'Bring your whole self to work - what do you think?

[Lottapianos]

This is the latest trendy slogan in my workplace. I think it's about how no one should feel ashamed to share what they have going on in their lives, or to ask for help, or to share that they are struggling. Not a bad idea in principle I guess...

HOWEVER.... My colleagues are not my friends. Well a few are but you know what I mean. They're not my therapists either. I'm a private person - I chat to colleagues and I'm fairly sociable but I certainly don't let it all hang out emotionally. I have stuff going on in my life that I wouldn't dream of sharing widely at work. In the same way, I honestly don't want to hear the in

I don't think it means oversharing or not maintaining boundaries. But it means feeling comfortable to be yourself and talk about things such as your mental health should you choose. All with the aim of staff feeling more comfortable, motivated, closer as a team with colleagues. I think it is a positive as long as it doesn't turn to being pressured in to sharing when you're not comfortable to.

'I can only say that it is fundamental to an employee’s dignity that any sharing of personal matters should be done only on their terms'

Agree with this and with every word of your very thoughtful post Thomasina

Next time this phrase comes up, I'm going to ask (politely) just what the hell it is supposed to mean!

Inappropriate.

It's one thing to make work a welcoming place, where you know you can e honest if simmering is distressing you, or you need some sort of change to help you. Quite another if it means you are expected to engage when colleagues witter in about their hobby which you have no interest in. How far does it go? If someone likes wearing fetish wear, feels the fetish scene is part of their ' whole self', does this slogan mean they are welcome to wear it at work?

We don't encourage this thank goodness. I go to work as me, the professional nurse that is all. I don't really have time to listen to everyone's issues. Of course I ask how people are and, know some people a bit more closely. I do care about my colleagues in a general how are you way.

I quite like leaving me, the mum and wife at home.

Something bothering you, not simmering.

'talk about things such as your mental health should you choose'

Well that's the key phrase - 'should you choose'. I have very mixed feelings about people being encouraged to talk openly about their mental health issues - great idea in theory, but in my experience almost no one has the skills to actually listen and respond safely and supportively

I'm neurodivergent and it'd be a fucking relief if I could bring my whole self to work. My last employer used the same slogan and god I miss it. There's very few organisations that are really accepting of neurodivergency and masking, as many of us do all the time is tiring.

I love the saying simply because of what it means to me

I worked briefly for an organisation that said this.

It only applied to the right sort of things though. Most companies want the fun stuff, to celebrate pride & colourful characters. Less so people who are religious conservatives or who have the wrong sort of disability

Work gets my minimal self and nothing more. I go in, say a cheery hello, do the work, say an even cheerier goodbye and by the time I’m home I’ve forgotten all about it.

Go in, do job and piss off home again; that's me!
Sadly, that isn't the rest of my colleagues.
5 days a week, I endure talk around kids, kid photos, weekend activities, hobbies etc. I don't give a flying fuck! I have my own shit to deal with and I don't share that either.

Fucks me right off, all this sharing lives at work!

'Most companies want the fun stuff, to celebrate pride & colourful characters. Less so people who are religious conservatives or who have the wrong sort of disability Hmm'

Absolutely right! Same as 'diversity' - only ever seems to apply to certain groups in practice. The rest is lip service

So who decides where ‘the line’ is? NSPCC initially forgot this when they had rubber boy and sexual antics (filmed and posted) in the office loos…

No I don’t want to see ‘the whole’ person. Be professional, do your job, tell people anything relevant to you doing your job (ie you have a sick parent you are looking after, allergy, whatever).

I worked somewhere that stressed this message, and a new cohort of trainees took it literally. I think when their training was over, only one was kept on.

It means bring your whole self, within reason.

I don’t want to have to tell my work colleagues that I identify as a dolphin…
It would lead to all sorts of issues

Yes in a lot of places it should be changed to 'bring your whole right self to work' i.e. we are accepting of identity x,y,z but less so if you are a Brexit voting, Daily Mail reading Conservative. Which riles me.

Yes this is my understanding from my workplace and I am fine with this.

We have not been encouraged to discuss our emotional/MH issues/status at all.

I myself am pretty private and don't even much like discussing my kids at work, but am happy to listen to pretty much whatever colleagues have to say.

Religious conservatives tend to be pretty unaccepting of diversity themselves, so they can't IMO ask for 'acceptance' until they would be willing to show it.

Intolerant people have no moral right to ask for tolerance.

It’s another manifestation of toxic positivity. “Bring your whole self to work!” No I won’t, because both I and you would be really, really sorry.

I like my job and most of my colleagues but there still need to be boundaries between work and personal life. Hate this culture of over-sharing, and it can rebound on people in ways they didn’t imagine, especially on people who are vulnerable or fragile and need support that their work colleagues cannot give.

The only time anyone at work sees my whole self is when my personal life impacts on my ability to do the job I have been hired to do.
First time was during my divorce. I told my big big boss and he was fab.
Second time was during lockdowns when I struggled to work, home school and care for a family member in a care home.
Other than that, during stressful times I find the stability of my work very beneficial. No one at work needs to know I'm waking once or twice a night sweating, or that I can't wait for my teenage son to go back to school cos this school break has been difficult etc

I bring my work self to work, do my work then go home. That’s all they are getting.

Fuck that

Nobody would want my whole self and my wicked mind they should be thankful they only get my work self

Same

It’s a load of shite. I leave my personality disorder firmly at the work door and pick it back up again on the way out 😂😂.

No no, fake being chill with everything.
Don't admit you're stressed.
Don't tell us you need a shag.

🙄🙈