• FAIL Blog
  • Employee
  • Workplace
  • Horrible Bosses
  • Neighbors
  • HOA
  • Family Drama
  • Parenting
  • Customer Service
  • Entitled People

  • Links
  • About Us
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Security
  • DMCA Policy
    • search email community favorite this article chev-right latest posts article list comments tags video article login twitter facebook menu pinterest whatsapp

    Employee accidentally sends detailed grocery list to entire company instead of her partner: 'Within minutes, my inbox started exploding'

    Who knew that sharing your grocery list with all your coworkers could end up feeling like the biggest overshare? 

    This overwhelmed employee was in the midst of compiling a grocery list to send to her partner, but she decided to embellish her note with a series of personal details and inside jokes. Apparently, this choice to inject a bit of levity into such a mundane life task would end up backfiring big time. 

    That's because when she was making her list, the employee was interrupted with a rather immediate email from a manager to the entire company. It was the kind of email that required a short response, so she went ahead and replied immediately without thinking too much about it. 

    Well, it turns out that she probably should have thought about it a little more because instead of sending the response she intended to submit, she accidentally copied and pasted that full grocery list, complete with all those personal details, to the entire company… including the CEO.

    Like what you see? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google. 

    Author image for Ben Weiss Ben Weiss
    Add as a preferred
    source on Google
    Advertisement
    • An overwhelmed female employee wearing a pair of glasses puts her head in her hands at her desk.
      via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

      An overwhelmed female employee wearing a pair of glasses puts her head in her hands at her desk.

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    • Advertisement

    • [Today I messed up] by accidentally emailing my entire company a very detailed grocery list (and worse)

      This didn't happen today, but the emotional damage is still very fresh. I work at a mid-sized company where "Reply All" is treated like a loaded weapon. Naturally, I became the cautionary tale.
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Yesterday evening, I was half- working, half-planning my grocery run for the week. I had a draft email open to my partner where I was listing everything we needed. It wasn't just "milk, eggs,
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • bread." It was aggressively detailed. I'm talking brand preferences, substitutions, and some... personal notes. For example: "Get the fancy yogurt because I deserve it after this week," and "Do NOT buy the cursed oat milk again."
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Advertisement
    • An overwhelmed female employee sits at her desk with a despondent look on her face.
      via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

      An overwhelmed female employee sits at her desk with a despondent look on her face.

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    • At some point, I got an actual work email asking for a quick update. I replied... or at least I thought I did. What I actually did was continue typing in the wrong draft and, without double- checking, hit send.
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Advertisement
    • To the entire company mailing list. Including upper management. Including the CEO.
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • An overwhelmed female employee wearing glasses sits at her desk with a despondent look on her face.
      via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

      An overwhelmed female employee wearing glasses sits at her desk with a despondent look on her face.

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    • Advertisement
    • Including a very confusing line that read: "Also maybe snacks to emotionally recover from my own decisions."
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Within minutes, my inbox started exploding. People were replying with suggestions ("Try almond milk?"), memes, and one brave soul who simply wrote: "We believe in you."
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • My manager Slacked me: "Wrong thread?" I responded: "Deeply."
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Advertisement
    • The worst part? IT couldn't recall it because too many people had already opened it. So now, somewhere in the company archives, my grocery list lives on as a monument to my failure.
      via Ripped_Zebra6969

    • This employee has a few options with regard to how she should proceed. Since IT was unable to recall the email after too many employees opened it, one option she has is to send a quick and easy apology. The more she dwells on what happened, the more likely it will become a defining thing about her in the workplace.

      Another option, which is what I would do if I were in her situation, would be to double down on the humor. If she throws in a witty, self-deprecating barb into her apology, she is far more likely to charm more folks at the company than she would if she took herself too seriously in the aftermath. Who knows? Perhaps even the CEO will take notice of her sense of humor. 

    • Today, I showed up to work and someone had left a yogurt on my desk.
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • TL;DR: Meant to email my partner a grocery list, accidentally sent it to my entire company, and now my coworkers know too much about my dairy preferences and emotional state.
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Advertisement
    • An iPad open to an email inbox containing 38 unread messages.
      via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

      An iPad open to an email inbox containing 38 unread messages.

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    • AuroraKiittyy. The yogurt on your desk is the best possible response from coworkers
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Business-Archer7474. I once sent my kids teacher my tax return
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Advertisement
    • nycola IT is lying to you, I'm assuming you're using exchange online here...
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • If you recall the message it will disappear, even if someone has it currently open, it will close the message and delete it.
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • This change was implemented into exchange in 2023
      via Ripped_Zebra6969
    • Advertisement
    • Ps, you don't need IT for this, you can recall the message via Outlook
      via Ripped_Zebra6969

    Like what you see? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google. 

    Tags

    humor employee manager coworkers ceo comedy overworked-employees grocery shopping funny work stories
    Like
    Scroll Down For The Next Article
    Show Comments

    Also From FAIL Blog

    California resident cuts off truck driver in traffic, driver follows him to pizza spot, thinking he's a "delivery boy" and tries to get him fired: 'I don't work here'

    California resident cuts off truck driver in traffic, driver follows him to pizza spot, thinking he's a "delivery boy" and tries to get him fired: 'I don't work here'
    Next Article