employees not to forge friendships during the workday.
It says, “Do not foster friendships during work hours. Exchange phone numbers and/or hang out after work is done.”
The boss then leaves his phone number – which has been obscured by the unimpressed employee – and asks others to warn them about discussions of non-work relationships.
They continued, “Reach me up [redacted] if a colleague has non-work meetings during working hours.’
In an effort to keep things light, the boss signed off the sign with a picture of a Minion from the Despicable Me franchise.
“Work is not your shelter,” it said. ‘Truth.’
The post has garnered more than 2,400 comments in the past 24 hours — with some labeling the boss as “toxic” and claiming their use of a cartoon was hypocritical.
The post garnered over 2,400 comments in 24 hours and the majority of people agreed it was over the top
One user urged them to reply with, “Don’t put Minion on this poster, you’re having too much fun making the poster and we don’t have it.”
In addition, another wrote, “Better yet, call the person on the poster to report the poster as it is not work related. And record it so we can hear their reaction!’
In addition, a third suggested responding with: ‘Attention Management. Work is a mature environment for serious business.
Please do not use cartoons in your signage. If you must include images, a monochrome logo is allowed.’
A fourth mused, “I have no idea what it is about bad bosses and minions. They often come in a package!’
Meanwhile, a fifth responded, “That’s hilarious. Good luck enforcing that.
“I think my boss initiates non-work conversations more than anyone else in the office. And my colleagues and I communicate almost exclusively with GIFs on Teams.”
A sixth said from experience: “I had a boss like that, if I wanted to burn for two hours I could ask him about one of three subjects (basketball, fishing, boating) and sit back while he rambles non-stop .’