Ask Amy: Receptionist wants some co-worker courtesy
– Uninvited
Dear Uninvited: I agree that it is rude to discuss a private gathering in front of someone who has not been invited. I think this is a basic rule most of us learned in elementary school, and yet seem to forget later in life.
Colleagues shouldn’t talk about work at an office party and shouldn’t talk about parties at work.
Friendships form at work, and work friends have every right to enjoy their relationships and to get together outside of the office.
Discussing these gatherings in front of others is a familiar complaint to supervisors and HR departments. If you have a supervisor you can talk to, you might ask them to gently remind your colleagues that your workstation is public and that they shouldn’t entertain private conversations there.
Depending on how well you know these co-workers, you could also handle this yourself – in a lighthearted way, by saying a version of: “Helllooooo, I’m sitting right here.”
Dear Amy: My 6-year-old granddaughter hasn’t been vaccinated because the parents have opposing views, even though they are both fully vaccinated.
I have calmly voiced my opinion by explaining why she needs to be vaccinated.
I say “calmly,” but internally I’m upset and extremely worried.
Are there any strategies to get the one parent to agree to vaccinate the child, or should I stay out of it?
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