Getting friendly with your coworkers really is a great thing. Not only does it make the day go by faster (which in some cases can be a serious plus) but it just makes it easier to get up in the morning (or at night) and go to work. But sometimes these chummy relationships can become dangerous as they start to drift toward the unprofessional end of the spectrum. I don’t want to discourage you from making friends in your workplace, just remember that some aspects of your personal lives and opinions should be saved for after hour drinks with your close (non-work) friends. Here’s a list of them:
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âIâm so hungoverâ: Obviously, you should avoid putting yourself in this situation, but it happens! You went out and had four too many shots on a work night and wake up the next morning with the worst headache of life. It happens to the best of us. But itâs definitely not something that needs to be vocalized as it makes you look very unprofessional.
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âIâm gonna call out sick tomorrowâ: Yes, Americans are overworked and sure, youâd probably be much happier living in a European country. Every now and then you need a break. But thatâs not something that anyone needs to know. What if your coworker gets jealous of your free day and slips your real whereabouts to your boss? Just call out sick and be done with it.
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âWorking here sucksâ or âIâd rather work at XYZâ: We all get it and probably most of us experience it at least one time in our life: you donât like your job. But outwardly saying that can be really demoralizing to the person youâre telling; no one wants to feel like they work in an undesirable place. Or maybe they really enjoy your job and youâre making them feel bad for actually liking what they chose to do with their life. Rude. And anyway, what if your boss catches wind of this and lays you off? I think a sucky and most likely temporary job might be just a little better than the unemployment line.
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â_____ is so annoyingâ: First of all, you donât want this ever getting back to the person youâre bad-mouthing even if theyâre the the worst person in the office. Secondly, this kind of gossip could alienate the friend youâre talking to because any human would wonder âif theyâre talking about so-and-so, then they could be talking about me behind my back.â Just save the bashing for your journal and ignore that person.
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âI had an interview at XYZâ: You never want to tell people youâre actively seeking another job. What if your boss finds out you plan to leave, you donât get the new job and wind up unemployed? …Awkward. Additionally, never EVER tell anyone youâre taking a new job until youâve told your boss. This is just common courtesy.
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âIf _____ happens again, Iâm quittingâ: We all get frustrated. Just donât verbalize those frustrations. What if it got back to your boss? (Are you seeing a pattern here? Just donât let your boss hear!) Instead, take the mature route and go talk to your boss directly. Keep it professional; donât attack him or her. Just vocalize your concerns and brainstorm ways that you both can keep it from happening in the future.
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âHow much do you make?â: I know itâs so tempting, but unless you make the exact same amount (which is pretty unlikely), itâll never end well. Either itâll make you feel bad if you end up making less and itâll make the other party feel bad if you make more. Just avoid this topic altogether because your self worth shouldnât be evaluated based on your salary anyway and certainly not in comparison to someone elseâs.
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âThe doctor said I have _____â: Um, ew. Contagious or not, people donât wanna be around someone who could get them sick. And no one wants to hear about your medical issues. I donât care if itâs a common cold or zika virus, NO ONE WANTS TO KNOW!
Iâm sure thereâs more you probably shouldnât be disclosing to your coworkers but for now…