Failures and mistakes, relationship friction, duty and responsibility, increased pressure and ticking clocks, ego-related conflict

So much time is spent at work; it makes sense that this environment is packed with opportunities for conflict. This entry explores the various ways a character might screw up professionally. For ideas on more general conflict scenarios due to a character's thoughtlessness or lapse in common sense, see HAVING POOR JUDGMENT.

The character being unprepared for an important interview or meeting
Misreading the room and saying something at a staff party that the character later regrets
Drafting a private email and accidentally hitting "Reply to All"
Missing the signs of a minor problem and it turning into a serious situation
Sending inappropriate photos to co-workers or fellow students
Sharing personal information that becomes fodder for the rumor mill
Leaving a job without having another plan in place
Hiring someone who robs the company or damages its reputation
Overestimating the company's growth and approving expenditures the business couldn't afford
Partnering with the wrong person
Getting romantically involved with a boss or employee
Not researching a vendor's reputation before engaging them on behalf of the company
The facility being robbed because the character forgot to set the alarm system
Behaving unethically or criminally
Taking a bribe to look the other way
The character overestimating their skills and committing to a project they can't complete
Getting caught sabotaging a rival within the company 
The character stealing someone's idea and passing it off as their own

Having to take ownership of the mistake
Being removed from a prized or promising project
Having to extract oneself from an unhealthy relationship
Becoming the subject of office gossip
Being asked to step down from a committee for public relations purposes
Having to work with people the character has wronged
Putting in extra hours to make the situation right
Having to follow a new protocol or have certain decisions reviewed 
The character having to tell loved ones about what they've done