The 5 phrases at work that scare you to your core.

No matter what your job is, there are words we never want to hear come out of our boss' mouth. 

Whether a lawyer, a barista, a nurse or even a humble journalist (ahem), there are some simple but mighty phrases that really know how to get under our skin.

So after much deliberation with a few people around the office, we deduced the absolute scariest phrases managers have ever thrown our way.

Watch: What horrible bosses in the past have made us do. Post continues after video. 

Here are the top five (Just a disclaimer for my boss, and the many bosses out there that might be reading this... Take most of this in jest.)

"Can I just grab you for a quick chat?"

NonononononooonoonononoNONONONONONO "Yes. Sure! What's up?"

There's no real guarantee that you're going to get in trouble for something you probably forgot you did (or to do), but it doesn't stop you from recounting every single moment of your workday in your head.

Simply to figure out what your manager knows that you don't. 

Was the conversation with a colleague about the weekend too long? Should that toilet break have happened WITHOUT a phone in hand?

Usually, these quick chats don't have really anything to do with your work. But that doesn't stop us from fretting. 

"Hey! Where are you? Are you in the office yet?"

Sometimes we're late to work.

Or you are just having a yarn in the kitchen with a colleague, away from prying ears. 

The lunch break might have gone a little bit over the designated hour.

Either way, I'm away from my desk, Susan. Please leave me be. You're scaring me. 

"Do you mind running me through how you came to this?" 

No, I would very much not mind taking you through a step-by-step process of how I completely f**ked this up. 

Just tell me I'm wrong then tell me how to fix it. Because now I'm terrified I'm going to be hauled out of the office with a cardboard box in my hand and a security guard behind me. 

I can only get better with the guidance of an esteemed colleague, after all. 

"You'll be running this meeting!"

But I simply do not want to run this meeting.

Can I object? Hide in the bathroom? Leave work for a mental health day? 

Let me know now what I have to do to NOT make this happen because I not only have stage fright but also boss fright and I am TERRIFIED of disappointing you.

Also, despite being someone who talks a lot, I think I speak for everyone when I say that running a meeting has to be about the last thing I'd ever want to do... It's right up there with not wanting to be in this meeting at all.

(To my managers reading this, I really love and value all the hard work that you put into your teams to make sure that the day runs smoothly every day. I'm just joking. I promise. Also, can I get a pay rise?)

"I'd really like to go through the brief with you. Again."

There's something about a manager pulling you aside and telling you that you haven't quite nailed a work project by telling you that they need to go through the 'brief' again.

Because maybe I've missed something, but I don't think there is anything to go over?  

Can we take a recess? A rain-check, perhaps? Because I'm scared. 

TYVM.

Feature Image: 20th Century Fox.