Employees are forced to cut boiled steaks with plastic utensils at mess of an 'employee appreciation dinner': 'The worst part was: they locked us inside the building'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Nov 14, 2025 10:00 AM EST
A group of people sit at a table while a chef speaks.

This company wanted to reward its employees. The result was more like a punishment. 

It's a nice idea to want to reward your employees with a well-planned dinner. It can make you feel like they care about you enough to put some effort in. But nice dinners are famously expensive, so they might find themselves cutting corners. But there are smart ways to cut corners and not so smart ways. Opting for pizza instead of a steak dinner? Nobody would really complain. Everyone loves pizza. But serving boiled steaks with plastic utensils? That's not an appreciation dinner, it's a humiliation ritual. 

But that's what happened in one company when an employee-wide dinner turned into a night they would all want to forget. The food was wrong, the vibe was wrong, and everyone wanted to leave. What was supposed to be a fun night of reflection and celebration turned into something like a captive situation. Employees were frustrated that their higher-ups would treat them that way, with such a disregard for personal well-being. There's nothing like a party that you can't leave. 

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  • A group of employees sit around a dinner table.
    via Unsplash+ (Michael T)

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

  • One employee found solace in expressing their woes to the internet, which provided sympathy in droves. Other employees shared their similar experiences and commiserated about other parties that had gone wrong. Read on to see what everyone had to say, and get all the details of this fated party. 

  • "Employee Appreciation Dinner" gone wrong...

    This weekend my company had a employee appreciation dinner. They rented out a very nice venue, had us dress up. They served us boiled steaks on plastic plates with plastic knives and forks.
    via u/demonslayercorpp
  • Have you ever seen grown adults try to cut rubber with a plastic knife? Have you ever seen grown adults eat steak with their hands Infront of the CEO?
    via u/demonslayercorpp
  • The worst part was: they locked us inside the building so when my husband and I tried to make our escape, everyone saw us unlock the door Imao.
    via u/demonslayercorpp

  • Commenters came in with their stories and opinions.

    WestCoastTrawler 23h ago • I hate events like this. It's not for the employees at all. It's so management can fluff their egos. If they truly wanted to show appreciation for the employees just give them gift carts to a nice restaurant.
    via u/WestCoastTrawler
  • MrStormChaser 23h ago • Locking you inside is illegal AF. I'd set up a burner email account and would email the CEO & other head honchos calling them out on their cheapness. But change it just enough so no one suspects you and play dumb at work.
    via u/MrStormChaser
  • Mister-Me 22h ago . It sounds like they were able to unlock the door from the inside, so that's not illegal. Probably just made it a lot more noticeable that they were leaving. I appreciate my company so much more when they provide jimmy johns for lunch every once in a while, instead of doing some big dinner party engagement.
    via u/Mister-Me
  • • demonslayercorpp OP 22h ago Lol yes, my husband kept going loudly 'JUST GOING TO TAKE A SMOKE BREAK' as i unlocked it. So embarrassing
    via u/demonslayercorpp
  • Santa Cruz Jimbo 20h ago Circumstances may differ depending on where the door is (and the overall layout of the building), but in the US, locking any exit door from the inside is illegal during normal business hours. This an OSHA requirement. In my state, the phrase "THIS DOOR TO REMAIN UNLOCKED DURING BUSINESS HOURS" must be adjacent to an exit door in 1" high contrast text.
    via u/SantaCruzJimbo
  • I mostly see it on the top of the door frame. Why? Because in an emergency, people will panic and run for the locked door. If it cannot be opened quickly, the crush of people may prevent the door from being opened at all. Never overestimate what a person will be able to do in a panic. Even unlocking a simple lock can befuddle someone. This has been a public service announcement from a safety nerd.
    via u/SantaCruzJimbo
  • quats555. 23h ago Have you ever seen grown adults try to cut rubber with a plastic knife? Sounds like this was the scheduled entertainment for the night. At least for the managers watching....
    via u/quats555
  • introitusawaitus • 21h ago Went to a nice restaurant one time in the 80's, and the steak was tougher than the shoes | had on. I told the waiter and he blew it off. So I then got up on the table and put my foot on the steak and started trying to cut it while making loud grunting sounds.
    via u/introitusawaitus
  • I don't know where so many people from management came from and surrounded our table. But the next steak was tender and the whole meal was compted. Just imagine in these days with the internet what that scene would have went viral.
    via u/introitusawaitus
  • hdhdhgfyfhfhrb 23h ago You probably won the respect of all your coworkers who were dying to leave.
    via u/hdhdhgfyfhfhrb
  • • jodrellbank_pants 22h ago We used to have lavish Xmas parties where bolly was on the table the CEO card behind the bar and set in a different country. All gone now, consigned to a 12 people sit in at a cheap London hotel. Boot straps taught around our necks
    via u/jodrellbank_pants
  • Obvious_Exam_86... 18h ago My companies last Christmas dinner the food was amazing. I was joking to my coworker while standing in line saying "I wonder whose family member we paid for this?" After we sat down my coworker told me it was the family restaurant of the person standing behind us. At least they gave the gig to someone with decent food
    via u/Obvious_Exam_8604
  • RueTabegga • 17h ago I can beat this (not that it is a competition). 2 jobs ago my employer threw an employee appreciation potluck at the local state park where we had to pay $7 to enter. No booze. We had to bring all the food and drinks. I didn't go.
    via u/RueTabegga
  • • squashed_fly_bisc... 21h ago TBF if you were all eating the same food I'm sure they were miserable too
    via u/squashed_fly_biscuit
  • iced_coffee_mama • 19h ago When I worked for a big hotel chain we had a yearly party in January. Corporate gave a budget of $5 per person for food. It was all appetizers and fried food. They later decided that this was not OK. They then flew in chefs and have a more fancy buffet. It was insane!!
    via u/iced_coffee_mama
  • new-Beginning-380 - 18h ago We had an employee appreciate day, at a public park..on a Sunday. Oh and it was a pot luck.
    via u/new-Beginning-380
  • thatmasquedgirl • 13h ago The company my dad works for tried to host one of these things last year. They ended up cancelling it because no one RSVP'd to go. We're convinced it's the best ending for the situation.
    via u/thatmasquedgirl
  • Candy Temporary7... 10h ago it's the kind of story that'll live forever in workplace legend. "Remember the Great Boiled Steak Banquet of 2025?" lol
    via u/CandyTemporary7074
  • A group of people sit around a dinner table while a chef speaks.
    via Unsplash+ (Michael T)

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

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steak boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story office party toxic-boss dinner workplace food reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
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