Should people talk about their personal lives at work?

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  • scyian
    scyian Posts: 243 Member
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    I'll tend to say hi and how's your weekend/evening and get on with my work. Then maybe chat at lunch or during a tea break. Else I'm pretty private. However I'm in an open office and I still have to listen to everyone else talking about their private lives throughout most of the working day. It's so distracting and management don't seem to care when I complain about it. There's one of the women who works there just calls up her husband and children and spends ages moaning and arguing with them in a loud Jack Bauer whisper. It makes me feel really embarrassed to hear it. :S
  • CountryDevil
    CountryDevil Posts: 819 Member
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    At my previous job, yes I would but it depended on the person and how close I was to them. At my current job, which I have been at lees than a year, everyone is kind of up tight and don't really fit in with my sense of humor or lifestyle. So I just stay to myself, do my 8 hours and get out. I do say "hi" and be friendly, but that is about it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,709 Member
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    Nope. That's how gossip starts and how people judge others.
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    I speak about my husband/daughter and really superficial activities (like what movie we watched or what we did this weekend), that is all. I don't like my personal life to get involved with work. There is so much you can share until it can get a little awkward and maybe even turn into gossip.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
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    Should people be on MFP at work?
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    I working in a building with ONE other person, my boss. We would probably go crazy if we didn't talk about our personal lives.
  • boomboom011
    boomboom011 Posts: 1,459
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    idk if they should or should not. however i think if you do, then you should be very selective about who you share certain info with.

    P.S. there are actual co-workers that will not stab you in the back. but there are always those special ones that do.
  • Fochizzy
    Fochizzy Posts: 505 Member
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    My coworkers don't even know my birthday.

    lol, my birthday was last week, no one at work knew
  • audram420
    audram420 Posts: 838 Member
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    I work with a bunch of people that tell it all...over the years I've become like that at work...amoung those that don't seem to mind hearing it. I don't do it with stranger or new co-workers, but there's a group of us that just can't seem to keep it to ourselves..haha!
  • CrimsonHellkite
    CrimsonHellkite Posts: 114
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    well the real question is do you trust the people youre talking to? at my job we all talk about everything, honestly if you have the kinda job i do you(sadly enough) spend more time with them than you do with your family so it kinda keeps us all connected and if something were to happen to me at work someone at work can know who to contact or what to do and i know they would take care of my fam as if they were their own...
  • SkateboardFi
    SkateboardFi Posts: 1,322 Member
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    It probably depends on where you work. Where I work, we're all a family

    pretty much that's how it is where i work, there's certain things i would rather not hear about though, like if a coworker is involved in behavior that i've already expressed my disapproval of, i'll kindly tell them not to repeat idiotic actions to me that i've already advised them against
  • porcelain_doll
    porcelain_doll Posts: 1,005 Member
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    The more things you tell people at work, the more they have to say about you when you're not around. I haven't had a really great experience making friends with people at work, unfortunately. I was naive and didn't think anyone would ever talk about me behind my back because everyone was "so nice."
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
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    If its preventing you from completing your job, then its to much. Personally, I dont really care all that much about your personal life so as long also as I dont have to listen, I dont really care
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    I discuss personal things when needed. Things like who is sick, or how my vacation was. I don't discuss intimate "details".

    You should never discuss religion or politics, unless you have a good feeling the person can discuss these things without thinking your side is a personal attack or judgement.
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
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    I never participated in that sort of talk at the office. Then again, I'm 24 and everyone else was 33-67yrs old and quite literally all of them lived strange lives. I didnt want their lives interfering with my work, because if I allowed them to think I was interested in what's going on they would stand at my desk to rant for an hour or more while I'm trying to get work done.

    One had a child with aspergers and didn't know how to handle him (not to mention she thought aspergers was downs syndrome for the first 7yrs of her childs life before I corrected her).
    Another had a daughter that would disapear after school an refuse to tell anyone where she was.
    Another was gay but would never admit it (he will when his mom dies, I know it) and raved about all the STDs he's had.
    Another had her 40+yr old son living with her and her crazy mean husband who has alzheimers.
    My boss was constantly in the hospital because he didn't take care of himself and his wife (another boss) would tell us all details of how his *kitten* had come out of his body.

    I could go on. But these are the things people would try to talk to me about and I'd ignore them, otherwise I'd get no work done. They would use the first and last hour of the day to talk strictly talk and that's it.

    Then again, I was the one laid off after I had my daughter 6 months ago so. Apparently having a boss that wants her employees to be her friends because she doesn't have any would prefer you to talk to her than work.
  • ncgatorfan
    ncgatorfan Posts: 517
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    Should people be on MFP at work?

    That's why I'm so peppy and happy at work!!
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
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    If my coworkers are cool, then I allow them to get to know me personally. If they're douchey - forget it. My coworkers right now are new to me, but cool enough. I share personal information to the extent that they need to know it - like why I'll be taking off early that day and stuff. The other lush in the office and I bonded over booze at the bay party last month. Plus we both get off on saying semi-raunchy things around the very prissy but sweet girl in the office. That's cool in my book.
  • Iamfit4life
    Iamfit4life Posts: 3,095 Member
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    Should people be on MFP at work?

    oh no you di'nt!
  • Iamfit4life
    Iamfit4life Posts: 3,095 Member
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    TO answer this question I speak very little about personal stuff to co-workers. They're older than me for the most part and I don't really have anything in common.

    They know I have two kids, they know my significant other lives far away. That's about it.

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