I’m working for a company that has just lost its major customer; 60% of the work disappeared over the weekend. Some big fraud case shut them down with no notice.

A plea goes out from the management team to cut costs, only do overtime where absolutely necessary, and don’t order anything you don’t need. Anything and everything helps to save jobs. It’s going to be a difficult few months. They have some customers lined up but it will take time to get things sorted.

A lot changes in those following weeks. The factory is a lot quieter, we lose a lot of familiar faces that are working part-time or from agencies, things that were going to be replaced are hastily repaired, and morale is low. But most people keep their jobs.

Most seem to be on board, but some, like [Employee], only seem to care about themselves and have no grasp on why they should change.

The following Monday after that announcement:

Employee: “I noticed the overtime sheet wasn’t up.”

Me: “Yes, there is no overtime.”

Employee: “I’m not being funny, but shouldn’t you put that up and tell us that? Because I would have asked [Other Department] if I could work there.”

Me: “There is no overtime here, there, or anywhere at the moment. Once that changes, I will let you know.”

Employee: “Oh? Okay, then. The coffee machine is out of milk again.”

Me: “Have you rung the number that is stuck to the machine?”

Employee: “Well, no, but I thought if you had time…”

Me: “I’m trying to do two jobs, and at the moment, you have no work tickets. And it will probably be the same for most of the week.”

Employee: “But it’s not my job!”

Me: “And it’s mine? No, it’s not. Just do something, clean, help the guys on the line. H***, you can help me if you like!”

Employee: “I think I have some stuff to do over here.”

He sat on his phone most of the week, refused to help anyone with anything that wasn’t “his job,” and complained repeatedly about any minor inconvenience. The whole time, the company was struggling to keep its doors open.

[Employee] was “shocked” when the company decided that they couldn’t afford to keep the doors open as current efforts weren’t working. He, of course, blamed everyone apart from himself and complained on social media about how much work companies are expecting employees to do.

Apparently, he couldn’t find a job that didn’t let him sit on his phone all day.

I’m pulled to one side by the senior human resources manager. A woman has complained about unfair treatment due to her being a woman in every single department she has worked in. The list of names fills half a page of A4 alone.

We’ve had complaints before, but they were rare and the perpetrator was always someone known as a “complicated” employee. It’s never been to this scale.

We have to take it seriously, but we can’t suspend half the company. Instead, I am asked to spend some time with the employee who’s complaining and see if we can see what is happening.

I follow her around and watch her cut in line, take food off people’s plates, make jokes about others’ appearances, push others to buy her coffee, and just generally be over-familiar with people in the worse possible way.

I pull her to one side and quiz her on it.

Me: “What was that?”

Woman: “What?”

Me: “The way you acted?”

Woman: “Oh, we were just kidding around. I always do that.”

Me: “Are any of those people the ones you’ve had ‘problems’ with?”

Woman: “Oh, yeah. [Man #1] and [Man #2] were there. [Man #3] I think was the one staring at me by the machine. Who does that? I just wanted a drink.”

Me: “Well, I think he was annoyed that you pushed in front of him.”

Woman: “You snooze, you lose.”

We did have some sensitivity training, but there was only one participant.

Me: “Hey, [Coworker], you’re into gardening. There’s a bush with purple berries in my garden. Do you think you could help me identify them?”

Coworker: “Absolutely. Bring some in.”

The next week, I do so.

Me: “Here’s a bag of those berries I mentioned. Let me know what you think they are.”

Later that day:

Me: “Oh, hello, did you get a chance to look at those berries?”

Coworker: “Yes. I think they’re either blackcurrant or deadly nightshade. Now please excuse me while I go wash my hands.”

A woman wants to open a student account because she’s going for her PhD. I make small talk as I’m bringing up the procedure for account opening pre-checks. All is well until she mentions that it’s going to be a joint account with her husband.

Terms of the account state that it’s only available as a sole account because the usual holder is eighteen to twenty-one years old and not married.

Me: “If you’d like, I can open the account as a secondary account, and you can use Internet banking to send money between the accounts as needed. You’ll still reap the benefits for yourself.”

Nope. She goes on a rampage.

Caller: “I want to speak to your manager!”

My manager comes over, I explain, and it’s a new one to my manager. She explains to the woman what I’ve explained, tries to find a workaround, and even tries the account-opening team for their workaround, and gets nothing.

Caller: “In that case, I want to complain.”

That was okay — quick and easy and would get her off the phone quicker. She was still ranting and raving, trying to make it seem like the banks didn’t want married women going into science, proper head-bashing stuff.

I hope the complaint team had fun with that case.

I go to an unfamiliar coffee shop. A server is at the counter but she’s facing away from me.

Me: “Excuse me.”

She doesn’t even turn around; she holds up a finger indicating for me to wait. I wait and I wait.

Me: “Can I order? Or not?”

Server: “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought you were someone else who works here.”

Me: “Okay. I’d like a medium latte to go, please.”

Server: “What size?”

Me: “Medium.”

Server: “Sitting in?”

Me: “No. To go, please.”

Server: “Any syrups?”

Me: “No, thank you.”

Server: “Can I interest you in a cookie or cake?”

Me: “Just the coffee, please.”

Server: “We have a range of cups on offer at the moment.”

Me: “I just want my coffee, please. I’m trying to get to work.”

Server: “We’re all busy, buddy.”

I look around the shop; we are alone and the car park was empty.

Me: “You’re clearly not. I wonder why.”