Newbie employee outs sassy gift meant for self-righteous coworker during an office Christmas party, a ‘domino effect’ of chaos ensues: ‘HR had to step in’

There's always something when it comes to an in-office Christmas party. Whether your coworkers are cavalier about their likes and dislikes or they prefer to keep their dirty laundry to themselves, something is bound to happen when you put tired, overworked employees in a room and expect them to exchange thoughtful gifts.

Even though the slightly villainous coworker in this story blew her top, what was going on in the office behind closed doors was even more insane. The original poster (OP) of the story accidentally spilled the beans on what the coworker, Karen, was to receive as her gift, a sassy mug that made a slight dig at her entitled character. Karen lost it and proceeded to tell the entire office about a hierarchal love affair that had been happening for months. needless to say, HR forgot about the Mug Gate, but Karen was in for a real talking-to after the fact. Scroll below to see the aftermath unfold.

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Author image for Lana DeGaetano Lana DeGaetano
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    Cheezburger Image 10447751424
    via Yunus Tuğ For Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    AITAH for accidentally causing a domino effect of drama at my office's Secret Santa and Christmas party?
    via karlo_s89
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    So, I (29F) recently started a new job as a PA at one of the big banks in London. The team is nice enough, but one coworker, let's call her Karen (mid- 50s), has been...a lot.
    via karlo_s89
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    She's the kind of PA who thinks she runs the place, constantly dropping hints about her "importance" and making snide comments about others' gifts or choices. You get the picture.
    via karlo_s89
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    Anyway, our office does a Secret Santa every year, and Karen took it upon herself to "organize" it, which really just meant micromanaging and then passing off the hard work
    via karlo_s89
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    to others (yours truly). She also announced her "wishlist" to everyone, even though the whole point is that it's anonymous. She made it crystal clear she wanted
    via karlo_s89
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    "nothing below £50," name-dropping brands like Jo Malone and Fortnum & Mason. Mind you, the official budget was £20. Fast forward to the Christmas party last week.
    via karlo_s89
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    I got paired with someone else for Secret Santa and didn't think much about Karen's gift until someone joked that "Karen's going to lose her mind if she gets another cheap candle
    via karlo_s89
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    this year." I casually mentioned that someone had been clever this time and got her a novelty mug with "Queen of Everything" on it (which I saw when I was helping to wrap the gifts). Turns out, Karen overheard me, and chaos ensued.
    via karlo_s89
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    Karen was LIVID, saying it was "disrespectful" and "offensive" to her position. She immediately started trying to guess who her Secret Santa was, which led to her storming around
    via karlo_s89
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    the party grilling people. One of the directors (who everyone knows hates Karen) found the whole thing hilarious and teased her about needing to "lighten up." Cue Karen
    via karlo_s89
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    snapping back, "At least I don't sleep with my team members." Yep. She said that. Out loud. At a party. This set off a chain reaction because apparently, the director
    via karlo_s89
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    has been rumored to have a thing with a senior manager-something I didn't even know until Karen brought it up. The room went silent, and then Karen doubled down,
    via karlo_s89
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    saying, "Oh, come on, we all know about the 'business trips."" Meanwhile, another coworker (let's call her Emily) stormed out crying because she's married to
    via karlo_s89
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    the senior manager in question. Turns out Emily also suspected something, but hearing it in front of the whole office was the breaking point.
    via karlo_s89

  • A sassy mug was the workplace demise of this self-righteous “Karen”.

    Her obsession with gifts that hold high monetary value paired with the essence of her character did her no favors in this situation, shown in the way she reacted and aired out everyone's dirty laundry. Granted, what was said should have been out in the open, yes—but that should not have been her decision to make. But, when you're the “Queen of Everything," the executive decision to speak your mind might happen before you think twice about what your behavior might mean for everyone involved.

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    By the end of the night, Karen's "Queen of Everything" mug was the least of anyone's concerns. HR had to step in to diffuse things, and Karen was called into a
    via karlo_s89
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    meeting the next morning. Apparently, her behavior at the party was the final straw, and she's now been reassigned to a less prominent department.
    via karlo_s89
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    Here's where I might be the AH. I genuinely didn't know the mug thing was a secret or that it would lead to this massive blow-up. But a couple of people said I should've known
    via karlo_s89
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    better and kept my mouth shut. Another colleague joked that I "lit the match that burned down Karen's kingdom."
    via karlo_s89
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    So, Reddit, AITAH for accidentally setting off the office drama of the year? And how do I recover from this without looking like the new girl who stirs the pot?
    via karlo_s89
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    Benefi... 19h ago NTA, the match would have been lit when she opened the gift. You just expedited the process.
    via Beneficial-Ad4047
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    forgetregret1d... • 18h ago I think this is fabulous, except for Emily being hurt and embarrassed but none of that part is on you. For one thing, you're new. How could you know exactly how close to self destruction this nutty Karen was and what
    via forgetregret1day
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    she'd do? She dug her own grave with her self importance and her big mouth. I pity the department that gets her now but this was a disaster waiting to happen. She has no one to blame but herself. Would have loved to be there! ETA: NTA.
    via forgetregret1day

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christmas antiwork workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace work coworkers Secret Santa gift christmas presents workplace Reddit toxic-work-environment
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