HR disciplines employee for missing mandatory meeting, only to discover they forgot to invite them in the first place: ‘Do you want me to telepathically sense meetings?’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Dec 8, 2025 6:00 PM EST

At no stage of our lives do any of us enjoy being disciplined. We hated it when it happened with our parents, and even more when teachers called us out. But as adults, we hate it even more when we get called for a disciplinary talk, especially at work. It's awkward, it's unpleasant, and it makes any adult fear for their livelihood. 

Sometimes, you might find yourself being disciplined for something you didn't even do. As kids, it happened all the time, when our parents blamed us for things our siblings did, for example. And just as when we were kids, when we were accused of something false, we must set the record straight. We must refuse to be accused of something we are not at fault for.

The employee in the story below was called for a disciplinary talk with HR and their manager for missing a mandatory meeting at work. But when the employee claimed they were never even invited to that meeting in the first place, it became clear that the employee really couldn't have known about the meeting, and that it was all HR's fault.

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  • Still, HR continued to put the blame on the employee, until they snapped about left the meeting.

    Keep scrolling to read the full story.

  • Businessman scolding employee for being late on meeting in office
    via Liudmila Chernetska

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • HR tried to ‘discipline’ me for not attending a meeting… that they forgot to invite me to.

    So last Thursday I got pulled into a "quick chat" with HR and my manager. Never a good sign.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • They tell me | "failed to attend a mandatory quarterly operations meeting" and that this was my second "missed meeting" this quarter.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • I'm already confused because I literally attend every meeting on my calendar. I'm that person who shows up 5 minutes early with a notebook.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • They pull up this mysterious meeting invite. Except... I never got it. Not in email, not in Teams, not in spam, not in deleted.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • It simply never existed for me. I told them this nicely and HR gives me the condescending "Well, everyone else got it." So I opened my laptop and asked them to pull up the attendee list on their end.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • My name wasn't there. At all. I wasn't invited. Then my manager goes, "But we verbally announced it in the team huddle." Nope.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • I wasn't even in that huddle, I was at a client site that morning and he signed the field visit approval himself.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • So he absolutely knew I wasn't there. Then HR tries to pivot: "Well, it is still your responsibility to stay informed." About meetings I'm not included in...?
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • At this point my patience had fully clocked out for the day. I just said: “I'm happy to attend any meeting you invite me to.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • If you don't invite me, you can't discipline me for not attending." Somehow I walked out of that room with a "verbal warning" for "communication gaps." I'm still stunned.
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • Like... what do they want me to do? Telepathically sense meetings?
    via Ornery_Lynx8610
  • jdsav29 They are trying to come up with excuses to put you on a PiP or fire you. Print out documents, keep a notebook of the bs, and look for another job.
    via jdsav29
  • jadanas I cannot believe they had the hide to double down instead of just apologize for the misunderstanding. I would be outraged. I AM outraged and I'm not even you.
    via jadanas
  • fhb29 send an email immediately and recap the whole meeting in the email include ur boss his boss and hr
    via fhb29
  • Otherwise-Cry-4695 Communication gap?? The gap is you communicating with them at all after that clown show. Document everything and keep your receipts, friend. They tried to invent a meeting AND blame you for it.
    via Otherwise-Cry-4695
  • Male Boss Talking to a Male Employee
    via pixelshot

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • sdsva You should schedule a daily weekday reoccurring event asking if there are any meetings you need to attend that you won't be invited to. Invite your manager and the HR rep. Request a response and If they object, ask for advice on how to better bridge the communication gap.
    via sdsva
  • LuckyWriter 1292 I would put it back on to them - complain to their bosses - your boss is a snake.
    via LuckyWriter1292
  • CozJeez85 Start sending a email first thing in the morning to your boss and CC in HR. "Good morning, please reply to this email to state formally in writing any meetings which you wish for me to attend" Do it daily, until HR tells you to knock it off and takes the absurd warning off your record.
    via CozJeez85
  • HotRodHomebody They sound like dysfunctional idiots. ' might be wise to check out other job opportunities. Especially if they're going to die on that hill.
    via HotRodHomebody
  • kngwall Do you remember when you were in middle school those students that studied so hard, underlined everything in all colors and always stressed out others asking if they studied for the test ? And then proceeded to get fairly mediocre grades anyway? They work in HR now.
    via kngwall
  • Automatic Repeat2922 The moment you proved you were not invited was a good moment to say: I understand this is an awkward situation. Mistakes happen and, as long as we learn from them and correct them, we can be mature enough to admit them. It is ok that you missed my name in the attendee list of the meeting. Can I please receive notes from the meeting so I can review offline? Also, if you can please make sure to include me in future meetings I will absolutely make it a priority to attend. Thank
    via AutomaticRepeat2922

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workplace discussion boss workplace-stories employee hr manager job meeting workplace company discipline
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