For those of us lucky enough to be able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, turning our homes into an office has not come without its challenges. One of those challenges is the addition of furry, four-legged coworkers who just don’t seem to pull their own weight around the office.
That’s right, we’re talking about your pets.
In an attempt to address these issues with their new coworkers, some people have been getting creative. When one man’s cat just would not stop causing mischief during working hours, he decided enough was enough and filed a formal complaint to HR. (1)
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Penelope, you’ve been warned.
Andrew Stych and his wife Sheila are loving fur-parents to four cats and a pit bull. While most of the animals have adapted well to their parents being home 24/7, one of their cats, Penelope, has decided to take a more paws-on approach to the office work. Though her cuteness and eagerness to be near her parents-turned-supervisors is appreciated, the mayhem she has been causing both Andrew and Sheila has gone a bit too far. (1)
Andrew decided enough was enough and filed a formal complaint to the HR department of the Stych household about Penelope. The goal was to show her that the Stychs mean business. (1)
A letter of complaint to HR against Penelope the cat
The letter was quite formal and outlines several of Penelope’s misdemeanors. It also warns the cat of what repercussions she may face if she doesn’t comply with the rules of the office.
“Penelope, this letter serves to formally document your failure to comply with household regulations, and your lack of adherence to workspace polices. You have been a great contributor to workplace morale and have been meeting your quota with regards to cuteness and chasing hair ties. However, your continual insistence on attempting to (or succeeding in) shutting off the power strip and computer in the middle of work hours, insistence on stepping on the keyboard during critical company events, and general mayhem has resulted in significant loss of productivity. We value your contribution to the household, but you must demonstrate an immediate and permanent alteration to your workplace habits or you may face more severe repercussions up to and and including withholding treats.” (1)
The letter includes a signature from Sheila Stych, named “household supervisor”, and Penelope herself. (1)
In an interview with Popsugar Andrew explained how one time Penelope even sent an unfinished email to one of Sheila’s coworkers while taking a leisurely stroll across her computer’s keyboard. (1)
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Furry coworkers causing mayhem across the country
Andrew and Sheila aren’t the only pet parents struggling with sharing their office space with their new furry little coworkers.
Twitter user aubviouslynot started a thread asking other users to tell her what their pets have been doing throughout the day, but instead of referring to them as their pet, use the word coworker. The results prove that pets perhaps don’t always make the best office mates.
Here are just a few examples of how difficult these new household employees can be to work with: (2)
- “my coworker screamed at her reflection in the mirror and then threw up on the floor” @eelsfeels
- “My coworker showed up half an hour late, napped on the couch, got up, barfed, ate a cookie, then passed out on the floor again. It’s like she’s hungover.” @mobrantley
- “my coworker decided to nap at his desk which like, fine, but now he’s talking in his sleep????” @neekstj
- “My coworker steals my chair and judges me for unknown reasons. Also sleeps on the job 24/7. my other coworker is obsessed with getting her picture taken. demands scratches. so needy” @rachelslathar
- “my coworker pees everywhere, won’t stop begging me for food, and cries when i leave the room” @vegandemon_
- “My co-workers just stare at me until I do all the work.” @JohnnyB44622063
Clearly, though they are cute and make for good company, pets just don’t make great coworkers.
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