15 Old Photos of People Doing Things That Would Get Them Fired Today
Looking through old workplace photos, it’s hard to believe some of the things people got away with. Coworkers filled entire offices with balloons, wrapped desks in plastic, and left some pretty questionable surprises for whoever returned from vacation. Others had habits that would cause serious problems today, from inappropriate jokes to bringing cigarettes into places where they definitely don’t belong. And apparently, leaving your removable tooth on a shared desk was someone’s idea of normal behavior. Not every incident would actually get a person fired, but explaining any of these situations to HR would be interesting. Here are 15 old photos of workplace behavior that probably wouldn’t fly today.
The Entire Office Disappeared Behind Balloons
While their director was away in 2008, members of an IT department decided to fill her office with balloons, leaving her a colorful surprise to deal with upon returning.
Drinks and Cigarettes Took Over the Office
At a Madison Avenue advertising agency’s Christmas party in 1966, employees gathered around a table crowded with bottles, chatting, smoking, and pouring drinks.
The Desk Was Completely Transformed During Vacation
An employee returned from vacation in 2019 to discover their entire desk had been redecorated. Reddit commenters were impressed by the amount of work the prank required.
This Worker Decided His Shift Could Wait
A photograph taken in New York in October 2013 shows a transportation worker napping while his colleague was reportedly working nearby on a bus stop.
The Construction Crew Left Beer Cans in the Walls
During a renovation, a worker discovered dozens of old beer cans and bottles hidden inside a house’s walls, apparently left there by the original construction crew.
The Bathroom Became an April Fools’ Experiment
Someone left an April Fools’ prank in a workplace bathroom in 2021. Ten days later, the person responsible claimed nobody had noticed it yet.
Selling Cigarettes Was Part of Hospital Care
In a British hospital in 1957, patients could buy cigarettes without leaving their beds. The photograph captures a practice that would be difficult to imagine in a modern hospital.
The Commandant’s Office Filled Up With Balloons
In 2012, someone filled the Royal Military College of Canada’s commandant’s office with balloons for his birthday. The prank was part of the college’s longstanding skylark tradition.
The Boss Got a Little Too Comfortable With His Secretary
An old stereoscopic photograph shows a secretary sitting on her boss’s lap, with his arm around her waist and a typewriter sitting nearby.
Someone Covered an Entire Car in Sticky Notes
In 2005, someone covered a car with hundreds of colorful Post-it notes, carefully sticking them across the bodywork, windows, and doors.
The Office Had Some Very Questionable Humor
A vintage office-themed novelty plate from the 1960s makes a joke about chasing secretaries, reflecting a kind of workplace humor that would likely draw complaints today.
A Nurse Even Helped Patients Light Up
A photograph shared as dating from the 1950s shows a nurse lighting a cigarette for a patient lying in a hospital bed.
Someone Wrapped the Entire Workstation in Plastic
Coworkers wrapped a colleague’s desk equipment in industrial plastic wrap, including a spray can that they suspended from the ceiling.
A Coworker Kept Leaving His Tooth on the Desk
A frustrated employee shared a photograph in 2023 after finding a coworker’s removable tooth sitting on a shared desk yet again.
The Office Became a Wall of CDs
An employee returned from a three-week vacation to find CDs taped to the walls and hanging from the ceiling.