As long as you’re not being a jerk to people and you’re doing your job, why does it matter you’re the only person in the office that doesn’t want to share the going’s on in your personal life? Why do so many people in the workplace seem to take it personally when a colleague prefers to keep to themselves, stay out of office gossip, do their job, and go home? Why do so many people take a colleague’s unwillingness to add them on their personal social media as a personal attack? In a nutshell, why is having strong boundaries at work so taboo?
Look, we obviously have to be civil with one another. But we do not have to be friends. I am not obligated to share my personal life with you in ANY form. We’re here to do a job. If y’all want to share every nitty gritty detail of your lives with each other, be my guest. If you all want each other on your personal social media, go for it. But just because I don’t want to involve myself in any of that doesn’t make me a bad employee. It doesn’t make me anti-social. It means I’m here to work. And I will keep the line between my personal and professional life very clear. I have the right to do that.
Also, after hours work events. I am entitled to my time off. It’s called time OFF for a reason! I’m working 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. 40 hours a week. That’s over 2,000 hours a year. I should not be accused of “not being a team player” or having a “negative attitude” because I don’t want to pass out flyers at a crowded festival on my day off. I want to be at home with my husband. Every. Single. Weekend. Every. Single. Evening.
I’m tired of being pressured to give more and more of myself to work and coworkers. I have a job to do, I do the job. I go home. That’s it! And that should be enough.