A young woman, desperate for privacy, told Reddit users she does not think she is wrong for not interacting with her colleagues and answering their numerous questions. The woman spoke of difficulties she experienced in childhood due to her parents being involved in drugs, with her mum dying and her dad now in jail. Living in foster care before working as an escort, the original poster (OP) proudly talks about entering the corporate world.
A Strict Work Routine
In her new job, she vowed to keep herself to herself as she knows that her past prompts many questions and assumptions. The OP told Reddit’s Am I The A**hole (AITA) that she arrives at work just before her shift, has her lunch outside, and leaves at 5.
Her coworkers quickly learned of her ways when she said “no, thank you” and opted out of work events and sending gifts rather than attending a work wedding.
The New Starter
Things were going well until a new person started in the office who quickly tried to make friends with everyone. The extrovert new starter has made it her challenge to get the OP to start talking about her personal life.
The stressed woman tried her best to be firm but polite, saying, “I appreciate that you (her colleague) want to get to know me, but I am extremely private and do not like to mix my professional and personal life.”. This did not work, and the new starter worked harder than ever to get the OP to talk, which meant that she had to keep changing the subject to no avail.
The Woman Ended up Staring in Silence
The incessant pressure felt creepy, leading to the OP staring into the new starter’s eyes until she got the picture. The second time the OP stared, the new starter began talking away quickly and then rushed away from the desk after turning red. Another colleague noticed this interaction and shook her head, telling the OP that this was no way to treat a new starter, no matter how private she was. Confused, the OP headed to AITA to see if others thought she was wrong.
The OP did get a lot of support, saying, “NTA. Brilliant power move!! She’s not trying to be friendly. She’s trying to crack you because she can’t control you.”
Some people questioned whether the OP was rude in the office, saying, “the other coworker is engaging in basic office talk. The op is the one acting outside the normal working environment. She doesn’t need to talk about her personal life, but she does need to be able to have a conversation”.
The OP edited her post to say she is always friendly toward her colleagues and sometimes makes small talk, but it does not go beyond that. As many people advised her on what to do, she told readers that she had tried everything from saying she was busy, changing the subject, and re-directing the questions to her.
Many people suggested that the OP gets support from HR, saying, “As a former dept director, I agree. Also, tell your boss. As a boss, I would have shut that down immediately. OP, NTA.”
In her update, the OP says that she will be making an informal visit to HR for support, and we hope that she gets this issue sorted so she can be happy with her work.
Source: Reddit