Survey reveals the most embarrassing things Brits have done at work
- Posted by
- Jasmine Andersson
- Published

Ah, behaving at work. Even when we’re trying to be our best, most efficient selves, a comment made in the wrong tone, an ill-fated coffee spillage, or an ill-fated encounter with a glass door (ouch) can make the day fade to embarrassing greyscale obscenely quickly.
Now a new YouGov survey has exposed some of the most blush-inducing mistakes people have ever made in the workplace – and we’re willing to bet that they cause your own to pale in comparison.
“While serving a customer at a turkey carvery, I told them that I had a nice pair of breasts,” shared one customer service worker.
A hairdresser added: “I turned a customer’s hair green — before it was fashionable.”
“Working as a ride operator on a theme park ride, I got distracted by colleagues and ended up leaving a group of customers on a haunted house ride… we told them it was a technical issue,” admitted another.
But, while some of the stories make for prime titillation material (ahem), others teeter on the brink of truly horrifying.
“I was supposed to be conducting a short service for the burial of some ashes on a Saturday afternoon but I completely forgot about it because I had gone shopping with my family,” revealed one.
One confessed: “Mixed up several old people’s dentures as a student nurse when I was washing them.”
“Mistook a photo of my colleague’s dead father as Nigel Farage on her final day after losing her job,” admitted another.
Read more: How being funny could help your career
Naturally, we’ve scoured through these unlucky employee confessions to bring you just a few of the most cringe-worthy, awkward, and embarrassing.
Check them out below:
- “Asked a blind club which power point projector they have.”
- “Forgot to turn my microphone off while going to the toilet.”
- “Gave an enema to the wrong patient.”
- “Accidentally was rude about a customer while I thought I had them on hold. They were not.”
- “Lost £2000 in cash by putting it in the waste paper bin by accident.”
- “Set a new pupil work to do and checked up on him only to discover later that he was a graduate trainee supposed to be observing the lesson.”
- “Turned up in a wrong venue 100 miles away from where I should have been.”
May your mistakes always go unfounded, team.
Images: Rex and iStock