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17 Of The Funniest Requests, Resumes and Complaints Received by HRs

There are a dime a dozen jokes about HR managers and their roles. But their role is not just about planning the next offsite. From workforce planning to compensation management, the human resource department handles a wide range of activities.

In recent years, their role has evolved from an administrative support system to a strategic partner. What hasn’t changed, however, are the kinds of requests that HR managers receive.

From mildly funny to absolutely ludicrous, this list of the funniest requests* received by HR managers will surely tickle everyone's funny bone, including HRs themselves.

*All responses have been sourced from different Quora threads and Reddit channels and edited for brevity and clarity.

Let’s take a look:

A case(s) of miscommunication

There can easily be errors in the written word, especially typos. However, in certain cases, when a language is not an individual’s first language, they may write something that means the opposite of what they intend. Like it happened in these cases:

The importance of the comma

"Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave..."

A marriage fit for Game of Thrones?

“As I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave...”

Taking the responsibility

“As my mother-in-law has expired, and I am the only one responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave."

The devil is in the (resume) details

HRs are the keepers of employee records, usually chasing employees for important information. But what happens when they receive information they never asked for in the first place?

There’s such a thing as too much information

“Had a guy send me his 100-page dissertation instead of his PhD transcripts (PhD was a requirement for the position). Also, his resume was 45 pages.”

Singing the job goodbye

“I was recruiting for a hotel and interviewed a man for a Front Desk Agent position. His resume was good. The phone interview was solid. I schedule him in for an interview with the owner later that week. The man shows up to the interview with a guitar and asks if he can play for us. The owner says no and then asks the man what his name is—he confirms that we are interviewing the right person. The man then says that he would prefer to be called “Mr. Bojangles.”

Gaming is a skill set

“Please see my attached credentials, and you will notice that I am highly qualified for this job. It was a list of Xbox games they owned.”

Always check your attachments

“Had a guy last year who applied with the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) with a speeding ticket instead of his resume.”

A+ for confidence

“Applicant in his 30s applying for a mid-management role. Achievements: silver medal for 200m high school race. Not even gold!”

Is honesty the best policy?

“During a phone screening for a technical position, the candidate told me he was looking for a role that required a “medium amount” of work.”

One for the complaints!

The HR department is used to receiving and resolving complaints. But what about the complaint that has no solution?

Professional complaint for personal purchase

“An employee wanted to lodge a complaint against a colleague who had a new TV delivered to the office instead of home. The employee thought her colleague spending money on the TV was irresponsible.”

Heels are not for walking

“My favorite was an Executive Assistant who stated that, because she wears heels to work, she couldn't walk to the new copier and requested that a reasonable accommodation would be to replace the printer she had in her office.”

Staple a label on it

"The stapler on my desk is not 'my' stapler; someone switched it."

No name calling

“A woman called herself bitch, and another employee reported her for insulting an employee. Yes, the actual complaint stated she called herself bitchy.”

‘IT’ is not an HR problem - or is it?

“Every day, HR receives tickets from employees with IT issues: “Dear HR department, This website is not loading; it gives me errors. Please fix it.”

Following rules is not copying work

“I had a woman working a production line complain that everyone was copying her work. They were all tasked with packaging the same objects and given the same training on how to do it, so…”

It’s a fishy situation

“Employee threatened to file a discrimination lawsuit because as a pescatarian she should be allowed to microwave fish in the break room.”

Slipping in those complaints

“I had an employee come and give me a very long-winded complaint about how the bathroom floor is slippery when it's wet.”

These requests make one thing clear—being an HR is no cakewalk. Have you received any such requests? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

How are HRs, Students and Colleges looking at the current hiring landscape? Find their views and actionable insights through the Unstop Talent Report 2024.

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Srishti Magan

Sr. Content Editor

I’m a reader first and a writer second, constantly diving into the world of content. If I’m not writing or reading, I like watching movies and dreaming of a life by the beach.