HR Horror Stories: Terrifying Tales from the Office

As the leaves change color and the days grow shorter, there's a chill in the air - and it's not just the cold weather.  

In the world of HR, sometimes you encounter situations that are more frightening than ghosts and goblins.  

This Halloween, we’re sharing some real-life HR horror stories - tales from the office that might make you shudder, laugh, or both. But beyond the scare, these stories have important lessons to teach us about avoiding our own workplace nightmares.

But don’t worry, this isn't just a house of horrors - we’ve got solutions and best practices to ensure these situations stay in the past.

HR Horror Stories

The Poisonous Potluck

I’ve had many odd experiences in my career as an HR professional, but this is one I will never forget. I was working as an HR Director for a company of less than 20 employees, and we would frequently host company potlucks. One Friday afternoon, after a potluck lunch, I noticed a handful of people had gone home sick. I didn’t think much of it until I too started to feel a bit queasy. Many of us soon came to the realization that the entire office had food poisoning and something from the potluck was not sitting well in anyone’s stomach. We sent everyone home, along with a massive email advising people to seek medical care if their symptoms got worse. I was so worried we had just violated so many health and safety rules! Everyone came back to work completely fine the following Monday, but we never hosted another potluck after that.

The Case of the Forbidden Fruit

This happened when I was working as an HR Manager in an office - an employee moved to a different department, and their new cubicle was next to a very sunny window. As a result, the plant they decided to have at their desk grew bigger and bigger every month. One week, I started getting many complaints from people on that floor about a strange smell. All the complaints came from people who sat near the person with the large plant. After a bit of investigating, we discovered that this person’s plant was enjoying its new sunny window so much that it actually started to grow fruit! The employee didn’t realize this, and the fruit had been falling inside the pot and rotting and that’s what was causing the putrid smell. The employee kindly took their plant and its forbidden fruit home with them that day.

The Cardboard Candidate

I once worked as a recruiter for a very well-known large company, so I looked at a lot of resumes and cover letters, but one applicant will always stay in my memory. This person applied for a job, and I guess really wanted to work for the company because they had hand delivered their resume with a box of chocolates. We reviewed their application and determined they weren’t a fit for the role based on their experience. A few weeks later, this person decided to apply again, but this time, they sent their resume along with a life-size cardboard cutout of themselves. We called them and told them they unfortunately didn't have the right experience for the role but appreciated their efforts. We did have some fun with their cutout though! Many people would move it around the office - like in a bathroom stall, or behind a door – to give people a scare.

Too Long of a Tail

On Halloween, I was unfortunately told that I needed to terminate someone at the end of the day. The person who was being terminated wasn’t someone who had a desk-job and was a worker who stood most of the day (this is key for later in this story). Since it was Halloween, many people came to work dressed up, and this particular person came dressed in a giant dragon suit that had a large tail. When I called this person into my office and asked them to take a seat, they couldn’t because of their costume. So, we had to conduct the rest of the termination...standing. It was incredibly awkward, and I felt so bad for the person.

A Work-From-Home Horror

This happened during the peak of the pandemic when everyone was still adjusting to work-from-home life. I was interviewing a candidate via video-call, and when I joined the meeting, I saw the person was already in the online-waiting room. When I granted them access, they were unaware that their camera was on and when their screen popped up, they were shirtless! I immediately tried informing them that their camera was on, however my mic malfunctioned so they couldn’t hear me and had no idea I was there. I quickly ended the meeting and emailed the candidate what had happened. Needless to say, we were both mortified.

A Desk Lunch Goes Too Far

A company I used to work for didn’t have many rules when it came to people eating lunch at their desk. However, one time an employee brought their crock-pot, plugged it in and proceeded to cook an entire pot roast at their desk the whole workday. People around them thought it was strange, but assumed it was part of some company potluck they didn’t know about. When my team was finally notified of it, we asked the employee why they were cooking a pot roast at their desk and they said, “it wasn’t in the company policy, so they figured it would be okay.” Never in my career did I think I would need to add “not allowed to cook a pot roast at your desk” into a company policy.  

Beyond the Horror: Best Practices to Avoid Most HR Nightmares

Even though these HR stories were mostly harmless, they don’t take away from some of the more serious ones that HR experiences. The good news is, HR doesn’t need to be a haunted house. Here are some tried and true best practices to avoid these scary scenarios:

Proactive employee engagement

Building a culture where employees feel comfortable expressing themselves - whether that’s feedback, concerns, or ideas - can prevent many of the issues HR experiences. Proactive engagement helps catch problems early, before they grow into something much scarier.

Employee recognition is crucial

Acknowledging and recognizing your team helps prevent burnout, boosts engagement, and builds positive relationships across the organization. A recognition-rich culture isn’t just nice to have - it’s a fundamental way to keep your workplace running smoothly.

Create a supportive workplace culture

Investing in learning opportunities, equipping managers with the tools to lead effectively, and making space for team bonding are critical to avoiding the pitfalls that can turn a workplace into a nightmare.

Prioritize continuous improvement

There will always be one bad apple – but don’t let that bad apple ruin the bunch. It’s important to learn from mistakes or pitfalls and strive for improvement when gaps in communication or processes are revealed. Ensure your leaders are setting the example that when a problem is discovered, they’re taking the necessary steps to find a solution.

How Kudos helps build thriving cultures

While these HR horror stories might give you the chills, they’re also a reminder of how crucial it is to build a positive and supportive workplace culture. At Kudos, we’re committed to helping HR professionals keep their offices from turning into places of fear and confusion.  

With our employee recognition platform, we provide a simple and powerful way to keep recognition flowing throughout your organization. By creating a culture of appreciation and recognition, you can keep those HR nightmares at bay and instead build a thriving, engaged, and motivated team.

Happy Halloween, and may your office be spooky in all the right ways!