Ten weird things your boss has asked you to do
The Globe and Mail asked readers about the strangest things an employer has requested of them. Here's what some of them had to say:
"I had to babysit her cats, with specific instructions: They drink only bottled water and I had to clean the bowls twice a day because they love fresh water. And I needed to talk with them so they would not feel sad. Of course, she paid me well." -- Donaji, 32, Toronto
"My boss would ask me to enquire with the airlines as to what movies were going to be played on the flights I had booked for him. To maintain my sanity, I would just make up a fictitious title every time." -- Wendy, Toronto
"In an interview, I had to sing a nursery rhyme and then explain the meaning. I chose 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat,' and didn't get the job." -- Jessica, 24, Toronto
"I was asked to go down to The Globe and Mail box when a client was on the ROB cover to borrow the sign advertising the issue from the front of the box. It was Vancouver. It was raining. People stopped to ask me if I should be borrowing the sign, and I promised strangers I'd bring it back. I did." -- Jenn, 36, TorontoThe Globe and Mail
"On my third day of working at a hardware store, my boss asked me to wheel a barbecue all the way up a hill and across a busy street to a neighboring restaurant. It was a donation for a prize draw, and I got a free pizza out of doing it, but it was on odd way to start a job." -- Sean, 23, Waterloo, Ont.
"I was asked to pose as media to get back-stage passes to a Boyz II Men concert for a client." -- Jay, 25 Toronto
"My boss asked me to wash his truck. I was an accountant." -- Jessica, 33, B.C.
"I was working as a graphic designer for a charity. My boss asked me to be in a photo shoot for an ad dressed as a superhero." -- Edmond, 29, Calgary
"I was asked to cook the books so a certain organization could continue to get more federal and provincial funding. After pointing out this would put me offside my professional code of conduct, I was let go." -- Jim, 46, Edmonton
"I was asked to pay for the drinks at a company-sponsored party and claim the expenses on an expense report -- this despite the fact it was totally against company policy." -- V.P.M., 50, Toronto