"Did you have a good Bank Holiday?"

[ArtyFish]

I've been in work for about 45 mins and already I've had 6 people asking me if I had a nice bank holiday.

It's bad enough when you've had a holiday and you have to replay those stories over and over. Having said that I also accept that I'm one of those people who feel socially bound to ask if people had a good time to. Personally I think any human interaction before 7am should be banned in the office :)

Abhor seems a little extreme

@ArtyFish Thanks and no worries! :)

Oh gosh what a miserable bunch.

I quite like small talk, I like hearing about what people have been up to, when I ask how someone weekend I am genuinely interested.

Yanbu. I hate work small talk.
Thursday & Friday - any plans for the weekend
Monday - did you have a good weekend. Usually if asked by the same person from Thursday or Friday then they act surprised when I say yes actually did such and such like I mentioned the other day.
Before holiday- any plans for your holiday
After a holiday - did you have a nice holiday what did you do l.
Normally asked whilst I’m rushing around and not got much time for chit chat

All these people who are FAR TOO IMPORTANTLY BUSY to deal with UNIMPORTANTLY NOT BUSY plebs asking then if they had a nice weekend sound like they need time management training to manage their workload better.

Or at least a session on "how to be a normal human".

BuzzShitbagBobbly The nature of my job is that I’m busy in the mornings. I don’t mind chatting at work but there’s a place and a time for it

This reminds me of losing my baby at 16 weeks in the middle of August 4 years ago. So I'd been 12 weeks when my older child's school broke up for summer and none of my parent friends even knew about the pregnancy. Imagine how many have you had a good summers and did you do anything nice I had to listen to! Never have I hated small talk as much.

An extreme example and I don't know what the answer is but yes OP small talk can really suck

"Lovely thanks. You? "

Don't get the problem.

I am grumpy in the mornings too but surely saying a couple of words to be polite to colleagues isn't too onerous for anyone? Just say something bland in reply if you can't be bothered to think up anything.

This social banality drives me a bit nuts. Haven’t been on holiday for years and I use them as catch up times, get the car serviced, do the laundry, get the vet out to do the horse’s vaccinations or teeth, spring clean. Currently, I’m full of cold, covered in eczema, not sleeping because I can’t lie down due to coughing, hardly thrilling to recount to colleagues. Nevertheless, I’ll just tell everyone it was great and ask how theirs was.

Lots of people don't like office small talk. It doesn't make them miseries, that's such an extroverted point of view!

I don't enjoy it but I just do the polite 'good thanks, and you?' approach and we all move on.

I used to have the team I worked with very well trained. They would check out my coffee cup from a safe distance, if it wasn't at least half finished they would walk away without speaking and come back 10 minutes later.

It’s Monday, I have lots to do, can we not start every single conversation with chit chat.

Wow unless you are saving lives or solving murders you need to lighten up a bit! No job is too important you can't have a nice conversation with other human beings

Luckily no one asks me this anymore as due to my job I work every single bank holiday, most of my friends work anti social hours too so the only time bank holidays are mentioned is if one of us miraculously gets one off! Then we are all so consumed with hatred and envy that we dont speak to them for weeks so problem solved :o:o

To those saying people should wait til after coffee etc, would it not be a bit weird to get on with the day and then ask about how their day was? Surely you would ask on first seeing someone?

I absolutely detest being greeted with "how are you".

I'm not in retail, I see no one except on the school run generally.

But whether it's someone I know, or not, I have hated this question. I'm a literal person. And I hate lies. So people either get the truth, or I remind them I don't like that question and I change the subject, or direct it straight back.

KissUntilTheyDieOfRabies

I absolutely detest being greeted with "how are you"
But whether it's someone I know, or not, I have hated this question. I'm a literal person. And I hate lies. So people either get the truth, or I remind them I don't like that question and I change the subject, or direct it straight back
It is a general greeting. Most people don't want an update on your health or other woes.
It's just a social convention. People say ' hi, how are you?' and most people say ' not so bad, and you?'
It's not lying it's just a greeting. If you did start telling them how you are and you're having a bad time they would probably think 'oh fuck!! I didnt really want to know' ( unless its good friends, family, your doctor or psychiatrist )

If I get “did you do anything nice?” I’ll often just say “yes, thanks”

I don’t like being asked “what did you do for the bank holiday weekend?” Sometimes I don’t feel like sharing!

There’s someone who sits v close to me and is V chatty. She doesn’t get the hint if I don’t want to talk! One day I came in, avoided eye contact as I didn’t want to chat, and then got “Are you okay? You look stressed.” I’m thinking I’m not f*ing stressed, I just want you to leave me alone for five minutes...

It's not lying it's just a greeting.

I think you’re right that this is how it’s treated but, if you don’t want to know how someone is, don’t ask.

Similarly people who house “Y’alright XX” as a greeting. I sometimes don’t know how to respond!

Similarly people who house “Y’alright XX” as a greeting. I sometimes don’t know how to respond!
I'm sure you cant be Northern! The standard answer is ' aye, not so bad! You?'

I'm sure you cant be Northern! The standard answer is ' aye, not so bad! You?'

I am Northern!

It’s sometimes said by people as they walk by as if they’re not expecting an answer other than “aright”

Yes thank you.

Though as I do not work Mondays it is no different from any other.

AliceRR
I was being tongue in cheek.
I joke with Dp that ' not so bad' is used for everything from describing a bad mood, to having the most fantastic meal!!
If I cook something and I get ''thanks love, that's not so bad' I know it's been a success!!!🤣🤣🤣

Yes thank you I had a great bank holiday op.

I get what your saying, my personal life is complex (as many peoples are) and my down time is spent being a carer so my weekends and hols consist of caring full time, being ill quite often myself (autoimmune disease and migraines). I would rather just say morning and get on with the day but if people ask i just said yeah was ok thanks and leave it at that.

I get pretty annoyed at the same people telling the same story to 10 people