Support NeoGAF

[Bronetta]

The thing about jokes is, theres an element of truth to them.

When your boss said you dont have enough work to do, he probably meant it to some extent but had to say it jokingly. So when you said that back, even jokingly the boss assumed theres some truth to it.


I noticed this back when I was working for the government and had to attend meetings with managers and directors. Sometimes joking was their way of letting out things they couldnt normally say otherwise.

 

[E92 M3]

OP it seems like you have no sense of timing for your comedy.

 

[Hazmat]

Your boss sounds like kind of an idiot, but from his perspective he probably heard his joke as "You guys are working hard and have a lot of responsibilities" and yours as "I'm overworked and have too many responsibilities."

 

[n00bsauce87]

Gotta know your role OP. You can't see yourself as equals enough to tell the same jokes in public your supervisors​ do.

 

[dapeel61]

I am the boss. I encourage my staff to joke around and I joke with them all the time on Skype. As long as they're getting their work done and not pissing off clients or coworkers or something there is no reason for people to not be able to have some fun at work.

 

[The Lamp]

Trust no bitch.

Your boss is not your friend. Laugh at their jokes and keep your own to yourself unless it is so harmless it is 100% devoid of potential to insult.

 

[v1lla21]

Damn. Lol. That's pretty funny.
Thankfully my supervisors can take jokes and dish em well.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Also inb4 "well I had sex with your wife!"

Well the jerk store called....

 

[Icyflamez96]

Doesn't matter, does it?

The joke would only be funny if it was "kinda true".

Or if it was ridiculously untrue.

 

[Bernbaum]

HR isn't your friend and neither is your boss.

Even if they're great people, you need limits on the relationship.

 

[HoJu]

Doesn't matter, does it?

The joke would only be funny if it was "kinda true".

Or if the opposite was true. And even if it were kinda true, it's still a pretty mild joke. Still gotta be careful though

 

[Septimus Prime]

Boss: Wow, you guys sure have a lot of work!
You: Yeah, and Management does nothing.

Was this the "joke"?

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Should have just told him that you slept with his wife and moved on.

 

[Zantetsuken]

No matter how cool I am with my boss, I always realize there is still a wall somewhat. I try to keep conversation to a minimum. Only really work related.

 

[Izuna]

Or if it was ridiculously untrue.

I can't imagine that joke working. Do you have examples of it working with better delivery?

It's less of a joke and just flattery if meant that way.

 

[JimJamJones]

At my office, I'm the one who has to be the voice of reason and give our boss shit when he needs to hear it. He's a hot headed workaholic who hates when people aren't working.

Spoiler

My boss is also my father so

 

[Aselith]

OP "joking" with his boss

https://youtu.be/gmhEXjM7iTw#t=40s

 

[Hydrus]

How OP's story actually played out:

Boss: " What's up guys!? Don't got enough to do!?"

* Everyone laughs*

* 2 days later*

OP: "Hey you lazy fuck! Ain't got shit to do?!"

OP: "I've made a terrible mistake"

 

[captive]

sounds like your joke hit a little too close to home, since most of us know managers often don't really do shit.

 

[Mephala]

Sometimes it could be that your jabs has elements of truth in it and this stung a bit.

 

[Josh378]

Sometimes it could be that your jabs has elements of truth in it and this stung a bit.

Yea, never looked at it that way.

 

[Zombine]

sounds like your joke hit a little too close to home, since most of us know managers often don't really do shit.

"You wouldn't imagine how many emails I have to answer!"

Fuckin really? Really?

This shit makes me want to laugh and quit my job every single time.

 

[LyleLanley]

I'd be willing to bet OP and his boss told vastly different kinds of jokes.

 

[TK-421]

Your boss is not your friend.

This x1000.

 

[Kyrios]

I joke with my boss all the time and he does the same to me.

Really depends on the type of person your boss is.

 

[the_batman]

If you're good/valuable enough to the company, you can say almost whatever you want

 

[Neander]

Just remember, Boss spelled backwards is Double SOB.

 

[ISOM]

Some people in general can't take what they dish out when joking. So you add power dynamics and ego of being a boss and you pretty much get your situation. Next time just never assume your boss is a friend.

 

[MIMIC]

No fun allowed

 

[Escape Goat]

Just remember, Boss spelled backwards is Double SOB.

You are a terrible speller.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

one time, the company was out at a bday drinking....and one of the top bosses asked me to get another top bosses attention who was standing behind me ( me and Boss A were seated) so i turn around to get Boss B's attention, but hes in mid conversation. I turn back to boss A and motion that i cant get his attention...so Boss A tells me to poke Boss B in the bum. I turn back around to face boss B's bum. then i think about it. turn back to boss A and to reconfirm the task, and I question "...like in the bum?" and Boss A says yeah yeah, do it...so i shrug, wind up, and jam my finger into Boss B's butt crack....I had probably been only working there for 3 or so months, but I forever tarnished myself in their eyes with that miscommunication. Thank god Boss B had a sense of humor. Boss A apparently wanted me to just tap boss B....

i know its slightly different than the OPs joke, and i blame the alcohol/noise/Boss A's accent....but it really messed me up with how i interact with coworkers and bosses now

 

[Jack The Nipper]

Jokes arent really about the jokes they are about one's personality traits and how much they are liked. obviously these things all go hand in hand as to how they come off as well. I like the deep , super dark jokes and while I may not mean them and I have a 50/50 attach rate to a person either loving or down right hating my jokes.

Just remember, Boss spelled backwards is Double SOB.

Use this one next Op, then we can figure out why you were fired

 

[Gallbaro]

I encourage my employees to tell me to fuck off. They just better have an argument to back it up.

Spoiler

It's actually one of the ways I choose who can manage other people.

 

[Jack The Nipper]

I encourage my employees to tell me to fuck off. They just better have an argument to back it up.

Spoiler

It's actually one of the ways I choose who can manage other people.

not sure if this is going to work very often, but there is no telling how rough you are on others with this way of thinking, which I almost assume isn't very good. Why anyone needs to fuck off even when getting fired?

 

[digdug2k]

Yeah, never think of your boss as your friend. They're not. Basically anyone above you. They want you to think they are, but they're not. Figure out what they like. Use that to manipulate them to get what you want. That's what they're doing to you. You're not friends. There's too many conflicts of interest for you to be friends.

EDIT: Also, the fact that you have trouble doing this and inherently want to trust that they aren't assholes just means you're a nice good person. Don't feel bad about it.

 

[Falcs]

OP.
What did your boss say after you made the joke? Did he just crack it? Did it at all realise you were joking? What led to you having to apologize?

 

[Gallbaro]

not sure if this is going to work very often, but there is no telling how rough you are on others with this way of thinking, which I almost assume isn't very good. Why anyone needs to fuck off even when getting fired?

In a high pressure industry like mine, sometimes with billions on the line, having someone who will argue with me, aggressively if I am wrong, is worth every penny.

Someone who doesn't, never gets past engineering grunt.

 

[Kyzer]

one time, the company was out at a bday drinking....and one of the top bosses asked me to get another top bosses attention who was standing behind me ( me and Boss A were seated) so i turn around to get Boss B's attention, but hes in mid conversation. I turn back to boss A and motion that i cant get his attention...so Boss A tells me to poke Boss B in the bum. I turn back around to face boss B's bum. then i think about it. turn back to boss A and to reconfirm the task, and I question "...like in the bum?" and Boss A says yeah yeah, do it...so i shrug, wind up, and jam my finger into Boss B's butt crack....I had probably been only working there for 3 or so months, but I forever tarnished myself in their eyes with that miscommunication. Thank god Boss B had a sense of humor. Boss A apparently wanted me to just tap boss B....

i know its slightly different than the OPs joke, and i blame the alcohol/noise/Boss A's accent....but it really messed me up with how i interact with coworkers and bosses now

You probably took a joke too far

 

[Mephala]

"You wouldn't imagine how many emails I have to answer!"

Fuckin really? Really?

This shit makes me want to laugh and quit my job every single time.

Funnily enough this is one of the more infuriating parts of work. Something trivial but constantly interrupting your regular work is the worst. Some e-mails could be important, some not important, some don't make sense, some are not even meant for you specifically but is sent to you directly... You need to address everything and if you slack on it this can quickly get out of hand into a huge stock pile of mail where important ones will get lost.

Oh yeah. Do your regular duties on top of that.

If the boss rants about something trivial, I just take it as they are blowing off some steam. I like to complain about trivial stuff. It makes me feel better. Fuck e-mails.

 

[cryptosporidium]

My general manager asked how my day was going, I told em it could be better. He asks how he can do that, I tell em by giving me a raise. Come back into the warehouse later on and he gives me a 1.50$ raise.

Ive been on the job 2 weeks and now make more than most of my friends who've worked here a couple years. This is the ability of the jokes

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

My general manager asked how my day was going, I told em it could be better. He asks how he can do that, I tell em by giving me a raise. Come back into the warehouse later on and he gives me a 1.50$ raise.

Ive been on the job 2 weeks and now make more than most of my friends who've worked here a couple years. This is the ability of the jokes

He wants you

 

[JeTmAn81]

I like to think of myself as a friend first, boss second. Probably comedian third.

 

[PiFace]

Your boss is a snowflake. My boss can dish out jokes and take them too, and she's a woman. Easily the best boss I've ever worked for.

Woman who makes jokes like a normal human and she is your boss. You should bag her before someone else does.

That is something extremely unnatural. Smh

 

[the_batman]

My general manager asked how my day was going, I told em it could be better. He asks how he can do that, I tell em by giving me a raise. Come back into the warehouse later on and he gives me a 1.50$ raise.

Ive been on the job 2 weeks and now make more than most of my friends who've worked here a couple years. This is the ability of the jokes

Wait till he tells you what he wants in return.

 

[Harpuia]

One of my higher ups made a crass joke on someone who he recently let go. It was met with some awkward laughter and some "oof"s.

Meanwhile another higher up, one whom I work closely with, is genuinely awesome and I can joke around with him all day.

It's important to read the situation. At the end of the day they have more power, and power over you. People who want to be vindictive can use that power against you if they so desire..

 

[Hyun Sai]

The rules of engagement are pretty simple. You can joke with your bosses, but never about them.

 

[Acorn]

That doesn't sound like a joke. Op you suck at selling it.

Jokes to your superior should always incredibly hammy corny and obvious.

No lies detected.

Boss jokes should always be in the same ballpark as shitty dad jokes.

 

[milanbaros]

Your boss is a snowflake. My boss can dish out jokes and take them too, and she's a woman. Easily the best boss I've ever worked for.

See, even a Woman boss can joke. That's how lame your boss is OP.

 

[TissueBox]

Just wait, sometime this week he'll be snubbing your cup of coffee as a reckoning.

 

[Josh378]

OP.
What did your boss say after you made the joke? Did he just crack it? Did it at all realise you were joking? What led to you having to apologize?

His reply: "So...what's suppose to mean?!?!" "That's suppose to be a joke?"

Me: (waiting for the punchline laughter...never came)

Me: proceeded to apologionto boss once were were one on one...