Work Memes For Everyone Starting The Week Against Their Will
Updated on January 12, 2026
Monday arrives like it owns the place. You open your eyes, remember your calendar exists, and instantly start bargaining with the universe. So here are work memes for anyone easing into the week with zero enthusiasm and a full-body sigh.
Think office memes, Monday memes, and the kind of relatable memes that make you feel less alone while you pretend you’re “ready to circle back.”
35 Work Memes That Get The Week Started (Unfortunately)
The Peter Griffin “your 20s will be amazing” expectation vs reality image is basically a public health warning. Adulthood promised freedom. It delivered meetings and chronic fatigue. Work memes don’t lie. They just point and nod.
Then there’s the 6 AM mental math meme: waking up and calculating if you can call in sick again. That’s not laziness. That’s resource management. If you have sick days, your brain will try to treat them like coupons.
Ariel holding back a sarcastic scream is also painfully accurate. Sometimes you’re not being rude, you’re being heroic. The amount of restraint it takes to not say what you’re thinking at work deserves hazard pay.
David Rose reacting to a boss saying “we’re a family” is the anthem. Because office memes know what that line usually means: please donate your boundaries to the company store. The only acceptable response is skepticism and a slow blink.
Tom Hanks pointing at “Pay Me” is another one that should be printed and taped to every desk. More responsibilities without more money is just a plot twist nobody asked for. Relatable memes don’t fix capitalism, but they at least validate the rage.
And the Zoom camera grimace? Instant transformation from goblin to professional human. The camera request always lands when you’re at your least camera-ready, like the meeting host has a sixth sense for sweatpants.
If you want more “why is this my life” energy: 25 Office Memes For People With Resting Work Face, 32 Monday Memes That Feel Like A Warning, and 40 Relatable Memes That Could’ve Been Email.
Laura Bennett writes like she’s smoothing your hair, handing you coffee, and quietly reminding you that work is not your personality.
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Laura Bennett has spent eight years immersed in internet culture, specializing in deep dives into meme origins, evolving meme trends, and digital subcultures. As a contributor for several prominent online platforms, including BuzzFeed’s meme division and Know Your Meme, she’s written extensively about viral moments from Crying Jordan to Woman Yelling at a Cat. Laura believes memes aren't just internet jokes—they're modern-day folklore. She brings that passion to Thunder Dungeon by keeping readers connected to what's culturally significant, hilarious, and timelessly viral.
