Employee refuses to accept award at work because a coworker nominated them instead of a client: 'I don’t feel that it means the same coming from coworkers as from clients.'

She can't turn down the award without looking like the most ungrateful coworker in the world.

Have you ever won an award you don't deserve? I know I sure have! This past summer, I won MVP on my dodgeball team despite being the 2nd-worst player. I was pretty shocked when my name was announced, and I know I looked confused when I went up to accept the award. Even though I don't think I technically deserved it, it's not like I should've stood before the league and said, "I do not accept this award because I am objectively not the most valuable player on my team." The player community voted on the award, and it was about more than just being the best. It was about having a good attitude and being the kind of person that people were happy to play with every week. It's not as if this were some big official award that others were desperate to win. It was just for fun! 

Some people feel incredibly uncomfortable with publicly receiving any kind of accolades, and I understand where they're coming from. It can be embarrassing and stressful to stand on stage in front of a big group of people, especially when the other people onstage are talking about you, even when they're saying all good things. They could be singing your praises to high heaven, and that still wouldn't make it any less stressful for shy people. It's very common to feel uncomfortable with getting publicly praised in front of your colleagues.