‘What's the point?’: Top employee steps down from organizing ‘fun’ office activities after boss accuses them of being a negative influence on coworkers, leaving the office in disarray

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Apr 3, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

Who wouldn't want their office to be a fun place to be in? An environment that is pleasant, with cool coworkers and a good mood all around. If you spend (at least) 8 hours every day somewhere, it's only fair that it would be a place you can actually stomach being in.

That is why it's so nice when you have coworkers who actually make an effort to make the office a nicer, more fun place for everyone. We're talking about the people who remember everyone's birthday, get a cake to share at lunch, and even pass around the birthday card; The people who always say good morning, genuinely smile at you when you're passing by them in the hall, and never miss a chance to compliment you on your haircut. Without these coworkers, the office is just a bleak, more boring place, and we should never take them for granted. 

Which, unfortunately, is exactly what the boss in the story below did for their top and most 'fun' employee.

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  • This employee has put their heart and soul into their job and workplace for the last 10 years. And during those last 10 years, they were truly appreciated for it. They even took it upon themselves to organize office activities for everyone to enjoy – holiday decorating, birthday gifts, desserts, and more.

    At least, that was until they were scolded by their boss for being aa negative influence on their coworker, which made them shift their entire workplace attitude, and not for the better.

    Keep scrolling to read the full tale.

  • 01
    "I'm not in the mood to make the office 'fun' anymore"
    via Mike Marchetti

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    "I've stopped doing the "fun" extra office stuff after I didn't like the way my boss handled something, AITAH?"

    I guess background is important and sorry it's long: My job performance is exceptional. I meet every necessary mark 100% of the time and have done so for the last ten years. Maybe an odd
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 03
    month or two in there due to travel and things that would make it impossible. I've also stepped up and carried the load for coworkers when things have come up to ensure
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 04
    our area isn't dinged for performance issues. Clients get along well with me, I've never had a complaint filed against me, etc. You get the idea.
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 05
    I also am known to do all the holiday decorating, coordinating the gifts for office celebrations, baking the desserts, writing formal thank yous from our department,
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 06
    and making holiday baskets to help maintain positive relationships with the other agencies we work with. A couple months back, there was a policy change and none
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 07
    of us were happy about it. I made the best of a bad situation and adapted to the change immediately. My coworkers did as well, but they all called me to complain and vent. This is normal. We tend
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 08
    to complain amongst ourselves for one good b session and then just "it is what it is" and continue to work hard and not complain again.
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 09
    Here's where the issue is, while one of my coworkers was venting my boss was eavesdropping selectively on my side of the conversation as that's what he could hear. I was commiserating with them,
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 10
    but also pointing out how it wouldn't be that bad, it's in our contract, how we can make it fun/less obnoxious etc etc etc. We hung up and I didn't think about it further, especially since neither of us really said anything that you
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 11
    wouldn't expect an employee to say with the kind of change they're wanting. It was pretty d.n tame.... I didn't think about it again. until my boss called me in a
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 12
    few days later to do an employee evaluation in response to it. In every review I've had here I've always hit the "exceeds expectations" in nearly every category. He cut me down to
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 13
    "meets expectations" on everything. He reamed me for my "attitude" for not cutting my coworker off and letting them vent. Telling me I should have told them to call him. He accused me of being
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 14
    negative/a negative influence and that if he didn't "nip it in the bud now it could fester and create a toxic work environment".... I was and still am pretty pi ed about it. Coworkers should be allowed
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 15
    to vent to each other without it being treated like this. After this, as you may have guessed, I'm just not in the mood to head up everything extra I'd been doing to make
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 16
    the office environment "fun". I keep my door closed when he's here, I didn't bring dessert for the March birthday lunch. That lunch isn't mandatory, but I didn't want more problems. so I went and just sat quietly
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 17
    the entire time. Now there's another "appreciation week/month" for one of the departments we work with and there's been an email chain about cards/gifts and I've responded the amount I'll put
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 18
    towards it and asked who I should send it to.... People are noticing I'm not picking this stuff up and that chain has gone in a circle for days now and I'm not budging. I've had
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 19
    one person approach me about it and I just said I don't have the time to take it on right now. I guess I'm feeling like all the sh I did on the regular to foster a positive work
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 20
    environment got thrown out or was never appreciated because I lent an ear to a coworker and then got viciously reprimanded for it. Like what's the point if ten years of going out of my way gets thrown out just like that?
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 21
    AITAH for just quietly stepping out of all of these extras due to my feelings on how this was handled? Am I being overly petty?
    via Preference_Afraid
  • 22
    canvasshoes2 NTA. The boss, as the kids called it, FAFO'd. Venting is typically a positive and necessary thing, as long as it's handled appropriately, and it sounds as if you were that
    via canvasshoes2
  • 23
    appropriate "bottleneck" and sounding board. He was extremely stupid to have not allowed you to explain the situation to him.
    via canvasshoes2
  • 24
    Stand your ground. Just keep it light, sweet, and "My work load is preventing me from keeping up with those extra tasks" about it all.
    via canvasshoes2
  • 25
    MNConcerto I've stopped some of that stuff as well because it was just expected of me. Employee silent auction. I sent a team message, hey guys any ideas of what our team basket should be.
    via MNConcerto
  • 26
    Nobody replied, so I moved on. I'm just as busy as everyone else. I donated my individual items. Email from the organizers comes to team lead asking about our basket, team lead
    via MNConcerto
  • 27
    copies me and asks hey what's the plan. I reply nobody responded when I asked so I just let it go. She says, oh?! Yeah, I think she understood that I'm not going to be the only one stepping up all the time.
    via MNConcerto
  • 28
    Cthulhu Almighty NTA. You might want to start looking for a new job. Your boss seems to be the type to
    via CthulhuAlmighty
  • 29
    have the attitude "the beatings will continue until moral improves." He may end up firing you to "nip it in the bud" and set the other employees straight.
    via CthulhuAlmighty
  • 30
    Cheezburger Image 10489197056
    via wutzkoh

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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