15 Television Workplaces That Would Be an Absolute HR Nightmare
Most jobs come with a few annoying coworkers, questionable management decisions, and meetings that could have been emails. Television workplaces take those problems considerably further. Some bosses openly insult their employees, others encourage spectacularly inappropriate behavior, and a few companies seem to have forgotten that labor laws exist. Somehow, these offices, hospitals, restaurants, and television studios continue operating despite the constant arguments and occasional disasters. Watching everything fall apart makes for excellent entertainment, although actually working there would probably require a lawyer and several weeks off. Even the nicest-looking offices tend to hide something deeply unpleasant. Here are 15 television workplaces that would keep any HR department permanently busy.
Dunder Mifflin, The Office
Michael Scott regularly stages inappropriate meetings, makes offensive jokes, and ignores employee complaints while Toby from HR struggles to maintain even basic workplace standards.
Lumon Industries, Severance
Lumon employees undergo a procedure separating their work and personal memories, then face constant surveillance, psychological punishment, and management that controls nearly every aspect of their existence.
Sterling Cooper, Mad Men
The advertising agency is filled with inappropriate comments, workplace affairs, excessive drinking, and executives who treat their female colleagues with astonishing disrespect.
Waystar Royco, Succession
Logan Roy routinely humiliates executives, encourages ruthless competition, and fires people on a whim, while his children treat corporate leadership like a family blood sport.
The Bear, The Bear
Carmy runs his kitchen with explosive arguments, relentless pressure, and increasingly demanding expectations, leaving his staff scrambling through shifts that regularly end in shouting matches.
Pierpoint & Co., Industry
Junior bankers at Pierpoint face brutal working hours, public humiliation, and ruthless competition, with senior employees exerting enormous pressure over their careers.
Selina Meyer’s Office, Veep
Selina insults her staff, blames them for political disasters, and changes expectations without warning, leaving her exhausted team constantly scrambling to avoid her next outburst.
Paddy’s Pub, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The owners routinely insult each other, neglect basic maintenance, and use the bar for increasingly questionable schemes that have very little to do with serving customers.
Cloud 9, Superstore
Employees at Cloud 9 deal with difficult customers, unpredictable managers, corporate cost-cutting, and a workplace where even getting decent parental leave becomes a major battle.
TGS, 30 Rock
Liz Lemon manages eccentric writers, demanding performers, and Jack Donaghy’s corporate interference, with most workdays involving at least one completely avoidable crisis.
Pied Piper, Silicon Valley
Richard Hendricks tries to run a technology startup while dealing with feuding coworkers, questionable investors, and an office full of people who struggle with basic professionalism.
UBA, The Morning Show
The network’s morning television operation is rocked by sexual misconduct allegations, internal cover-ups, and executives more concerned with protecting the company’s image than its employees.
Seattle Grace Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy
Doctors regularly date their supervisors, argue during shifts, and bring complicated personal relationships into the operating room, creating endless conflicts of interest.
Veridian Dynamics, Better Off Ted
Veridian Dynamics conducts bizarre experiments, prioritizes profits over employee welfare, and employs executives who treat deeply questionable corporate policies as perfectly reasonable business decisions.
Mythic Quest Studios, Mythic Quest
Ian Grimm and Poppy Li constantly clash over creative control, while employees navigate office feuds, outrageous demands, and a management team that frequently forgets professional boundaries.