'Bet Your Dog's Missing You': Company Faces Flak For Mocking Employees With 'Insensitive' Welcome Back Signs

A Canadian company is facing criticism for displaying 'insensitive' and 'inappropriate' welcome back signs in its office building.

With COVID-19 restrictions loosening across Canada, many businesses have been welcoming employees back to the office. However, one company's plan to greet employees with three 'tone-deaf' signs is anything but welcoming.

Twitter/@audrawilliams

Employees returning to work at the office of Oxford Properties, a Toronto-based real estate investment firm, were greeted by signs that seemed to mock them for no longer being able to work from home.

The series of signs were photographed in the building's lobby, with building owner Oxford Properties logo prominently featured.

The pictures were shared to Twitter by user Audra Williams on Monday (March 7) and quickly went viral.

In the lobby of an office building in Toronto. I guess to make sure employees are flooded with resentment the instant they walk in the door? pic.twitter.com/oWUDofGvzK

¡ª Audra Williams (@audrawilliams) March 7, 2022

"In the lobby of an office building in Toronto. I guess to make sure employees are flooded with resentment the instant they walk in the door?" Williams wrote.

¡°Miss your sweatpants yet?¡± one of the signs reads. ¡°Bet your dog is missing you,¡± reads another that has a photo of a very sad-looking pup.

The images were first posted on Reddit by 1esproc on Sunday. According to the user, these signs were seen at RBC WaterPark Place, located at 20 Bay Street in downtown Toronto.

Oxford Properties confirmed to Daily Hive that it had placed the signs there as part of a campaign.

¡°With COVID-19 restrictions easing across Ontario, and an associated uptick in occupancy, signage was displayed to welcome customers back to our building,¡± the company said.

¡°Unfortunately, in an attempt to be lighthearted, the signage came off as uncaring, which was never our intention. The signage clearly missed the mark and was removed last week as a result. The campaign should have not made it into production and we sincerely apologize to any customers, colleagues, and members of the public that were offended.¡±

Their response may have come too late as social media users lambasted the company saying the signs are in poor taste and mock workers.

I don¡¯t even work here and I quit. https://t.co/sXkVmvN43o

¡ª Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith) March 7, 2022

would love to see the ones they didn¡¯t use!! ¡°your child thinks you¡¯ve abandoned them at daycare forever¡± etc https://t.co/B7h6tldME6

¡ª amy brown (@arb) March 7, 2022

the dog one alone would make me rage-quit on the spot https://t.co/B55sVQHZqE

¡ª shauna (@goldengateblond) March 7, 2022

According to its website, Oxford Properties¡¯ Toronto office is not located at RBC WaterPark Place, but in the EY Tower on 100 Adelaide Street West.

RBC WaterPark Place appears to be on the list of properties it manages.

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