Employee gets fired on the spot after making an ‘unprofessional’ joke about the CEO being bald, to the CEO's face: ‘It genuinely felt like an innocent, self-deprecating joke’

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    "Don't joke about the boss's appearance, no matter how relatable you think it is"
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    "TIFU by joking about the CEO's baldness and getting fired for it"

    So, this happened today, and I still can't believe it. Our CEO, who usually works from a different location, visited our office. Now, to give some context-he's completely
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    bald, and I've been dealing with a receding hairline for a while now. It's something I've come to accept, and I often joke about it with my friends. and coworkers.
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    Anyway, when the CEO arrived, he was accompanied by my direct superior, the main coordinator of our department. I was introduced to the CEO, and in a moment
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    of what I thought was lighthearted humor, I decided to make a little joke. I casually said, "I'll be the same as you soon." He looked at me a bit confused
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    and asked, "The same as me how?" Without missing a beat, I replied, "Bald." There was this awkward silence that followed. My
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    superior's face immediately changed, and the CEO just stared at me for a second, then gave an awkward chuckle before moving on. I
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    thought maybe it wasn't a big deal. Fast forward a few hours, I get called into my boss's office. Long story short, I was informed that my comment was inappropriate
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    and unprofessional, and it didn't align with the company's values of respect and workplace decorum. Before I knew it, I was being let go.
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    Now, looking back, I can see how it might have been taken the wrong way, but at the time, it genuinely felt like an innocent, self-deprecating joke. I guess I
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    underestimated how seriously some people take these things, especially when they're at the top. Lesson learned: maybe don't joke
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    about the boss's appearance, no matter how relatable you think it is. Was it worth it? YES! funny a. Would I do it again? Probably yes.
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    TL;DR: Met the bald CEO, joked about my own receding hairline, got fired.
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    LordShtark You thought it was self- deprecating to deprecate yourself by comparing yourself to another person...to their face?
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    Brisball Probably Fired For Being unfunny. If you said, "I see we have the same barber", you would have got a promotion.
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    jorisssssss OP Good point.
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    digital_wino A CEO that can't take a joke about being bald (especially in this context), is NOT a CEO that I would want to work for.
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    jorisssssss OP Me either :D
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    egnards Jokes like that are best done in a controlled setting - You may know your direct supervisor, but you've never met the CEO before, you have no relationship with that person, and they have no relationship with you.
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    It comes off as tone deaf to call out their baldness [even if it's a seemingly mild thing], in a setting where you're meeting someone for the first time. It's like if I walked up to the CEO and said "hey look, we both I have adult acne!!!"
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    Cheezburger Image 10458177280
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    jorisssssss OP You know what's the funniest is that he laughed and I don't know what happened next.
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    subtleeffect You might want to work on your joke delivery
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    harm_and_amor I don't think it counts as self- deprecating humor if your joke deprecates another person more than it deprecates you. In fact, it probably doesn't count if anyone other than you is also deprecated by the joke.
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    iamthatguy54 This is a joke you make with your friends, not with your boss.
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    Wereallgonnadieman Never remark on the appearance of a colleague, ever. Just don't do it. This outcome isn't surprising, at all. Learn from this.
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    womp-womp-rats A self-deprecating joke is a joke where you are the punch line. In your joke, the CEO was the punch line.

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