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Ten most awkward office moments

Ten most awkward office moments

BHF reveals new statistics for its Raise Funds Your Way campaign. Workers across the UK have revealed what they think are the top 10 most socially awkward situations that inevitably happen to us at work, as part of the British Heart Foundation’s new Raise Funds Your Way campaign to get workplaces fundraising to fight heart disease. 

No matter where you work, there’s always going to be those uncomfortable moments you just can’t escape from. From mild mishaps to excruciatingly embarrassing encounters, the BHF poll reveals what ranked highest in our list of the most cringe-worthy office situations which have come to form part of the daily grind. Top of the list was spilling something down your clothes moments before an important meeting (22 percent), followed by accidentally clicking reply all to a private email (20 percent). Making small talk at the tea point came in third (17 percent) followed by that tricky moment when your boss calls you the wrong name and you don’t know whether to correct them (17 percent). 

Some of these awkward encounters might be explained by the fact that a third (33 percent) of people surveyed confessed they don’t know the names of some of their colleagues even though they work in the same office, while well over a quarter (29 percent) were guilty of not knowing what many of their fellow employees actually do. Some even go to extraordinary lengths to avoid uneasy situations with colleagues by taking a different lift, eating their lunch at their desk or even taking an entirely different route home from work.

The BHF is calling on workers across the UK to avoid these socially awkward situations and get to know their colleagues better by holding a fundraising event at work and raising funds your way for life saving research. Close to half (44 percent) of adults polled said fundraising in the workplace was a great way to break down barriers and get to know colleagues, while 41 percent said it helps boost staff morale. Every year thousands of workplaces across the UK choose to support the BHF, and bring together teams to raise vital funds with events such as coffee mornings and cake bakes to lunchtime walks and dress down days.

Luke Mallet, Head of Community Fundraising at the BHF, said:“We’ve all had to endure those uncomfortable everyday work moments where you just don’t know what to do or say in front of your colleagues. But fundraising at work is a fantastic way to build relationships with other employees and break down those barriers. “So grab your colleagues and put those awkward moments to bed by raising funds your way to help us power more life-saving discoveries in the fight for every heartbeat.Every pound raised will play a crucial role in transforming the lives of the seven million people living with heart and circulatory disease.” www.bhf.org.uk/yourway

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