A woman's office won't stop forcing her to celebrate everything and everyone, almost like a "Black Mirror" episode.
We're tackling something we all have to deal with at some time or other: work drama. Each week, I'll be bringing the juiciest stories from across the web right to our little virtual water cooler.
From toxic bosses to nightmare workplaces, I'm here to speak a little justice on behalf of the average worker. While you're here, please note that this weekly series is meant solely for entertainment purposes. Please do not have your HR team call me tomorrow saying you heard it from Joel at Digg.
Sorry Celia Cruz, But I Don't Want My Life To Be A Carnival
[Image credit: Andrei I from Pexelss]
I've been at this company for three years now, and they literally have a "party committee" that plans events for everything. It's super annoying. At first, I thought it was cute and fun, but now I'm just like... OMG, not again.
They make us take mandatory breaks to sing happy birthday to everyone and eat cake. They celebrate every holiday under the sun and force us to socialize with people who don't even like each other. I try to get out of it most of the time, but then supervisors make me feel bad about it. We have a morning meeting on Wednesdays, and surprise -- another "mandatory break" at 9:30 to sing and eat cake for five people. Like whyyyyyyyy... just let me work and live in peace. I'm quite introverted and already on medication for anxiety. One of the ladies we're singing to doesn't even talk to me--she hasn't said one word to me since she started, even though I tried to be friendly at first.
It feels like torture! Does anyone else feel this way about companies that force you to socialize all the time?
She shouldn't feel bad. I am the Grinch that stole Christmas because all of this gives me anxiety too -- like when the restaurant makes the staff sing Happy Birthday. It always sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Haters like us need to stick together and demand the celebration food, but without the pomp and circumstance every time. Let us feel the appreciation in the calories, and let us rot ourselves with microplastics in peace.
My Life Has Become A Bad CW Show
[Image credit: RDNE Stock project from Pexels]
I've liked this coworker for a few months now, and I know he's a bit interested in me too. We would text each other (not daily) and have flirty banter when we were out drinking with other coworkers. There's always been some sexual tension, but we never acted on it -- until one drunken night when he started kissing me and holding my hand, and I ended up at his place, hooking up.
As soon as he got off, he started acting cold, which bothered me, but I just slept it off. Before I left his place, we both agreed not to tell anyone and to act like it never happened. At first, he tried to ignore me when I texted him after I got home. I called him out and told him that what happened shouldn't have, but that we should be cool about it and not make things awkward between us. He replied and acknowledged it.
I know it was a bad decision because I instantly regretted it. I'll see him at the office next week, and I'm not sure how to play it cool since I still like him. We're in a close friend group at work, and it's going to be hard to avoid him without our coworkers noticing if either of us starts acting weird. What should I do?
Some things are better left a fantasy, and in this case, she has to face the hard reality that certain lines have been crossed here. There's nothing wrong with hooking up. But, now, she's basically pulling a double shift by adding a cold dude and maintaining her existing friend group as a part of her daily work schedule -- this all just sounds like too much damn work, and for what?
I Made An Awful Mistake At The Cost Of My Unemployed Boyfriend's Pride
[Image credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels]
Yesterday, I was at the shop with my boyfriend. While I was trying to pay for our stuff, he kept picking things up, and the woman at the till said, "Quick, you better pay before he picks anything else up." I joked back, "Yeah, it's where all my money goes," without even thinking. Now, here's the issue: my boyfriend doesn't work. It's never been a problem for us, and I don't mind picking up the slack because I know he can't work for a number of reasons. This sometimes means I do contribute more in our day-to-day life, and I'm fine with that. He looks after our dog and handles other tasks instead.
But when we got outside, he said, "Please don't say something like that again in public," and I knew I had messed up. I apologized and explained it was just a joke. Before the day ended, I apologized a few more times.
Today, I had stopped worrying about it until I offered to buy something for him, and he said, "I don't want to waste all your money." I reassured him it's not a waste, that I'd always rather see him happy, and I view it as our money because we're partners. But I still feel awful about it. I really feel like I messed up and said something thoughtless that could affect him. Any advice would be appreciated -- I feel terrible over this.
I really do think one of the worst things someone can do is humiliate you, and that's exactly what happened here. It was clearly a mistake, but unfortunately, this is something that will require some. Everyone has an ego and pride, and the best thing she can do is take this as a hard life lesson -- words hurt.