'I was like absolutely not': Employees share stories of mandatory group Halloween costumes at work

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jun 8, 2023 4:00 PM EDT

Office group activities are never fully embraced. In fact, they're often some out-of-touch supervisor's idea. That supervisor probably rarely shows up to work and may not even participate in the activity themselves, yet everyone else is expected to go along with it. In this case, we have two coworker stories to share with you all about mandatory office Halloween costume ideas.

Both threads were posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit. In the first story, OP was required to dress up as their favorite milkshake flavor and ended up coming into the office wearing a Lactaid shirt. Next, we have an employee who was required to come in as a character from The Wizard of Oz. This OP decided to bring a green curtain to hang by their office and ended up hiding behind it all day. Look, these folks thought outside the box and for that alone, I'd say they understood the assignment.

For more stories like this, check out this post about an employee's fail on a zoom call. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    Light - "When my office decided to do a group Halloween costume, I was like absolutely not."
    via David Menidrey
  • 02
    Font - I was a Halloween Scrooge but MC landed me the best costume SOC So I really am not a "group participation" type, and I especially hate /having/ to participate, so when my office decided to do a group Halloween costume, I was like absolutely not. It's required, and we are all going to be MILKSHAKES! We were all supposed to wear a little whipped cream and cherry fascinator and dress as our favorite flavor of milkshake. I hate milk shakes. I hate stupid kitschy costumes. I said if y'all are
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 03
    Font - Nobody coming into the store even understood what the rest of the girls were supposed to be dressed as but everyone got a laugh at my Lactaid shirt after hearing the explanation.
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 04
    Font - DaBooba +3. 4 days ago That is hilarious, definitely elevated the group costume. If I saw a picture of 17 people dressed as milkshakes I'd probably forget about it moments later. But if I see 16 milkshakes and the one rando with a Lactaid shirt on I'd burst out laughing and send it to my group chat. 1.1k Reply Share
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 05
    Font - _R_i_F_t_ 4 days ago I hate group participation things as well, if I had to do that I 100% would have just called in sick or just done my best to weasel my way out of it. I also like your username 177 Reply Share
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 06
    Font - Axiluvia 4 days ago . I like dressing up for Halloween and though I've never done group costumes, it could be fun with the right group and idea, but 1) I would never force people into it and 2) what a stupid fu idea. Milkshakes, really?! 79 Reply Share
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 07
    Font - Kementarii 3 days ago My office had a dress up day for a horse race. They expected pretty frocks, hats or fascinators, like you're off to the racetrack like an aristocrat. I don't like the concept of horse racing and would normally ignore the whole thing However, my kid owned a rubber horse's head mask (full head). I wore the horse head, threw a grey blanket over my shoulders, and spent the day asking people if they wanted to be the 'other half of the costume. Didn't win best costume, tho
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 08
    Font - admiralteal 3 days ago Mandatory fun will continue to intensify until all morale improves.
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 09
    Varryn1027 3 days ago I used to work at a bookstore. We did a Dr. Who event, and they said everyone had to dress up as a character. At the time, I had never seen an episode and WAS NOT interested. I fell much the same as OP about group costume I was told I had to have a costume or I was fired. One of my friends found me 2 whisks from the Cafe to put in my apron as a Dalek excuse and that flew enough to keep my job. 25 Reply Share ...
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 10
    Font - Happy_Classroom_8946 3 days ago My friend did something like this, everyone dressed up as M&M's but she wore a white tshirt and baggy jeans, she already had short blond- ish hair line Eminem the rapper
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 11
    Rectangle - Overall-Tailor8949. 4 days ago I would have gone with a picture of a bottle of Bailey's Irish Creme on my shirt.
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 12
    Font - Halloween group costume? Fine SOC This story reminded me of my own Halloween costume malicious compliance. I'm an IT guy. Not customer facing, always behind scenes. If you saw me walking thru the clinic in my jeans and cowboy boots you probably wouldn't know i worked there.
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 13
    Font - My boss decided that everyone on her large team had to dress up as characters from wizard of oz one year. As in, she wanted us fully decked out with great costumes, face paint, the whole bit. I don't do costumes, can't stand on my face, and have too much work to do to be bothered. But I immediately agreed.
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 14
    Font - I made a frame put of 3/4" pvc and my wife sewed green curtains to hang on it. I was the man behind the curtain. Edit to add detail: I put the curtain in front of my office door rhat day so no one could see me
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 15
    when we took the team pic my boots were sticking out under the curtain. Hundreds of people knew exactly who that was. Boss was I. She got fired for bad management a few months later.
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 16
    Font - USAF6F171 1 day ago +1. Get wheeled in on a dolly with only your legs showing over a faux 'house'. Insist that you absolutely cannot stand because being 'in costume' is their requirement. 1.1k Reply Share
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 17
    Facial expression - Codmando 1 day ago If I was your boss....I wouldn't even be mad. 241 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 18
    Font - ColdColoHands 23 hr. ago +2. Boss required costume. I dare ya to only work on it on the clock & expense the materials. Get it in writing first of course.
    via u/RhageofEmpires
  • 19
    Font - Jordangander. 1 day ago Got talked in to doing a storybook costume one time. Went out and got a checkered dress and put it on over full gear and went as Little Bo Peep. I had a full beard at the time and kept a cigar in my mouth constantly.
    via u/RhageofEmpires

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

halloween costumes workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace FAIL malicious compliance halloween work coworkers toxic-boss Office prank reddit thread Reddit funny toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article