Every workplace has them.
The manipulators.
The credit stealers.
The emotional vampires.
The leaders who create fear instead of trust.
These toxic coworkers don’t just make work annoying — they make it exhausting.
In this growing Office Bantomime series, we break down the funniest (and most painfully accurate) toxic workplace personalities you’ll recognise instantly.
Whether it’s the fake boss, the narcissist, the workplace bully, or the passive-aggressive victim, these archetypes show how office culture can turn dark… and hilarious.
Explore the characters below — and learn how to survive them.
Toxic Coworker Archetypes You’ll Recognise Instantly
Acts Like Your Boss Bethany: The Coworker Who Thinks She Runs the Team
Acts Like Your Boss Bethany is the coworker who manages meetings, monitors performance and assigns tasks — despite having no authority. Discover the red flags of the unofficial office boss.
James Mason
HR Karen: The Office Archetype Everyone Secretly Fears
Meet HR Karen — the office enforcer who lives for policy, paperwork, and “informal chats” that turn very formal. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
James Mason
Office Bully Brad: The Terrifying Workplace Villain You Can’t Avoid
Office Bully Brad is the workplace villain who bullied his way from playground terror to Head of Service Delivery. A hilarious, relatable look at the office tyrant everyone fears.
James Mason
Office Paranoid Pamela – The Colleague Who Thinks Everyone Is Out to Get Her
Paranoid Pamela lives in constant fear of HR plots, management surveillance, and corporate conspiracies. Every whisper is a threat and every typo a downfall in her mind.
James Mason
Office Short Syndrome Saleem – The CEO Who’s 5ft 2 But Claims 5ft 9
Office Short Syndrome Saleem is the 5ft 2 CEO who claims he’s 5ft 9, avoids tall colleagues, walks ahead of everyone, and uses stools, lifts, and ego to feel a little taller at work.
James Mason
Meet Office Two-Faced Tara – The Co-Worker With Two Settings: Sweet or Snake
Two-Faced Tara can’t be trusted. Sweet to your face, savage behind your back, she’ll use you, praise you, then throw you under the bus before you’ve finished your morning coffee.
James Mason
Related Office Archetypes
👉 Read the full Office Archetypes guide
50 Funny Coworkers You’ll Recognise Instantly (Office Archetypes Guide)
Explore Office Bantomime’s Office Archetypes — dark workplace characters reimagined as action figures, with red flags, signs, and survival tips.
James Mason
Think You Work With Toxic Coworkers?
Take our workplace quizzes and discover which office personalities surround you.
Are You the Idiot in the Office? Take the Ultimate Funny Workplace Quiz
Think you’re the sharpest tool in the office drawer? Take the “Are You the Idiot in the Office?” mock exam and find out if you’re the genius—or the reason the IT team drinks early.
James Mason