{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Mostly Funny HR Stories","description":"File 26:  In today\u2019s file, the team is going to lighten-up the conversation with some funny HR stories they\u2019ve either experienced or heard about.  Before we begin, we\u2019d like to encourage you to send us your funny HR stories, via the Workforce Therapy Files website.  We might read them on an upcoming file. Sleeping on the Job Stories Story 1 Molley begins with a personal example from her \u201cfirst real job.\u201d  She wanted to talk with one of the leaders.  She knew he was in the office.  She knocked on his office door repeatedly.  Finally, the door opened.  She was shocked.  She asked if he had been sleeping at his desk, because there was an imprint of his watch on his forehead!  Molley later explains that the guy and his wife had recently had their firstborn, so he may have been justifiably, sleep-deprived. Stories 2, 3 and 4 Jason also has some sleeping stories.  Jason worked at a distribution, during a newly-created 2nd shift.  There weren\u2019t many trucks coming it on 2nd shift.  The supervisors created some busy work for the employees, between trucks.  Jason was sweeping a long aisle in the warehouse.  Suddenly, he hears, \u201cHey dude.\u201d  It startled him, so he began looking around to see where the voice came from.  He looked up to find his co-worker napping on the 3rd level of the rack shelves.  Jason climbed up to find and entire sleeping space the guy had created.  After assuring his co-worker that they were cool, he climbed back down and just continued sleeping. There was another role in which Jason knew a co-worker in the office was falling asleep at his desk.  Jason would ask him what he was doing and the guy\u2019s head would pop-up and the guy mumbled, \u201cPraying.\u201d  It happened often enough that Jason had to eventually dismiss the guy. In his final sleeping story, Jason describes a small office he worked in, years ago.  They had an admin at the front desk.  Early one morning, the boss unlocked the main door and walked in.  All the lights were out, so she continued back to her own office.  When she came back out, the admin guy was sitting at his desk.  The bell on the front door hadn\u2019t chimed, but he claimed he\u2019d been there the whole time.  The boss knew she\u2019d just walked past the empty desk.  The admin finally relented and admitted that he\u2019d been asleep under the desk (from a hangover). Reasons People Gave for Calling Out of Work Story 5 Jamie was working her first HR-assistant job out of college.  One of her responsibilities was to review the call-out line messages.  She tells us about 2 interesting excuses. The first was from a woman who was calling on behalf of a guy who worked 3rd shift.  He wasn\u2019t going to be able to come in, because she was getting ready to have a baby.  Then she let out a giant labor pain scream.  Jaime still tries to imagine the conversation that must have taken place between the guy and the woman about calling his employer, while she was having contractions.  Fortunately, once the man returned to work, he proudly showed off pictures of his new baby. Work Isn\u2019t the Only Type of Labor that Happens at the Office Story 6 Jamie tells another story about a woman who actually went into labor at work.  While the baby came extremely early, it was a very tense experience, that turned out okay.  The work environment required a lot of walking.  Surprisingly, the walking induced the birth.  Jamie remembers sitting on the bathroom floor with the woman.  While this isn\u2019t a funny HR story, unexpected things often happen at work.  In this case, you might say, \u201cLife Happens.\u201d Drug Test Fail Story 7 Molley was handling mass-recruiting for a large call center.  There was a lot of turnover, so it was a constant push to get people scheduled for interviews.  She sent an offer to a candidate.  Candidates were required to immediately come in for the drug test and fingerprinting.  Other employees started approaching the HR office to let them know a woman was in the parking lot offering $100 to anyone who would provide a urine sample she could use for her drug test.  They rescinded the offer that day. In Vino Veritas Story 8 Jason recounts a story he heard about a company conference.  There was a 20-person hot tub at the venue.  Alcohol had been consumed at the event.  Someone came up with the idea of playing truth or dare in the hot tub.  Well, some stories came out.  Needless to say, there were some very awkward looks in the room the following day. Duct Tape Will Fix It Story 9 Jamie remembers a job she had years ago.  There was an individual who was constantly in trouble for pushing the line on what was deemed to be appropriate and inappropriate.  He enjoyed wearing t-shirts that had questionable statements on them.  While some of them were funny, Jamie knew she would lose authority if she allowed herself to actually laugh at some them.  To remedy the situation, she\u2019d give the guy duct tape to cover the statements considered dress-code violations.  Once in a while, he\u2019d look at her and say, \u201cYou kind of want to laugh at this, don\u2019t you?\u201d  It only made it more difficult for her to maintain her composure.  Her only recourse was to double down on why the statement was inappropriate. No-Call\/No-Shows Story 10 While in college, Jason worked in plant that made electrical motors for refrigerators.  It was summer time, but a large order needed to be filled for an appliance manufacturer.  They worked 80 hours per week, including weekends.  The crew was exhausted.  Toward the end of the summer, they were begging for a day off.  The company refused, because the project was almost finished.    In a coup, the crew told the others they were going to the lake the next day and would be considered no-call\/no-shows.  The next day they showed up expecting to get fired.  The boss pulled them aside and they worked through the situation, especially given there was only a week left on the project.  Viva la Revolution! More Drug Test Fails Story 11 Jamie remembers someone who submitted a sample for their drug test.  Strangely, it was colorless and odorless sample.  This creative individual decide they\u2019d have a better chance if they simply submitted tap water as their sample.  Once again, the offer was rescinded. Story 12 One time, Molley was told by a candidate they\u2019d at a Snoop Dog concert and everyone around her was smoking weed.  That must have been why pot was showing up in her test results. Story 13 Jamie listened as a candidate explained how she\u2019d just broken up with her boyfriend and he must have put cocaine in her drink.  Sounds almost plausible, right? Story 14 Molley had a candidate comment that they\u2019d been at a party and everyone ate some brownies.  Shockingly, they must have been laced! Story 15 (Okay, We\u2019re not Saying this was a Fail) Molley once worked for a company that was doing random drug tests.  She was travelling when she received the call that she\u2019d been selected.  Company policy was that you had to take a drug test, at their facility, within 24 hours.  She wasn\u2019t schedule to return from her Texas business trip until several days later.  They ended up letting her take a test in Texas, but later decided she had to take another one, once she arrived home. Secret Codes and Scenarios Story 16 Jamie pulled this on from Reddit.  The person worked in a small IT and web-design company.  The team discovered the 2048 game and everyone started playing it.  The competitive group began listing their high scores and initials on the glass door, in the office.  When others saw the scores and initials, the group would make up stories about what the \u201ccodes\u201d meant.  Interestingly, Jamie knows of HR professionals who\u2019ve used the 2048 game references during interviews with candidates. Story 17 Molley was asked if she saw herself as either an apple or an orange, during an interview.  She stated she didn\u2019t like either, but did prefer to view herself as a banana.  It completely threw the interviewer off her game.  Molley knew it would only go downhill from there. Story 18 In college, Molley interviewed for a part-time job in a law office.  The male attorney has if she anticipated needing an extended time off, in the near future.  She said not, while adding that she had school, but the entire purpose of the question flew completely over her head.  He was actually trying to ask about pregnancy.  Story 19 Jason asked a job candidate where she saw herself in 5 years.  She had the confidence to respond she\u2019d be the president of the company, not realizing that was Jason\u2019s actual role.    Remember to submit your funny HR story to the WTF Team.  You can DM us on social media or contact us via the website.  We\u2019ll keep it anonymous, if we read it during an upcoming file.  We hope to hear some good stories!  Rest assured, there\u2019s not much we haven\u2019t seen.   Before We Leave We wanted to let you know the WTF Podcast is going to have a booth at the upcoming 2025 KYSHRM Conference, August 26-28, at the Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY.  Come visit us at Booth 113.  Be a guest for one our podcast mini-interviews! That\u2019s where we\u2019ll leave the conversation for today.  Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments.  We\u2019d love to hear from you. Did You Enjoy Today\u2019s Conversation? Visit www.WorkforceTherapyFiles.com to listen to additional WTF files or to let us know you\u2019d like to be a guest on an upcoming file. Need Help Supporting Your Company\u2019s Recruiting and Staffing Goals? We\u2019re here to help.  You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions: \u00b7      Jamie Swaim, SPHR \u2013 www.ParcelKnows.com \u00b7      Molley Ricketts \u2013 www.IncipioWorks.com \u00b7      Jason Heflin \u2013 www.CrowdSouth.com   We hope you found this file insightful and helpful.  Thank you for listening! ","author_name":"Workforce Therapy Files","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/483819","html":"