Latest news with #workplacehumor
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Morrisons manager sues for sexual harassment over rude Secret Santa mug... that wasn't even for him
A Morrisons manager sued for sexual harassment over a rude Secret Santa mug - which wasn't even for him. Barry Cochrane had only just started his new job at a Morrisons-owned abattoir and was offended when a mug featuring cartoon testicles was handed out at a work Christmas party he didn't even attend. When he was added to a work group chat, he did not appreciate the mug, which had a picture of testicles with the words 'I LOVE TEA BAGGING' underneath. After being added to the chat, he scrolled up and saw that another employee had said she was 'thankful' he hadn't seen the rude mug because he had not been added yet. He was 'very upset' as he felt he had been 'singled out' for a 'cheap laugh' which left him feeling 'humiliated', leading him to walk out during his shift, saying he had no option but to resign due to being 'named in sexual content', it was heard. He took the matter to an employment court and sued for unfair dismissal and sexual harassment. But now the employment judge has thrown out his claims of sexual harassment and constructive dismissal, saying his reaction was 'disproportionate' and clearly 'confected with litigation in mind'. The tribunal, held in Aberdeen, was told Mr Cochrane started working for Neerock, a company which operates abattoirs and meat processing facilities and is owned by Morrisons, as a Health and Safety Specialist on December 11 2023. On December 12, employees got together and exchanged gifts. While Mr Cochrane was initially invited, the invitation was later withdrawn due to a delay in his start date. During this get-together, Senior Health & Safety Manager for Morrisons, David Orton, was given a wrapped mug which he was encouraged to open in the moment. The tribunal heard he 'suspected that there may be something on the mug which might not be appropriate to show in a work meeting'. It was heard: ' When he returned home, Mr Orton opened the mug, to find it blank, but when filled with hot fluid, it revealed a picture of a pair of male testicles wrapped in a bow-tie, with the words 'I LOVE TEABAGGING' underneath.' Mr Orton took a picture of the mug and uploaded it to a team group chat with the comment 'I think I need to have a word with Santa'. The tribunal heard that several employees reacted to the mug with laughing emojis, with comments like 'Haha brilliant' and 'I am so jealous Dave' flying in the chat. Sally Smith, Morrisons' Head of Health and Safety, then messaged: 'Just checked and thankfully Barry isn't on here yet, is he!' To which David Orton replied: 'Not yet!' Moments later, Ms Smith added Cochrane to the group, unaware that new members could scroll back and read previous messages. On December 20, Mr Cochrane did just that, and after reading the thread, he broke down in tears at work. 'He said he became very upset when he saw the exchange on the group chat, and particularly the comments made by Mr Orton and Ms Smith,' the tribunal said. He packed up his things and walked out of the office. He called Mr Orton and explained to him that 'he was leaving and that this was because of the build-up of a number of issues, and finally because he had been singled out on the group chat'. Mr Orton was 'shocked and surprised' by his resignation, and when the employee got home he sent an email which was titled 'resignation due to being named in sexual content'. The senior employee wrote: 'I was totally shocked to see this on the official Morrisons intranet/email system, and feel humiliated as I was singled out and named by the Head of H&S in her remark - in full view of the entire H&S Team. 'The job is tough enough and there is lots to do, but I would have got to that in time, but after seeing this sexual content and naming me (and only me) I have no option but to resign.' In a later email, he said he 'expected professionalism from Morrisons - not flaunting sexual material for all to see on Gmail chat, and sickeningly naming me for cheap laughs at my expense'. 'Instantly, my mental health took a massive hit, and I couldn't bear working with a team that considers brandishing this type of sexual material around the H&S team members for kicks during work,' he added. The day after Mr Cochrane's resignation, an email was sent out to the Health and Safety team reminding them to ensure all work chats are 'in line with our company policy'. An investigation into the exchange in which Mr Orton wrote that while he regrets sending a picture of the mug, it was 'meant in the spirit of a laugh'. Ms Smith said that she made the comment about Mr Cochrane because she thought 'oh what what will Barry think of us' having not been in the meeting or understanding the context of the message. Mr Cochrane, who said he resigned after reading the thread on the group chat, sued for unfair dismissal and sexual harassment. Employment Judge Murdo Macleod said there is 'no doubt' that the comments in the group chat were not directed at Mr Cochrane. The judge said: 'We consider that [Mr Cochrane's] reaction was disproportionate, given that he was not involved in the exchange and that it was plainly not directed at him at the time it was posted. '[Mr Orton and Ms Smith's] explanation for their comments is entirely credible; they were concerned that as a new employee, he would get 'the wrong impression' of the team by seeing these matters discussed. 'In other words, there was a level of embarrassment on their part that such matters would be included in a work-related team chat. 'It is clear to us that [Mr Cochrane] did not find the initial comment, nor the legend on the mug, to be offensive. He thought it was funny. 'His outrage at his name being mentioned on the thread is confected, with this litigation in mind. 'It is quite clear that if anyone was being singled out for ridicule, it was Mr Orton.'
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Disgruntled ex-employee's fury after boss sends him an outrageous text request
A fired employee has sparked a humorous debate after exposing a shameless request from his former boss. The text message seemed genuine and polite, however it has transpired that this particular manager was asking the man to come back and train his own replacement just days after being let go. In a now-viral TikTok video, British career expert Ben Askins shared the shocking text message exchange that left thousands of viewers gobsmacked, with many dubbing the boss's request 'delusional' and 'ridiculous.' The clip, which has amassed more than 175,000 views, shows the boss pleading with the sacked staffer to return and train the new hire on the company's ticketing system. Outrageously, he was offering nothing more than a coffee in exchange. 'This boss was really pushing his luck!' Ben captioned the video. 'Situations like this can be easily avoided,' after he too seemed shocked by the lack of regard the boss had for the ex-worker. 'Hey, I know this probably isn't the best time to ask, but we're struggling with the new ticketing process. Is there any chance you could come in and run the new guy through it?' the employer messaged over text. To which the disgruntled ex-employee clapped back: 'Are you having a laugh? You fired me last week?' Lacking any regard for their feelings the employee replied: 'I know, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. It shouldn't take you long. I know this is awkward, I promise you will get a coffee for the favour.' In the video, Ben chimed in adding his own opinion on the matter, joking that a mere coffee for his time was 'quite alright, then,' as he laughed. Surprisingly, the ex-employee replied with an olive branch to help, but felt remuneration was only fair for his time: 'I will do it. But I want it to be a remote tutorial, and I will charge you for half a day.' 'Remote is fine, but half a day's pay? This will only take a few minutes?' the employer replied, clearly surprised at the request. 'That is the deal.' Begrudgingly his terms were met, but not without a small dig at his audaciousness of actually being remunerated for his time and effort: 'Fine, but I am disappointed this is the way you are playing this,' the boss replied. Ben, who frequently posts career advice and work-related scenarios, was stunned by the entitlement on display. 'Firstly, let's be very clear,' he said. He does not have to do this favour. So the fact that he's charging is completely okay. 'He's giving up his time. He really doesn't have to do it, so the idea that this boss doesn't think he should pay is absolutely ridiculous.' He continued by saying that the text exchanges was 'a good example of why companies need proper training guides and onboarding processes - so you don't end up in situations like this.' Hundreds of Ben's viewers weighed in on the text exchange too, and they didn't hold back. The comments under the video lit up with support for the ex-employee, with many saying he should've asked for far more than just half a day's pay. 'Half a day? I'd charge them my consultancy fee and it would be astronomical,' one user wrote. 'I wouldn't even answer the message,' said another. 'At this point he's not under contract, he's a consultant. He can charge what he wants.' 'I'd reply two words and the second word would be 'off,' joked one. 'Half a days pay? He doesn't work there no more so his days pay is zero and half of 0 is 0.' While some users said they would've hung up or blocked the boss altogether, others applauded the ex-employee's cool-headed professionalism, particularly for negotiating remote work and payment. The viral saga has become a cautionary tale for workers everywhere, especially in industries where employees are often expected to go above and beyond, even after being let go, it seems.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Readers reply: Whatever happened to telling jokes at work?
Whatever happened to sharing jokes in the workplace (or even among friends)? It used to be commonplace; not any more. Nigel Parsons, London Send new questions to nq@ You started working from home? SpoilheapSurfer Time was that you heard a joke and you could retell it because the chances were that people hadn't heard it. Now that everything is everywhere all at once, people have heard everything already – and there is nothing worse (well, comparatively) than starting a joke and people immediately saying they've heard it, or jumping in with the punchline. Goldgreen Have you ever come across an even vaguely funny joke about AI? This is about the best I've heard. A machine-learning algorithm walks into a bar. The bartender asks: 'What will you have?' The algorithm says: 'What's everyone else having?' Gosh, what laughs to look forward to. woodworm20 Nowadays it opens you up to way too much legal liability, so nobody would dare. ElCommentario Plenty of jokes at my work. If you're incapable of judging whether a joke is work-appropriate, maybe just stick to cheese puns or whatever? Then you'll brie fine. pickwick I was going to donate blood today, but they ask way too many personal questions. Like: 'Whose blood is this?' and: 'Why's it in a bucket?' Cartozzz My workplaces jokes are so good that HR ask me to repeat them in their office. AlexNFFC I once went to a lecture by Frank Muir in which he suggested all jokes are invented on the London Stock Exchange and then travel the country, gradually morphing into regional variations. Today, there is nothing funny whatsoever about the finance industry, so the great humour recirculation current has stopped. Erbium
The Guardian
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Whatever happened to telling jokes at work?
Whatever happened to sharing jokes in the workplace (or even among friends)? It used to be commonplace; not any more. Nigel Parsons, London Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@ A selection will be published next Sunday.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Own goal averted by last-ditch save
As a white man I almost got myself in trouble at work one day (White men are apparently terrified of doing the wrong thing at work. I have some advice, 26 May). 'I must admit I have zero interest in women's football,' I said after a young woman had raised the subject. Everyone looked at me for a second or two before I added: 'But in my defence, I feel the same way about the men's.' Everyone laughed and I didn't get fired. Chris Telford Lancaster • Schools have a duty to 'actively promote' the British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and respect and tolerance of those of different faiths. It seems the UK government feels no compulsion to do so (Dismay as UK prepares to sign 'values-free' £1.6bn trade deal with Gulf states. 29 May) Mona Sood Southend-on-Sea Advertisement • Simon Elmes criticises the use of 'unwanted Americanisms' such as 'gotten' and 'faucet' (Letters, 29 May). In fact both of these words are from early modern English, and are used in Shakespeare's plays. A respectable English ancestry, I'd say. Neil Hanson Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire • Given that Labour's fall in the opinion polls is the largest for any newly elected UK government in 40 years (Report, 25 May), Keir Starmer is experiencing the swift decline of numbers as well as the decline of swift numbers (Letters, 29 May). Elli Woollard London • My wife and I get to see our grownup children occasionally when they come home to see the dog (Letters, 29 May). Gary McGregor Garvald, East Lothian • Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
