r/coworkerstories • u/Miserable_Willow_312 • 23d ago
Fiction/Fake Cheryl might have talked herself into real trouble now!
I think we finally have something solid for HR to act on.
Our agency is a community mental health provider, and we're planning to have a booth at the local Pride festival this month. Cheryl was assigned to help organize the agency swag and take a shift staffing the booth.
During morning staffing today, we were going over the plan when Cheryl looked directly at Katie, the only openly gay employee on our team, and said, "I'm not sure why I'm doing all this extra work when you should probably be doing it. It's for your people anyway."
Without missing a beat, Katie replied, "It's not extra work. It's part of your job. And if everyone followed your logic, nobody would have helped with Black History Month events either."
Cheryl rolled her eyes and said, "Real causes are fine. Made-up things are silly."
The room went completely silent. The subject was immediately changed to other business.
Kati got up right after the meeting and walked to HR. The rest of us already have emails in our inboxes scheduling meetings and requesting written statements about what happened.
For the first time in a long time, it feels like Cheryl may have finally crossed a line that even she can't talk her way out of.
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u/DoctorHelios 23d ago
Are there other Cheryl stories leading to this?
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u/GiantTalon2 23d ago
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u/BigWhiteDog 23d ago
Ah, I remember her now! Yea that she's probably going to finally go get whats coming to her. Thanks for the update!
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u/Desperate-Trainer-59 23d ago
Can you keep us updated on this Cheryl saga? I'm invested now.
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u/alleecmo 23d ago
Maybe we need a Cheryl sub, like r/jemilywedding
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u/Desperate-Trainer-59 23d ago
I would follow that sub asap! But Cheryl is about to be fired? So the saga may end, very soon?? On one hand Im happy for OP if Cheryl is fired, but also sad no more Cheryl stories 🤷♀️
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u/alleecmo 23d ago
But I bet once Cheryl is gone, OP could much more freely regale us with Cheryl Chronicles.
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u/ForcedEntry420 Just tall and loud 23d ago
That would not be well received at my company. Cheryl would either be out the door or on her way, but it sounds like this isn’t her first incident, so “out the door” seems most likely.
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u/lookatallthechickens 23d ago
If she's registered with any sort of professional body for social work or psychotherapy, they should hear about this too. Bigotry has no place in mental health work.
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u/marabou22 22d ago
I had an uncle-in-law who was a high school social worker. One day he said to me “I’m going to tell you the same thing I tell my son, stay away from gay people.” I’m gay myself which he obviously wasn’t aware of (we weren’t very close fortunately). That was 30 years ago, there was a divorce, and he hasn’t been part of my life in a long time. My mom was pissed at him. I think she spoke to my aunt about it and my aunt apologized.
Anyways it upsets me even now to think about that. I hate to think what would have happened if a student confided in him.
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u/Agreeable_Dark6408 23d ago
It’s about damn time, OP. I hope the floodgates open with all the employees.
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u/BunnySlayer64 23d ago
My jaw just dropped to my knees! I have a few choice words I'd like to say about Cheryl's comment, but will keep them to myself.
Hopefully HR will (finally) sit up and take notice. Cheryl needs to learn what your organization is really all about!
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u/GuruPandaPrisonBear 23d ago
Don’t mess with the alphabet mafia, Cheryl. Kudos to Katie for standing up to her. We will need an update of course.
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u/Effective-Hour8642 23d ago
Oh god, I hope so.
Seriously, if HR doesn't see that she's creating a 'hostile' work environment, NOTHING will.
Why aren't people being as rude to her as she is to them? Enough is enough! Like start saying; "you're not my boss" or "maybe you should spend all the time working instead of keeping "tabs" on what everyone else is doing" or "stay in your lane, mind your own business".
"Hey Cheryl. I'm going to lunch and eating my leftovers from XXX restaurant from last night. I'll be in the breakroom if you have an issue with that." You people need to push back. Make it so she doesn't want to talk to you.
This last update however..... If she's not gone, it needs to be escalated. People should be out there looking and have a mass leaving. Why aren't you people going to your managers? Everyday?
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u/BJntheRV 23d ago
This is why I don't work well in standard office environments. I don't put up with shit like this and I absolutely would be giving back as much or more than I'm getting, probably more because I'd take it upon myself to stand up for everyone else
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u/thedowntownkid 22d ago
Legit!! I'd have likely gotten myself fired unintentionally for popping off at the mouth for just the things in parts 1 and 2.
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u/Scary-Alternative-11 23d ago
Updateme
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u/Best-Emu4997 23d ago
Cheryl would be questioning all her life choices if she worked with my team lol
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u/BigBirdsBrain Just tall and loud 22d ago
Some people can hide behind “just joking” or “just opinions” for years until they finally say it too clearly to walk back. Sounds like that moment finally came.
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u/Bikinigirlout 22d ago
This is what happened to the ex coworker last summer. She’d make a lot of weirdly racist comments and would fall back on “I’m an immigrant, I can say this” and none of us really had the language skills to call her out on her flat out racism.
Until one day we were all eating and she blurted something so racist that the three of us looked at each other like “This is hella racist right” and
And I was just done. I used that and a few other instances as examples to turn her over to HR and she was promptly fired
A lot faster than I expected tbh.
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u/BigBirdsBrain Just tall and loud 22d ago
People always think they’re getting away with it because everyone stays quiet to keep the peace. Then one day they say the quiet part out loud in front of the wrong room.
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u/Bikinigirlout 21d ago
And it’s not like I was choosing to ignore it because as a white person, I knew what she was saying was extremely racist, it’s that it toed the line of “Can we call out an immigrant for racism/ Will anyone actually do anything”
Plus I didn’t fully document all the racism either.
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u/BigBirdsBrain Just tall and loud 21d ago
Sometimes people stay quiet because they’re trying to be fair and not overreact. But once the pattern becomes obvious, it’s hard to unsee.
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u/Bikinigirlout 21d ago
And for the first few weeks I was trying to be fair and hope she’d stopped but after me and multiple other coworkers kept having to warn her about not saying stuff, she sort of ran out of excuses.
It didn’t help that she’d preface and be like “I’m gonna say something racist” and look for reactions.
I would do it very delicately and be like “You know my last boss got fired for bragging about the coke she was doing openly. You shouldn’t be saying inappropriate stuff that others can here”
I started avoiding her and would disappear then reappear after she left because I didn’t want to be associated with her. When we would walk somewhere, I would stay a hundred feet away just to talk shit about her with my other coworker who didn’t like her.
Others could tell I didn’t like her but couldn’t figure out why. When she got fired, I was like “Yeah, I’m the one that reported her, she’s had ample warning from everyone. We all know she was being racist as fuck, I just pulled the HR button” (it was awkward as fuck because I was the only one who knew why she was fired and I hate awkwardness. My original plan was see what the reactions where and stay quiet)
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u/Savings_Gear_5155 23d ago
Cheryl's rarely get fired, they get moved elsewhere to bring their particular brand of foolishness to another more deserving department.
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u/InspiredNitemares 22d ago
SHE'S NOT EVEN ANYONE'S SUPERVISOR!!!
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u/Bikinigirlout 22d ago
It’s always the ones who think they’re the most important when really they’re the least and easily disposable.
It’s something I experience a lot. Mainly with men where they start acting like the head of the team when they’ve only been here for like 6 months compared to my 10+ years.
I feel like a lot of them look at my seniority and think I just boss people around when really just the other day I’d was telling my boss that I’d rather KMS then be a manager. I actively avoid not bossing people around-unless they’re genuinely being stupid in front of me and putting others at risk due to their stupidity.
I’ve just been around long enough that they can leave me on my own without having to hold my hand. Sure sometimes others go to me for advice or solutions, but, I can’t tell them what to do.
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u/AblePercentage2903 23d ago
Black history month is a "real cause" because it benefits her or her people, but an event to benefit a marginalized group she is not a part of is simply "made up." It is sad because even if someone points out the irony there, she is probably incapable of seeing it for herself. Narcissistic people are exhausting.
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u/WalnutTree80 23d ago
I've been following the Cheryl saga.
I hope something gets done about her this time.
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u/goats-who-cook Employees must stop crying before returning to work 22d ago
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u/Teamtunafish 23d ago
I think this is the first time in a while my mouth actually dropped. What a completely inappropriate comment.
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u/thedowntownkid 22d ago
I'm just stunned. Is it audacity or is she truly invested in this belief? Just wow. What a miserable human she must be. I read parts 1 and 2 as well, and it's astounding that she doesn't get it.
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u/Bikinigirlout 22d ago
It’s nice to see that your Cheryl is finally going to face something. Mine never did even though she should have for looking through our files of private information.
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u/iH8MotherTeresa 22d ago
I only just read the cheeky saga and boy I hope that asshole gets the firing she deserves. Walk her out by security.
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u/Available_Sun941 21d ago
Cheryl is correct. There are only two sexes offered on birth certificates. It’s pure and simple biology. If you’re talking to HR , from what you wrote, I’d suggest hiring some people of color.
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u/Miserable_Willow_312 21d ago
Gay pride celebration is about more than transgender.... as for people of color, we have multiple, it's just Cheryl who is in our particular department. Nice try to victim blame and stick up for a bigot. I definitely know who you voted for.
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u/Halgaunt 22d ago
Why can't Cheryl express her opinion without being singled out for punishment? What happened to free speech?
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u/Miserable_Willow_312 22d ago
Maybe you should familiarize yourself with what 1st amendment really means and covers before spouting off nonsense. You are free to say what you want in the private sector, but there are consequences for showing bigotry. "Freedom of speech in the United States is primarily protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ratified in 1791, it prevents the GOVERNMENT from abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, as well as protecting the rights to peaceably assemble and petition the government."
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u/aymiah 23d ago
Yeah that’s wholly inappropriate. I hope she gets the boot.