Coworker calls HR over desk mate's 'inappropriate' 3D-printed tea steeper: 'It's just a dude holding a fishing pole'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Sep 30, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

Do you think this mug is inappropriate for the office?

Expressing yourself in the workplace can be a difficult thing to do. You get so few options to do it, so you relish the ones you can get away with. Maybe you have an open desk plan, so nobody really keeps anything on their desk. Maybe you have a dress code so you're not really showing up in your funkiest, truest-to-self attire. You feel like a drone or a robot, doing the things you're supposed to do and showing no humanity or individuality in the process. This can wear on you after a while. You want to let go and express yourself when you can, but there is so little room to do that in a regular office job. Except maybe your mug. Your mug can say everything you want it to say about you. 

The possibilities of mugs are infinite. There are funny mugs, sentimental mugs, irreverent mugs. You take your pick. Mugs are an important part of office culture. If you're anything like me, you're using one every day. One of the best parts of your day is pouring up a cup of hot coffee and enjoying your beverage as you start your workday. It's one of those little office rituals that gets us out of bed in the morning. And if you want to express yourself with a fun mug, then you should be able to do that, within reason, of course.

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  • 01

    Being told my tea steeper is unprofessional.

    YET En Tea S ORGANI HOUDAY BOOST
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    YETI En Teas ORGAN HOLIDAY BOOST
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    I 3d printed this tea steeper for my desk at work. I thought it was really cute and it makes me happy when I use it. Apparently because I printed it in all white, someone made a comment in front of my bosses boss, that it looks like the little guy is sitting on a toilet. Now I got an email
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    from HR stating that I have "objects inappropriate for the work environment" on my desk, and that it must be removed before the end of the day. Like it's just a dude holding a fishing pole. So frustrating.
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  • The problem was, this worker had some seriously nosy and petty coworkers. They were creating problems when they weren't there in the first place. It's never a good idea to start drama out of thin air. There is enough that can go wrong in your life in the first place that you don't need to manufacture problems on top of that. That's what was happening here, though, with a coworker who had recently 3D printed their own mug. They saw it as a fun, harmless little art project. But that's not the way their coworkers saw it. Keep reading to see what commenters had to say on the matter.

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    Commenters shared their opinions about this harmless tea holder.

    Vossenoren People really can't help but mind other people's business somehow
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    __hughjanus___ I'd legitimately fight this. 3d print it again but with a little hat and a colored in stool or something
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    Paleontologist Few128 Take it into the office and demand to be told why it's inappropriate. This is the kind of nonsense it's worth making a scene over
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    NihilistWithWifi You should file a complaint back with HR that you have an employee that can't look at people sitting without emphasizing it looks like they're sitting on a toilet. That it's very childish and the humor is making you uncomfortable.
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    Guess fisherman aren't allowed to sit down otherwise they're using the bathroom.
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    Electrical_Fly_3705 Unprofessional? How dare them, this lil guy actually looks very polite if you ask me
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    Ryeguy_626 My petty a would fight this. I would paint his stool or reprint with a different colour. Maybe white on black instead of black on white?
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    Thin_Needleworker795 You must live in the US. That's the only place where petty sh like that happens.
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    Slobbybagel • 3m ago Good g. Can you take it home and paint his stool black? Maybe print out a little tackle box in red and a fish rack? Annoying as h I but hey another excuse to have a fun little print project
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    Oraphielle lol when zooming it, it does kind of look like a toilet, and there is even I line coming out of the guy into the white part that could be This is pretty funny. The entire situation is funny.
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    Rx_Diva Is there some professional course one could take to learn such things or is it anything unique or special that coworkers don't like is seen as "unprofessional '. Get bent. They're just jealous of your cool setup.
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    AReptile HissFunction Never underestimate the sensitivity of people in 2026. Everyone is looking for something to be offended by
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    jellyschoomarm I would have never thought that someone fishing would be sitting on a toilet. Has HR seen it or are they going based on someone's complaint description
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terrible coworkers petty drama hr coworkers 3D printing mugs petty human resources mildly infuriating funny mugs mug
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