Throughout nine seasons, the workers of Dunder Mifflin Scranton went from a laughing stock to one of the most lucrative branches within the company. The ironic part about Scranton beating other branches is that it was poorly managed and, quite frankly, dangerous at times.
Between the pranks Dwight and Jim pulled on each other and the dangerous stunts Michael pulled every week, devastation was bound to happen. Funny enough, little reprimanding was done when fireable offenses were pulled, leading to even more offenses. But which fireable moment was the worst? Keep scrolling to see which unlawful act was the worst on The Office.
Dwight & Angela Slept Together At Work
Sleeping with another co-worker at work—while on the job—is in no way tolerable. In an ethics course with Holly and Michael, Dunder Mifflin learned that hanging out by the water cooler was stealing company time. Or in other words, theft. So, sleeping with another co-worker while on the clock was definitely a no-no. Angela and Dwight slept together multiple times throughout the workday when she was engaged to Andy.
Holly and Michael even slept together in the stairwell and forgot to lock the door when they were done, which led to a break-in! And while sleeping with a co-worker on the clock is pretty bad, is it the worst? Not yet...
Andy Punched A Hole In The Wall
Andy Bernard had some serious anger management issues. We saw the first of many outbursts when he was still at Stamford after Jim put his stapler in Jell-O but the worst was yet to come. Andy punched a hole in the wall twice while working, making many of his co-workers feel unsafe.
Visitors may have laughed at Andy's outbursts but imagine being someone who sat near Andy, like Phyllis or Angela? Physical altercations have no place in the workplace (including Pam slapping Michael).
Andy Didn't Show Up To Work For Three Months
Oh, Andy. Not only did he bail out on going to work for a week to bring Erin back to Scranton from Florida but he also played hookie from work for three months. After his dad took his family's earnings and fled the scene, Andy and his brother decided to sail their family boat one last time before it was sold.
He sailed to the Caribbean without telling David Wallace or keeping Scranton updated. This led to the branch managing itself with Andy getting all the credit. Having a meltdown and leaving for three months without telling upper-management is totally fireable but Wallace felt like he owed him one...
Meredith Exchanged Sex For Discounts
When Holly and Michael were giving a lecture on ethics in the workplace, Meredith admitted to trading her body for discounts on products. Michael thought Meredith's actions were naughty but humorous.
Holly, on the other hand, tried getting Meredith fired for the exchange but it never happened. Dunder Mifflin fell on hard financial times and they welcomed the discount regardless of how it was achieved.
Meredith Drank On The Job
Meredith was in charge of supplier relations, so she wasn't involved with too many of the show's antics because she wasn't apart of the sales or accounting teams. Meredith's shining moments occurred whenever the office got together for social events, especially for holidays and birthdays. She admitted to having a drinking problem and drank at the office on numerous occasions.
We saw her passed out with an empty cup on her desk, she lit her hair on fire after having too much to drink at the office Christmas party, and she threw herself at her boss and the other employees. Alcohol brought out the worst in Meredith, especially on office property.
Kevin Made Up A Number When Things Didn't Make Sense
After nine seasons of seeing Kevin in the accounting department, it's shocking that he wasn't fired earlier. With three people in the accounting department, Angela and Oscar did most of the work while mocking Kevin for being useless.
Although Kevin was eventually fired in the ninth season when Dwight became the regional manager, he made it through all those years using something he called a "keleven." This was a made-up number Kevin used to make numbers add up when he was stuck... As an accountant for a large paper company, making up numbers could have gotten him jail time.
Michael Sexually Assaulted Oscar
Michael's naivety was at an all-time high when he outed Oscar before he was ready. After years of slurs and crude remarks, Oscar finally had enough courage and stood up for himself. Sadly, Michael had no idea that Oscar was gay or that the things he was saying were even offensive. To prove he supported Oscar and his sexuality, he tried kissing him in the conference room in front of everyone.
Oscar did not ask for the kiss and was mortified afterward. To ensure Oscar didn't file a lawsuit, Jan gave him three months vacation for his silence but nothing happened to Michael for his misconduct.
Dwight Intentionally Started A Fire (And Panic)
After Dwight's fire safety meeting didn't go as planned, Dwight wanted to prove to his colleagues that they should have been paying attention. He cut the phone lines, locked all the doors, and threw a cigarette in the trashcan. He also heated the door handles, making them hot to the touch.
The entire ordeal was so traumatic for Dunder Mifflin that Stanley had a heart attack! Causing panic and a fire that could have killed people deserved more than a slap on the hand.
Dwight Shot Stanley With A Tranquilizer Gun
When Stanley ignored Dwight's plea to go on a sales call, Dwight warned him that he would shoot him with a tranquilizer if he didn't agree. Stanley stood his ground and what did Dwight do? He shot him three times with tranquilizers big enough to take down a bull.
What's worse is when Dwight finally got Stanley tranquilized, he wrapped him up in bubble wrap and threw him down the stairs!
Dwight Shot A Gun In The Office
Dwight clearly spent too much time on the farm because he was far too trigger happy in the office. He shot Stanley in the chest with a bull tranquilizer and shot a loaded gun in the office that made Andy temporarily deaf!
Dwight's gun-happy ways were tainted when Jo heard about the incident and demoted Dwight but in all honesty, shooting a loaded gun in an office environment is more than a fireable offense — accidental or not.