35 Shocking Workplace Secrets That Will Leave You Speechless

Something really creepy about IT departments...

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• December 14, 2024

There’s a side to every job that rarely gets talked about—the darker, unsettling, or downright creepy truths that stay hidden from the public eye. Whether it’s the unexpected dangers in a seemingly ordinary profession or the chilling realities workers face daily, some facts are enough to make anyone second-guess their career choices.

These little-known details aren’t just cautionary tales; they’re a reminder that every job, no matter how glamorous or mundane it appears, has its secrets.

Recently, a thread asked professionals to share the most unnerving facts about their jobs that outsiders rarely hear about. From haunting stories in healthcare to eerie revelations in IT and even unsettling truths in food service, people didn’t hold back.

It turns out that the day-to-day of some professions includes more than just the usual stress—it sometimes veers into territory straight out of a thriller. Whether it’s life-or-death situations or the bizarre behaviors they’ve encountered, these chilling confessions peel back the curtain on what it’s really like in these fields.

So, whether you're curious, fascinated, or mildly horrified, brace yourself for a rollercoaster of shocking truths that might change how you view certain jobs forever. Just take a look at the selection of comments posted on Reddit.

1. "I work in homelessness."

There’s lots of ‘scary’ stuff about this work that people are probably aware of, or are intentionally ignorant of. But one of the most scary/shocking things I learned in this work was pretty early on in it.

There are lots and lots of reasons that people experiencing homelessness may be dirty or not shower frequently, but I have had it reported to me multiple times that a female client is refusing to shower/practice hygiene because being dirty/unclean/stinky prevents men from r**ing her when she’s sleeping outside. Both very scary and very sad.

2. "I work in a shelter."

Some of our guests are from middle and upper class backgrounds. Bad choices, bad health, bad treatment, and bad luck can happen to all of us, sometimes very quickly. As far as I can tell, the only thing all homeless people have in common is trauma and loss.

3. As a nurse, it's unsettling how many patients I've seen who come in for routine procedures and end up with life-altering complications.

It's often a result of rushed care or overlooked details. People assume hospitals are infallible, but the reality is that even in the best facilities, human error can lead to devastating outcomes. Always advocate for your health and never hesitate to ask questions.

4. You know how you worry about getting your frozen and refrigerated groceries home and put away before they spoil?

Overnight stockers don’t.

5. The entirety of the internet

held together by a very outdated and very vulnerable routing protocol.

6. I’m a teacher. The education system in the US is largely f****d.

We’re producing kids who can’t read, do math, or follow simple instructions. This is quickly going to become society’s problem. .

7. A lot of people don't realize it

But graduation success rate can basically be predicted based on their 3rd grade reading ability. 

Early education is important, folks.

8. "Cops lie a lot"

9. I’m a teacher, and all I can say is that you should teach your kids.

Teach them at an early age. Teach them at home. Drop your phone and teach your kids. Trust me, no one else will. As for us teachers, we are too busy implementing useless strategies to pass inspections and keep the admins happy.

10. Statistics are often manipulated and misrepresented to fit a narrative.

Few look at raw data, or question the validity.

Statistics and research methods should be a high school course.

11. The amount of worms in fish from the ocean is astonishing

12. Probably how painful and long dying naturally can take.

I work in memory care and have cared for sooooo many people dying. It's not a nice conversation with a loved one and then peacefully drifting off to sleep like in the movies. Sometimes it can take days, up to 2 weeks once they transition before they take their last breath. Sometimes they scream and writhe for days while unconscious until they pass. morphine should be a human right. Assisted suicide should be a human right.

13. The IT department

14. Kids are incredibly, *incredibly* behind where they should be in terms of education levels and they just keep getting pushed through.

As in, I have a graduating high school senior that doesn't know what 5 x 4 is and can't pronounce the word "illuminate".

15. "Former child actor"

16. As a mechanic I have to say that the colder and more distant a mechanic is, the more likely they are to be honest

It's the really friendly ones who are ripping you off while they're being

17. Government trackers

18. Massage therapist

19. Am a nurse. I’d say it’s probably the fact that people know when they’re going to die.

They will straight up tell you “today is my last day, thank you for being kind” and you reassure them because their vitals are good, they are taking to treatment well, nothing happening that would indicate a drastic decline. Then, inevitably, you will hear a flatline on the machine and run in and sure enough that patient has passed away.

If it hadn’t happened SO many times, I would chalk it up to a few people who just didn’t have the will to live anymore, but I’ve seen it enough, I know that’s not it. Really creepy when you think about it too hard.

20. As an engineer

I know some bridges and structures you drive on daily are technically past their design lifespan.

21. Lifeguard!

I cannot explain to you how quiet and how fast drowning is. Even people with some idea tend to think, "OK, so barely any noise."

No. There's nothing. You might get some splashing right at the beginning if someone's just panicking; but I've seen an adult man get into trouble with absolutely no sound. Even if someone can get their mouth out of the water, they're so locked in on breathing and not dying that they won't yell. Their arms and legs are under the water, and they're struggling so hard that that nothing can make it to the surface to splash.

You WON'T hear it. Please, please, PLEASE do not take your eyes off your kids in water (even the bath) for even a second. That's all it takes.

(In my career, I've seen drowning, but I have been fortunate enough to not see drowned. Would love for it to stay that way.).

22. How much of our worldwide technical infrastructure is held together by duct tape

and some sketchy Perl script someone who doesn't work there anymore coded 20 years ago.

23. Climbing into an unventilated manhole can kill you in seconds and you wouldn't even know anything was seriously wrong.

You think that's air you're breathing now?

Manholes can fill with gases that are heavier than breathable air. You think are breathing normally but instead you fall unconscious and suffocate from lack of oxygen.

24. Crossing guard

25. Kids that were in grade 2-6 during the pandemic

are frighteningly far behind their older counterparts and have a deep deep reliance on technology.

26. Exactly how ecologically disastrous turf lawns are.

We are f*****g ourselves to make our properties look sterile and boring. It's endlessly stupid.

27. Correctional officers

28. Therapist for children and youth.

The amount of kids I’ve seen in the last few months who have had a suicide attempt is stomach turning.

29. When you go to trial, the truth doesn't matter one lick.

It's only what the evidence can show. So many clients struggle with this concept.

In a criminal case, if you go to trial and lose, you will most likely get a harsher sentence than you think. Elected judges believe they have to appear tough on crime and hope that threat will convince you to take a plea deal so they have fewer cases on their trial docket.

30. Supply coordinator for a hospital here.

Our supplies are ridiculously cheap. That IV you were charged $1000 for? We paid 79 cents for it. We get diapers for about $1 per case.

31. As a librarian, you'd be horrified how many books we get returned and have to throw out because they're absolutely *covered* in bed bugs.

We put a block on accounts and notify patrons, but I'm specifically told not to mention this problem to the public whatsoever by management.

32. I used to work in banking

and it was eye opening to see how many people were victims of fraud, how little recourse there is to get the money back, and how little the police can do for you too.

33. The laxity in healthcare facilities

the staff is under such stress(here in canada anyways) that a lot of corners are cut to try and save time, but it eventually always comes back to bite you in the a*s.

Hygiene protocols not respected

Patients left in their filth because you have 1 nurse for 40people with alarms going off everywhere.

Sterilization processes not being followed as they should, increasing the risk of nosocomial disease..the list can go on.

I remember starting to work and being all happy about helping people, and in the long run you have to adapt to the s****y place because if you try to follow the norms you will quickly get reprimanded by wasting time/resources or whatever by your superiors. The longer i work by helping the more bitter i become. You’re basically fighting a battle that cannot be won, no matter the effort you put in.

It is sad, because at the end of the day, the patient will be the one to suffer. Not saying all employees do their work correctly, hell no, i see plenty of lazy a*s people but the system rewards those people the same as the one breaking his balls off trying to fix it.

The longer i try to do good, the more cynical im becoming in this society.

34. I used to work in child protection.

The people most likely to harm your child, or you, are people you already know, most likely family members. You can bar the door against bad men lurking in dark alleys, but when you do, remember who you’re locking in with you.

35. Humans and cancer

As unsettling as these revelations are, they highlight the resilience of workers across industries who face challenges most of us never see.

Have you ever experienced something similar at your job? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments, and don’t forget to pass this article along to spark a conversation among friends!

Sophia