Ah, office life. It's one of the most monotonous existences on the planet. Within four walls, you and countless others are trapped in front of computer screens - the highlight of your day most likely being a trip to the communal kitchen to have a slice of Andy from IT's birthday cake. This often results in passive-aggressive notes. Whether they're telling off a colleague for failing to flush (yeah, that happened in my office) or simply threatening war if someone dares steal one of your all-important energy drinks from the refrigerator. So to celebrate them for what they are, which is often hilarious, here are 30 of the most passive-aggressive office notes the internet has to offer.
[post_page_title]The Date[/post_page_title]
Now, while it's often said that you should never sh*t where you eat, office romances and flings are all part of the course of large numbers of people spending a lot of time together. But not all office dates are necessarily romantic...
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No one wants to eat an out of date can of food - although, admittedly, most last for a decent amount of time. But this office worker took this note as an opportunity to reveal that they were "Forever in the friend zone." #TinyVolin
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Printer Problems[/post_page_title]
Life in an office can be soul-destroying at the best of times, so when a vital piece of equipment like a printer stops working, rage levels can be higher than normal. It's the worst kind of jamming.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / maskedme]]
Hence this hilariously passive-aggressive note. Come on! Sing with me. "Don't worry... bout da ink... cuz everything you print... gonna turn out white." This gem was captioned: "Found this at work today."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Sensitive Workers[/post_page_title]
In offices, people are often underpaid, and when they are offered pittances of pay rises, or see other workers getting promoted ahead of them, it can make them more sensitive than most to the little things.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Twitter / vickimeaks]]
Clearly, these guys had decided that enough was enough, and whoever was subject to their rage posted this passive-aggressive note. It was captioned: "Walked past the It office door and noticed a new sign."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The Trend[/post_page_title]
Anyone who has ever had their lunch eaten by a coworker knows how devastating it is, especially when it's the end of the month and money to buy a replacement is tight, which is why many office workers resort to labeling their food.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Twitter / nelltent]]
But this practice doesn't necessarily go down well with everyone, hence this extremely passive-aggressive meme about Kevin the sandwich. It was captioned: "Those office trends, I don't get them."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Comic Sans[/post_page_title]
Now, I don't know about you, but when I first learned how to use a computer in the early noughties, the font of choice for just about everyone was Comic Sans. But these days, it's mostly associated with primary schools, hence this note...
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / nomdeweb]]
"Please don't use Comic Sans - we are a Fortune 500 Company, not a Lemonade Stand." Well, like I said, in office environments, even the smallest of things can drive people crazy. This picture was captioned: "Please keep the door closed."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Flush Gate[/post_page_title]
Shortly after I began my current job, a company-wide message was sent after someone dropped off a giant steaming turd in the ladies and didn't flush. The person who sent it told them to flush, and needless to say, not a single woman stood up. Yikes!
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Twitter / unknown]]
Clearly, however, such a passive-aggressive message merited an even more passive-aggressive response in this office. This picture was captioned: "At least your coworkers have a great sense of humor."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]DON'T TOUCH MY MUG[/post_page_title]
Aside from discovering an unwelcome and most likely smelly present in the office bathroom, another problem faced by workers is discovering that there are no mugs left in the kitchen, which is what resulted in this hilarious exchange.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / Pistolfist]]
To be fair to this guy, he probably just wanted to guarantee his morning coffee, and I can't blame him for that. This picture was captioned: "The people in my office just couldn't help themselves."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Making Your Own Fun[/post_page_title]
Because office life can be so monotonous, sometimes workers take just about any opportunity to make their days a little brighter. Like by leaving a paper trail for their coworker who was nowhere to be found...
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / SuperSonicYoshi]]
This hilarious series of notes was captioned: "Leave the office For 10 mins." It's a good thing that this person was only gone for 10 minutes because their coworkers seem needy AF.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The Philosopher[/post_page_title]
Sometimes, when you're stuck in an office, you can't help but think about the bigger things. Will this be your life forever? Doomed to stare out into the windows of other offices and wondering if their occupants are just as miserable as you are?
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / potato99]]
Well, it turns out that even if you reach depressing conclusions, it doesn't really matter, because as this printer note says, in the grand scheme of things, everything is temporary. This picture was captioned: "The office philosopher."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The Pen[/post_page_title]
Whoever invented company-wide emails probably regrets it by now because sometimes, when a worker thinks "enough is enough", they can be a little too trigger happy and email dozens of people about the most innocuous things... like a missing pen.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / katie0928]]
This picture was captioned: "An email went out around the office about a lost pen. This appeared in the break room the next day." Yeah... if there's something people can afford to let go of, it's the occasional missing pen.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The Dishes[/post_page_title]
It's only common courtesy that you clean up after yourself - even if your office has a cleaner. Personally, I think it's only right that the cleaner and the CEO are treated with the same amount of respect.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Imgur / unknown]]
So this is a passive-aggressive note that I completely stan. This picture, which hilariously frames reality, was captioned: "They just don't."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]This Is Glorious[/post_page_title]
It only stands to reason that the lower the maintenance costs of the office, the more money there will be for employees - even if it's for something as simple as allowing them an extra drink at the Christmas party, so I am in favor of this note.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / mafafu]]
But I'm also in favor of the hilarious sticky note conversation which took place below it. This picture was captioned: "New rules for posting notices in the office."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]DEBBIE[/post_page_title]
Sometimes when there is a notorious office theif, extreme action needs to be taken to stop them in their tracks. Like, for example, labeling every lunch to let Debbie know that none of them belong to her.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / johnny0]]
This picture was captioned: "Apparently Debbie has a bit of bad reputation around the office refrigerator". No sh*t, Sherlock!
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Sarcasm[/post_page_title]
As we've learned by now, when you have to spend a sizable portion of the week in an environment you most likely don't like around people who you probably aren't a fan of either, you'll do anything to pass the time. Even if that means chuckling at your own sarcasm.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / cludvic]]
Clearly, somebody couldn't help themselves. This picture was captioned: "Sacarsm at the office."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Dave's Drinks[/post_page_title]
Clearly, offices are home to many fridge wars, and Dave came up with a hilariously innovative solution to let his colleagues know exactly which refreshments were his.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Imgur / Kitteh666]]
This picture was captioned: "I Don't Know Why I Can't Stop Laughing At This." Let's just hope that there wasn't an intern in the office called Dave that day, or else there would have been Hell to pay.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]A Brazen Thief[/post_page_title]
Now, while I'm no thief (seriously, I once accidentally forgot to pay for a piece of bubblegum in the 90s and returned it to the store later that day), I imagine that one of the first rules would be, y'know, not getting caught.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / chrishatcher1]]
Although, admittedly, this person's makeshift replacement is pretty hilarious. This picture was sarcastically captioned: "I believe we have an office thief, damn." Oh well. Maybe they'll get forgiveness points for their creativity.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Mr. Cricket's Funeral[/post_page_title]
One of my standout memories from high school was when my history class bizarrely decided to hold a funeral for a bee that had terrorized us - a bee we fondly named Jimbob (posthumously), and it turns out this office held a similar ceremony...
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / Alex_Pee_Keaton]]
This hilarious scene was captioned: "Housekeeping at my friend's office missed a dead cricket. It has since snowballed into a full-on memorial."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]This advice[/post_page_title]
Sometimes, when you're impatient in an office, you'll do anything to make things happen faster, like pushing machinery, even though you know it won't make a difference.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Twitter / zodmode]]
This picture was captioned: "This sarcastic advice in the office."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Don't spoil the milk[/post_page_title]
Until I worked in an office, I'd never experienced the disgusting horror of drinking expired milk. Imagine: you are tired, bleary-eyed, and after taking your first sip of coffee, you notice that something is up, only to discover what resembles cheese flakes floating around it. The horror!
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / allie2action]]
This amusing way of trying to solve this extremely infuriating problem was captioned: "Spoiled milk, spotted in my office."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]A Glorious Troll[/post_page_title]
While trolls are problematic most of the time, sometimes, they can be hilarious. Either because they are messing with known bad guys, or simply making a dull office environment more entertaining. Case in point...
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / Connie23]]
"I am alarmed." Yes, door. You are, indeed. Cute eyes by the way. This picture was captioned: "Possible troll in the office?"
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Hey, Steve![/post_page_title]
The great thing about language is that, depending on the context, some words have multiple meanings, which is the perfect opportunity for inventive humor, as this office worker gloriously demonstrated.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / briansolis]]
This picture was captioned: "Please do not print large Jobs. Or, by all means, please do!"
[[pagebreak]]
[post_page_title]These post-it notes[/post_page_title]
If we've learned one thing from this list, it's this: the cardinal office sin is stealing a coworker's food, but despite this, it seems to be a problem the world over.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / jimthehacksawduggan]]
This picture calling out multiple office fridge thefts was captioned: "The office fridge today." Now, if I worked here, I reckon I'd be asking HR to stage an intervention!
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]This historical device[/post_page_title]
Technology has changed astronomically in recent years, making office life, for most, a lot easier, which is why this phone, complete with a wire which would make its usage tricky, was subject to a hilarious passive-aggressive note.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / grindinghalt]]
This picture was captioned: "My office refuses to take down this non-operating antiquated piece of equipment, so I did the only logical thing."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Jesus is watching you...[/post_page_title]
When there is a large number of drinks seemingly on offer in an office, the temptation can be overwhelming. After all, who will notice when one goes missing? Well, the answer is Jesus. The son of God will notice.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Twitter / jesussaves]]
"Jesus stood and sad in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." This picture was captioned: "That's what Jesus said." Well, clearly he's not watching these office workers in the way they expected...
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The ketchup monster[/post_page_title]
Sometimes, passive-aggressive notes can borderline on aggressive and this is a prime example. The cheek! The boldness! AND THE KETCHUP!
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / Brodoor]]
This picture was captioned: "This is what happens when people submit passive-aggressive office memos where I work."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Complaints[/post_page_title]
While everyone should be open to criticism, some people take it a lot worse than others. In fact, they're willing to threaten death by bombing at the mere prospect of professional critique.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / LetsHaveKids]]
This picture was captioned: "The first thing I noticed about my dad's office." This is definitely enough to put any sane prospective employee off working here!
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]Logic[/post_page_title]
Most offices have more than one lunch because people tend to take a break around the same time. Where I work, it's typically between 1 and 2pm. That's why it's a good shout to have more than one microwave - so people can eat!
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / ThanksManagement]]
But not in this office, oh no. For some bizarre reason, despite having an electrical problem which prevents the use of more than one microwave at a time, they have two. This picture was captioned: "Break room logic."
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]The dishwasher isn't Brian[/post_page_title]
We've seen a lot of office theft on this list, but not so much when it comes to office laziness in the dishwashing department, so to emphasize that it too is an epidemic, here is another hilarious example in passive-aggressive note form.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: passiveaggressivenotes.com]]
This picture was captioned: "Note About The Middle-Aged Man Named Brian." Yeah, Brian must have been pushed one dish too far to write this, that's all I'm saying.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]This fiend[/post_page_title]
And last, but most certainly not least, is this absolutely vile creator who decided to cut an office cake in the most awkward way possible just to annoy their coworkers. All I'm saying is that they better have had a good reason!
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Reddit / cityslicker47]]
This picture was captioned: "Walked Into The Office Kitchen To Find This." Okay, yes, you can do what you want in an office, but as this list proves, it will not be without consequence - even if it comes in the form of a passive-aggressive note.