Summary
- Working at Paddy’s Pub is a safety risk, with terrible disasters always looming and newcomers becoming victims of the gang’s gruesome tasks.
- The White Lotus Hotels may offer beautiful scenery, but employees constantly get roped into toxic situations and endure torture from guests.
- The workplace at The Office may have fun antics, but the monotonous and bleak atmosphere, intense office politics, and a micromanaging manager make it a frustrating environment.
Dramas and sitcoms alike have romanticized the workplace, but in reality, some of television’s most famous workplaces would be terrible places to clock in. Even the zaniest and most absurd series like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Parks and Recreation, or The Office can create a sense of sentimentality toward their iconic sets, potentially prompting viewers to consider what their lives would be like in similar situations. While the gags and humor may seem appealing, there are major drawbacks to each location.
A workplace drama or comedy can momentarily take viewers out of their own lives, imagining an environment that’s exciting and romantic. Many companies in television shows are filled with eccentric, enjoyable characters and tend to have tender and heart-warming moments, with employees creating beautiful bonds. Though, in many of these situations, the bad may outweigh the good.
10 Springfield Nuclear Plant – The Simpsons
Beyond whatever moral or environmental issues one may have with the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, working at any location where Homer Simpson is the safety inspector is an expedited ticket to danger. Not to mention, Mr. Burns is essentially a billionaire supervillain who has death traps in his office for anyone who displeases him. The Nuclear Plant’s only benefits seem to be that everyone constantly gets away with not working, no job experience or education is required to work there, and there are always donuts in the break room. Homer Simpson’s salary isn’t high enough to merit working there.
9 Pawnee Parks Department – Parks And Recreation
The Pawnee Parks Department in Parks and Recreation has so many distinct and eccentric characters that the workplace could seem fun. However, these lively personalities often lead to dramatic conflicts, and demands from the local community and bureaucratic bodies would accumulate to too many outside sources affecting day-to-day work. The Parks and Rec characters have each done terrible things, and these unpredictable personalities would make for a workplace where an employee constantly has to fear for their job stability.
8 Dunder Mifflin – The Office
The Office cast of Dunder Mifflin gets up to some fun antics, but the overall work environment seems monotonous and bleak. Intense office politics are happening between characters like Michael, Dwight, and Jim that employees would have to navigate, and Michael Scott isn’t an ideal manager. He doesn’t understand how the company works, yet still seeks to micromanage and force his hand in situations that don’t pertain to him. For an employee just trying to make it to 5 p.m., his behavior could get aggravating very quickly.
7 The Bear – The Bear
Carmy’s Chicago-based restaurant may be one of the more endearing TV locations to work at, as The Bear has many likable characters. The restaurant has a beautiful found-family aspect and the staff all seem to genuinely care about each other. The main downside of working at The Bear would be the risk of deteriorating mental health due to the stress levels. The pressure at the restaurant would be extraordinarily high due to the lack of resources and the kitchen is constantly filled with screaming and profanity. As likable as Carmy is, he’s still learning how to be a leader.
6 The Girlie Show – 30 Rock
30 Rock presents an endearing workplace over time, but the series overall is a satire on the ridiculous nature of the entertainment industry. The show explores how difficult the industry is to navigate, with the artistic integrity of the writers’ room constantly at odds with corporate demands. Working at TGS would require the employee to deal with eccentric characters and highly unconventional workplace demands, be it rushing to Yankee Stadium to pick up nachos or something far more nefarious.
5 Waystar Royco – Succession
Succession’s Waystar Royco may be a prestigious company that would have career opportunities but the moral bankruptcy of working at the news conglomerate would be too much to handle. Jess is the perfect example of a character with a prospering career who realizes she couldn’t work for a company like Waystar after the events of “America Decides.” Being complicit in a propaganda engine would take a toll on many employees. Even the top-level millionaire board members at Waystar Royco have to deal with constant verbal abuse and the awful antics of the Roy family. There’s no worthwhile position working for the Roys.
4 Los Pollos Hermanos – Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad’s Los Pollos Hermanos seems to actually have a healthy work environment, with Gustavo Fring’s outward upstanding citizen persona making him a pretty sweet manager, even if it is just part of a facade. The main risk of being a Los Pollos Hermanos employee would be showing up on the wrong day and being in the crossfire of criminal activity. There are cartel members and drug lords like Walter White showing up, and at one point the restaurant even gets blown up.
3 The Krusty Krab – SpongeBob SquarePants
Working for a man as greedy as Mr. Krabs would be miserable. He’s shamelessly greedy and is far more involved with the day-to-day happenings of his business than someone like Mr. Burns. Dealing with him and SpongeBob on top of demanding customers would surely lead to a high-stress work environment. Not to mention, the rivalry between Mr. Krabs and Plankton could prompt some dangerous situations for the employees at either of their restaurants.
2 The White Lotus Hotels – The White Lotus
The White Lotus hotel chain has had terrible luck with guest incidents, and working at one might not be so fun despite the beautiful scenery. The hotel employees constantly get roped into toxic situations, like Kai or Armond in season 1 or Giuseppe the pianist in season 2. The White Lotus employees are at the mercy of the guests, and no luxurious view or handsome tip could make the torture they’ve gone through worthwhile.
1 Paddy’s Pub – It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Paddy’s Pub is without a doubt the worst workplace on TV. The It’s Always Sunny characters don’t have a great rapport with newcomers, and it’s possible that a new employee would find their life ruined in a matter of hours. Even if they survived the initial encounters, a new member would be forced to carry out the most gruesome tasks while the rest of the gang sits around and drinks. Working at Paddy’s Pub would be a safety risk, knowing that terrible disasters could occur at any moment, be it from Charlie’s janky janitorial work or a conflict with the side character of the week.
