Should people talk about their personal lives at work?

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quichebradford
quichebradford Posts: 327 Member
in Chit-Chat
People talk. There are times when I’m at work, especially on Mondays, where we’ll just sit for a few minutes and catch up on what has happened in our lives. You hear conversations at the coffee bar, in the breakroom, hallway, etc. We’re with the people we work with 8 hours a day for 5 days (or whatever your schedule may be) ; naturally, you’re going to talk them. But, how much talk is too much? Do you think it’s a good idea to tell your co-workers, personal and/or private things that are going on in your life? Why or why not?
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Replies

  • neenaj33
    neenaj33 Posts: 347 Member
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    I dont...Im there to do 8 hours and go home.
  • cnsmith2
    cnsmith2 Posts: 539 Member
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    It depends on the relationship you have with particular people at work. I work with a variety of people. There is one person I work with who I would tell just about anything to, and most people here I wouldn't give more than a hello. Most people fall in between. I'm generally not a super private person though.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    to a certain extent sure. I would talk about my weekend bike ride or where I went out to eat, if I went to some fun event, etc.

    That builds camaraderie and lets people get to know you.

    Don't bring up the marital strife and or bedroom antics though.
  • Monica_has_a_goal
    Monica_has_a_goal Posts: 694 Member
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    I pick and choose who to tell personal things to. Not everyone is trustworthy with a secret and unless you want to be gossiped about you should always be careful.:wink:
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
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    It probably depends on where you work. Where I work, we're all a family, so it's okay. Where you work....I would have only shared personal information with people I considered close friends.
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
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    I knew this was you! lol, but to answer your question, there are VERY few people I tell certain things to. I do not wish to divulge all of my personal life to others, but there are a few co-workers I consider friends. Anyone else gets a "good morning, how was yur weekend?" and I mov along. I try not to talk to others too much, juts mind my own business and get my work done (or at least appear to be working). I don't think everyone at work needs to know everytihng.
  • xAdrianax
    xAdrianax Posts: 269 Member
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    If you are the type of person to regret telling people too much then i wouldnt start at all....
    Depends how personal - if you need to get something of your chest and have someone to listen for just that moment in time i would only tell a close close friend and it may be that i work with them or not
    I always talk to people at work as i have met some of my best friends there who i see outside of there so its an added bonus :)
  • JoyfulSparkle
    JoyfulSparkle Posts: 96
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    When you spend so much time together, a trust, and friendship develops. But, timing, talking about it at the office, on work time, is actually interfering with productivity. But, lunchtime, breaks, that's fine.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I do because I see these people the most LOL. I get together with friends, but not every weekend or anything. And sometimes my IL's do stuff that is so unbelievable I must share! LOL
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
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    To an extent. When I used to work I'd make one or two real close friends at work and chat up a storm with them about any and everything... They were my friends outside of the work place too so it's a little different. The chatting I'd do with the people who weren't my friends outside of the work place was a lot less personal, but still friendly and fun. I to think certain topics are off limits at the work place though. No bedroom talk, no potty mouths, and NO talk of how much you hate your boss... It's just not okay to talk about certain things in a work environment!!
  • emilydmac
    emilydmac Posts: 382 Member
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    I think talking about personal lives at work is fine, as long as it is kept light and kind- of course there are exceptions such as illness or death when sometimes colleagues really should just know because it is affecting you significantly. But being nice, light and sharing a nice, funny story about your kids or husband is completely appropriate. Talking about overly personal or private things isn't always appropriate, and things do get around- it isn't really appropriate to share the fact that maybe your husband is having an affair or your kid is pregnant at 15 or that you have daddy issues or something like that- work is for working, if it were for sharing deeply personal things it would be called therapy.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
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    I am in the middle. I do not come to work to make friends, I want to just do my job and go home. But there is always 1 or 2 people I will have a lot in common with that will become my friends. Those people I will talk about my live with. Other than that, it is niceties.
  • chrissaucier
    chrissaucier Posts: 271 Member
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    I only talk about kid activities and things that keep us busy. Never talk about marital stuff.
  • mazza2marilyn
    mazza2marilyn Posts: 145
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    i'm retired now but when i did work there were two really good friends i knew i called talk to about anything.
    i knew they would not discuss my business with other people.
    i would not discuss my business with anyone else at work, unless i wanted it to go round the office.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    My coworkers don't even know my birthday.
  • Hodar
    Hodar Posts: 338 Member
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    This has a variety of answers - but HR has a huge influence on this.

    If your HR has a policy where you are competing against your peers for your very job - anything you say can, and will be used against you by your co-workers; to hurt your review and futher their careers. Been there, was on the receiving end, got the T-shirt.

    If you have a company where HR is in place to encourage company growth, help your grow professionally and you are judged on your merits - then sharing personal information helps build your team.

    Company policies can kill morale and make work a miserable place to be, far more harsh than any group of backstabbing gossip-monders would ever hope to be able to accomplish.
  • Hodar
    Hodar Posts: 338 Member
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    My coworkers don't even know my birthday.
    Had a job with a company where I didn't even announce that I was getting married - just showed up after a week's vacation with a wedding ring - never said a thing. Miserable people, miserable job, miserable place to work.
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
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    My coworkers don't even know my birthday.

    wish mine didn't - we're expected to bring cakes in on our birthdays!
  • Amayrial
    Amayrial Posts: 139 Member
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    for me, it depends on the people I work with, and what exactly I'm sharing. trials and tributes with my kids.. absolutely. we all talk about our kids.

    Personal matters with my soon to be ex spouse? not so much. a good deal of my coworkers are my sole support system. I know about them and they know about me. - to a certain extent. I think i'd shock the heck out of them if they really knew me.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    Depends, I have several where I work that are friends and we are friends outside of work. I don't know mind sharing personal things with them. Just random people not so much, but when you work with people sometimes they become friends as well.

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