Bosses and Underlings

New girl: I’m excited about the new direction of the company!
Boss: Um, we try to avoid saying ‘new direction’ around here.

Bellevue, Washington

Overheard by: Amused coworker

Supervisor: You were loud.
Underling: We were just talking.
Supervisor: You were screaming.
Underling: Well, we always scream.

550 Madison Avenue
New York, New York

Newbie: Are you Chinese or Japanese?
Korean working the register: What?! Japanese are rich, ignorant fools, and Chinese are murderous barbarians. I am Korean!
Newbie: Oh. I never knew that…

Korean deli, 1700 Research Boulevard
Rockville, Maryland

Overheard by: Septimus

Admin girl: Are you sure you don’t have any meetings scheduled this afternoon or want to leave early to get a start on your weekend?
Boss: Nope, I’m all free this afternoon and thought I’d catch up on paper work.
Admin girl: Oh, okay.
Boss: Why?
Admin girl: Because when you leave early I normally give you 10 minutes’ headway and then sneak out myself.
Boss: Ugh, just go already.

Brisbane
Australia

Lieutenant: You work for a law enforcement agency, not a pirate ship!
Employee with sideburns: Sir?

Columbus Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

Boss: You make too many mistakes! You’re not very consistent at your work.
Cube dweller: Well, you can’t be consistent all the time!

Liverpool
England

Clinician: Can you call the ER to tell them that this patient cannot be moved due to an infection?
Admin assistant, looking at chart: How did he get it in his butt?!

Varnum Avenue
Lowell, Massachusetts

Busser: I’m working for Bob* tonight.
Manager #1: You smell like pot, man. You’re not working.
Manager #2: It’s three in the afternoon. What time did you get high?
Busser: When’s Maury on?

Circle Centre Mall
Indianapolis, Indiana

Overheard by: Shatmandu

Manager: At this point we’re only hiring servers who I know will do a really great job.
Waitress #1, with a wink: That’s why I was hired, right? ‘Cause you knew I’d do an awesome job?
Manager: Yes.
Waitress #2: I think I was hired because the regional manager liked me.
Manager: No, you were hired because the restaurant had just opened and we would have hired anybody.

Peppers Ferry Road
Christiansburg, Virginia

Boss: When, in the course of your life, you are traveling to the right you will find that you must take the toll road and pay your dues. There is no free road to the right.
Employee: Uh… Can I have my doughnut now?

Bountiful, Utah

Overheard by: tkt