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I agree with this list. While I am sure quite a few out there have no qualms about discussing these things at work, I never talk about these sort of things. Maybe in terms of current events I have no problems discussing what happened, but I never discuss my political views and all. I never discuss salary either (which someone on this forum thought nothing wrong about that). I like to keep to myself and just engage in harmless banter about sports or movies and things of that sort.
Meh. Depends on how close your office personnel is. Definitely never talk about money, but the rest? I think it's okay as long as the office has a family type of atmosphere.
I'm really lucky to have been in my career for 25 years and worked with a bunch of assclowns in the past, in big production-like settings with no privacy and lots of cliques. Now I am working with the best of the best, on an unbelievable product that will change how our users do their jobs, in a small office with less than 10 people, and we are very tight-knit. I couldn't be happier right now where I am career-wise, but if I hadn't worked in the crappy jobs, I wouldn't appreciate what I have right now. Food for thought.
If I knew one guy had a stay at home wife, was helping out his parents and had a few kids and a second guy who I knew nothing at all about non-work related. If layoffs happen and both were equal workers it would be hard to lay off guy I knew more in detail and how important the job is.
This actually happened to a guy I know. He was single lived at home and when layoffs happened his was picked. He complained he was about to get engaged to his girlfriend and they started looking a places to buy and the layoff is going to impact him.
I knew his boss and all he said it was young single guy living at home zero expenses vs a married guy with a stay at home wife and kids to support. He had a small team of workers and all were pretty good. No bad workers, he had to pick someone. In this case I still think he did the right thing. But if guy opened his mouth he may have kept job and someone else would have got laid off.
The basic rule for what can be discussed is: Is it like the weather?
The reason we can discuss the weather is because it's a common factor for everyone. If it's raining today, it's raining on all of us, and we can all commiserate on the problems caused by rain.
There are some similar issues. Everyone who is a parent can commiserate on the teen ager who doesn't clean his or her room, so that kind of remark about one's own slovenly teen is not forbidden.
Now, we still don't want to make presumptions about politics and religion--it's probably not true that everyone in the office is Republican or Christian. But owning a Chrysler and complaining about having to replace the head gasket for the second time...fair game.
Basically, if the response is likely to be, "I know, right?" it's okay.
I agree with this list. I do my best to share only a little bit of information at work, but try to keep many aspects of myself a mystery. I do not share my health information or what I am going to the doctor for. It's really none of their business and they do not ask. But I do mention if I am sick (because they should know why I will not be in the office lol). But that is as far as I take it.
Do not share information that may turn you into a target. Coworkers are not your friends. You can be friendly, and may even share some laughs, but at the end of the day it is business. I do my best to keep my work life and personal life as separate as possible.
The guy who had my position before I was hired was forced to quit when he was arrested in another state with a bunch of marijuana. How do I know that? My boss told me. In my interview. She also told anyone who would listen...his former clients, business colleagues and associates. For about two months after I was hired, it was all I heard her talk about.
She has no qualms with sharing personal or private information with whoever.
So I discuss nothing at work. If I'm asked a personal question, I say "I don't know" or "not sure". That usually gets the point across. I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to do my job and go home.
I agree with a lot of these. Only one I don't see is one I have personally messed up on: Phobias.
Couple people and I were discussing phobias once and mine's pretty weird (globophobia). Now some others just don't shut up about it. Comes up at least once a week. Drives me absolutely crazy. I'm normally so guarded with personal information about me and messed up pretty big, but it was such an innocent conversation I didn't even think twice about. And I'm never the one who brings it up, it's always the people I talked to originally telling someone new about it in my presence. It's embarrassing as hell.
I agree with a lot of these. Only one I don't see is one I have personally messed up on: Phobias.
Couple people and I were discussing phobias once and mine's pretty weird (globophobia). Now some others just don't shut up about it. Comes up at least once a week. Drives me absolutely crazy. I'm normally so guarded with personal information about me and messed up pretty big, but it was such an innocent conversation I didn't even think twice about. And I'm never the one who brings it up, it's always the people I talked to originally telling someone new about it in my presence. It's embarrassing as hell.
Not to sidetrack the thread, but how many people just googled globophobia?
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