What happens when a car vending machine turns into a nightmare, a haunted hotel has guests convinced they're not alone, and a startup CEO vanishes overnight leaving employees to deal with the fallout? On Episode 9 of I Used To Work There, we've packed together one of our wildest lineups yet. From fast food pranks that unexpectedly change a life to one of the strangest things an employee has ever taken after being fired, mistaken identities, ghosts, helicopters, near disasters, and one unforgettable workplace mystery, these are the real stories people still can't believe happened at work.

Every story you hear on I Used To Work There comes from real people and real workplaces because the truth is almost always stranger than fiction. Whether you've had a terrible boss, an unbelievable customer, a paranormal experience, or a day at work you'll never forget, this show is built around stories just like yours. If you're enjoying the show, please follow us on your favorite podcast app and leave us a 5 star rating, especially on Apple Podcasts.

🎙️ Have a story? You can submit it two ways.

Pull out your phone, open the Voice Memos app, tell us what happened, and email your recording to HR@IUsedToWorkThere.com.

Prefer to be interviewed? Submit the guest intake form here: https://form.jotform.com/260164378157057

Both voice memo submissions and interview submissions are eligible. All stories with a signed guest release submitted before July 31st will be entered into our Employee of the Month story competition for a chance to win $500 USD and be featured on a future episode.

🚗 Title Sponsor

I Used To Work There is proudly brought to you by Atlas Elite Lifts.

Building car lifts so cool they would make Batman jealous, Atlas Elite Lifts delivers premium automotive lifting solutions for home garages, professional shops, and serious automotive enthusiasts across North America.

Whether you're restoring classics, wrenching on weekend projects, or running a professional service facility, Atlas Elite Lifts has a lift built for the job.

Learn more at www.atlaselitelifts.com.

What do a business trip to South Korea, a fake phone booth, an entire workplace quitting before someone's first shift, a Russian liquor store, and a Hollywood movie shoot mistaken for a real gunfight have in common? They all happened to real people, and they're all waiting for you in Episode 8 of I Used To Work There. From laugh-out-loud moments to stories that will have you shaking your head in disbelief, this is one of our strongest episodes yet. The truth really can be stranger than fiction.

Before you go, we need your help in three simple ways:

First, submit your true workplace story for our Employee of the Month Story Competition. Stories submitted between June 15th and July 31st, 2026 are eligible. Just record your story as a voice memo, email it to HR@IUsedToWorkThere.com, and complete the guest release for your chance to win $500 USD and have your story featured on the show.

Second, please hit Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Third, if you’re enjoying I Used To Work There, please leave us a 5-star rating and written review on Apple Podcasts.

Those three things help us find new stories, reach new listeners, and keep growing this incredible community.

🚗 Title Sponsor

I Used To Work There is proudly brought to you by Atlas Elite Lifts.

Building car lifts so cool they would make Batman jealous, Atlas Elite Lifts delivers premium automotive lifting solutions for home garages, professional shops, and serious automotive enthusiasts across North America.

Whether you're restoring classics, wrenching on weekend projects, or running a professional service facility, Atlas Elite Lifts has a lift built for the job.

Learn more at www.atlaselitelifts.com.

What do a construction worker chained inside a porta potty, a photographer who accidentally destroyed a $90,000 movie prop, a haunted church, and a Canadian trapped in Belarus have in common? They're all part of another unforgettable shift on I Used To Work There. In this episode, you'll hear eight incredible stories from real people who lived them, including a habanero pepper disaster that went horribly wrong, a government-funded porn inspection job, a gas station customer nobody could forget, a Blockbuster theft unlike anything you've ever heard, and a business trip that turned into a three-week international survival mission.

Before we get started, I also want to say thank you. The support for this show has been absolutely unbelievable. In just a few short months, we've grown into a Quill Award-winning podcast, welcomed thousands of new listeners, and built an incredible community of storytellers from around the world. It's been a wild ride so far, and we're not even at Episode 10 yet.

I Used To Work There is a listener-driven show built entirely around the stories you never forget. If you're enjoying the podcast, please hit Follow on Apple Podcasts and leave a review telling us what you love most about the show. Your support helps more people discover these incredible stories. And if you've got a work story you'll never forget, we'd love to hear it. Send your story to HR@iusedtoworkthere.com for a chance to be featured on a future episode.

We'll see you next shift.

🚗 Title Sponsor

I Used To Work There is proudly brought to you by Atlas Elite Lifts.

Building car lifts so cool they would make Batman jealous, Atlas Elite Lifts delivers premium automotive lifting solutions for home garages, professional shops, and serious automotive enthusiasts across North America.

Whether you're restoring classics, wrenching on weekend projects, or running a professional service facility, Atlas Elite Lifts has a lift built for the job.

Learn more at www.atlaselitelifts.com.

Episode 6 of I Used To Work There is complete workplace chaos from start to finish. This week’s Day Shift brings the lighter insanity, including a Valentine’s prank email that somehow ends in HR, a wildly inappropriate duck call video accidentally sent to the wrong company, a first-year teacher whose classroom movie causes a student to pass out cold, a shutdown engineer who becomes the victim of a fart machine prank during an oil and gas turnover meeting, a firing that spirals into someone threatening to press charges for “assault on my boots,” and a Zoom classroom disaster that goes completely off the rails during the COVID era.

Then Night Shift takes things into darker and stranger territory with a legendary Vancouver breakfast shift that ends with a waitress completely snapping and throwing a fistful of wet rice at a customer, a journalist nearly crushed by a falling light inside a building connected to tragedy, and one of the most emotional stories we’ve ever featured on the show: a deeply personal shared death experience that changed one man’s understanding of grief, connection, and life itself. From hilarious workplace disasters to moments that genuinely challenge how we understand the world around us, Episode 6 may be the most unforgettable episode yet.

And to all of our new listeners discovering the show this week, welcome to I Used To Work There. Make sure to hit follow on Apple Podcasts so you never miss a future episode. We release brand new episodes every two weeks, and trust us, we have a lot more stories coming.

Got a story of your own? We can't wait to hear it! Pull out your phone, open your voice recorder app, record your story as a voice memo, and send it to HR@iusedtoworkthere.com. Funny, wild, awkward, scary, dark, or completely unexplainable, if it happened at work, we want to hear it.

Leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-used-to-work-there/id1885381849

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Et8lbPWYDUWBBkulwAmgP

Episode 5 of I Used To Work There is complete chaos from start to finish. This week’s Day Shift brings the lighter workplace insanity, including a bachelor party thrown inside an office building, a haircut on company time, and the moment rain literally started pouring into Kelly’s office mid-interview.

Then Night Shift takes things into much wilder territory with a Russian train ride involving KGB security and army jeeps, an exploding tablet during a corporate meeting, a heartfelt Paul McCartney security story, and a business trip that somehow escalates into VIP parties, private jets, and a flight to Switzerland that sounds straight out of The Wolf of Wall Street. From hilarious office disasters to surreal international moments that genuinely sound made up, Episode 5 might be the wildest collection of work stories yet.

Got a story of your own? We can't wait to hear it!

Send your story to HR@iusedtoworkthere.com and we will get you onto the show.

Leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-used-to-work-there/id1885381849

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Et8lbPWYDUWBBkulwAmgP

Episode 4 of I Used To Work There delivers one of the most dynamic mixes of stories yet, blending chaos, humor, and moments that feel almost too wild to be real. From a shocking late-night call involving an employee who’s been shot at a 7-Eleven, to a Christmas party karaoke performance that nearly derailed a career, this episode captures the unpredictable reality of the workplace. You’ll also hear what happens when someone gets locked out of their house barefoot in the middle of a live Zoom meeting, along with stories of stranded workers, unexpected hires, and the kinds of situations no training ever prepares you for.

As the episode builds, the tone shifts from light and relatable to intense and unforgettable, culminating in one of the craziest stories told on the show so far. These are real experiences from real people, told exactly as they happened, and they highlight just how unpredictable work life can be. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the shock, or the relatability, Episode 4 is a reminder that sometimes the most unbelievable stories are the ones that actually happened.

Got a story? Tell it. Email HR@iusedtoworkthere.com. We will get you onto a future episode!

Episode 3 of I Used To Work There delivers a full lineup of unforgettable Day Shift stories that prove the workplace is anything but predictable. From a wild jobsite encounter that turns into a full-on beaver chase, to a moment caught on camera that no one saw coming, these stories bring the kind of chaos, humor, and “you can’t make this up” energy that defines the show. Along the way, you’ll hear about workplace bets gone wrong, jobsite challenges that push people to their limits, and the kind of everyday moments that somehow turn into lifelong stories.

But this episode doesn’t just stay in the chaos. It balances the laughter with a powerful, feel-good story of a community rallying around a family with identical quadruplets, showing the human side of work and life. And just when you think you’ve heard it all, the episode closes with a story about losing a job that takes an unexpected and unforgettable turn, reminding us that even in the toughest moments, there’s always room for perspective, humor, and a story worth telling.

Got a story from your job you’ve never told out loud? Submit it to hr@iusedtoworkthere.com

Episode 2 of I Used To Work There brings together a mix of unbelievable moments that prove just how unpredictable life at work can be. What starts as a simple shift serving tables turns into a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to sail through the Greek islands. A routine day on the job suddenly escalates into a full-blown police chase, complete with chaos, confusion, and split-second decisions. And in another story, a workplace interaction crosses a line that no one should ever have to experience, revealing how quickly a professional environment can become deeply uncomfortable.

These stories highlight the extremes of working life, from incredible opportunities to intense, high-stakes moments to situations that demand courage and action. They’re a reminder that the people we meet, the choices we make, and the environments we’re in can shape us in ways we never expect. Some moments stay with you because they’re unbelievable. Others stay with you because they change you.

Have a story of your own? We want to hear it. Send us a short summary of your experience to HR@iusedtoworkthere.com and someone will be in touch with an intake form.