To hate this question?

[BlossomOnTrees]

'What are your plans for the weekend?'
I never really do anything majorly exciting and always feel like people are thinking that I never do anything of interest.
Just me?

Yep and same for time off work. Do they really want to know about my cleaning, shopping and dog walking??

Dh used to ask me what my plans were for the day during lockdown when I wasn’t going anywhere and hadn’t been anywhere for months - did he think that, all of a sudden, I was going to be hiking up mountains or cycling to Lands End?

Doesn’t bother me at all, I think people really don’t want to know your plans and are just saying have a nice weekend. Or they want you to ask about Their weekend plans. My boss is 24 (I’m late 50’s) and I’ll just tell it like it is, it’s probably the same things his mother is doing!

It's just polite conversation. They arent asking for a timetable.

@GnomeDePlume

It's just polite conversation. They arent asking for a timetable.

This.

All you have to say is "having a quiet one" or "relaxing" or "nothing planned"

@GnomeDePlume

It's just polite conversation. They arent asking for a timetable.

Yep, this. You can say anything you like. “Quiet one for me this weekend - how about you?” moves it on easily, without having to say what you’re doing, and giving a hint that you might sometimes do things - if you don’t want to give the impression you never do.

You’re over thinking a very basic platitude!

It’s just small talk. Even when I'm doing something, like I do ever weekend, I don’t go into full details.

@GnomeDePlume

It's just polite conversation. They arent asking for a timetable.

This ^^

You’re overthinking it. People generally don’t care, it’s just small talk. If anything, this is more about you and you feeling like you’re not doing “enough” or “something” on your weekends off.

Agree with pps - it's just small talk. I very rarely have interesting plans so I say 'just relaxing' or similar - no one cares.

On the rare occasions I have had something planned and said so, I sometimes get asked on Monday if I did anything nice at the weekend - proving no one really listens anyway!

We are asked individually in weekly video team meeting. It normally wouldn't bother me, but I am aware that some team members are having horrendous personal problems at the moment, and it is very inappropriate to put them on the spot.

Just enjoying, worked too many, the bane of my working life being told to have a nice weekend.
When working nearly every one

@Looubylou

We are asked individually in weekly video team meeting. It normally wouldn't bother me, but I am aware that some team members are having horrendous personal problems at the moment, and it is very inappropriate to put them on the spot.

We are too, hate it.

I understand that the question is small talk and will usually answer something bland like, 'Not much! And you?'

But it annoys me too, OP. Small talk is pointless.

@Looubylou

We are asked individually in weekly video team meeting. It normally wouldn't bother me, but I am aware that some team members are having horrendous personal problems at the moment, and it is very inappropriate to put them on the spot.

I would give some feedback to your manager about this, it’s really unfair if it’s making people uncomfortable

Doesn’t bother me at all, is it because you’d rather be doing something more exciting OP? If so, can you do anything to change that?

If you’re happy with how your time off pans out why let it bother you?

I’m on a weeks annual leave. I’m dreading going back and being asked if I had a nice holiday and questions about what I got up to -nothing, I’m knackered! I saw a couple of family members & caught up on my housework & shopping.

@Backtobacktheyfacedeachother

I’m on a weeks annual leave. I’m dreading going back and being asked if I had a nice holiday and questions about what I got up to -nothing, I’m knackered! I saw a couple of family members & caught up on my housework & shopping.

Why? I had a week off to strip wallpaper & potter about at home, nobody else really cares to be perfectly honest

It really is just small talk. If I have something planned I'll say it, if not I'll just say "oh just gonna stay around home and organise a few things." I don't think people think much into it - I certainly don't when I ask the question! Sometimes I might not even really listen to the answer...

If people don't care, why bother asking/

Like that 'how are you?
thing. The words come of our of some peoples mouths but they dont' want to know.

Hate it too. I'm not that busy most weekends and feel self conscious saying so.

" Taking it easy" .

"Staying in / having a big wank"

It’s such a boring thing to ask. When I’m asked it out of politeness by somebody who barely knows me, it’s obvious that they don’t care about the answer and it’s all just a bit pointless. If someone doesn’t have plans, it puts them in a position of having no answer. A better question is, ‘what’s keeping you busy at the moment?’ Then they can talk about their plans or something else entirely.

@Backtobacktheyfacedeachother

I’m on a weeks annual leave. I’m dreading going back and being asked if I had a nice holiday and questions about what I got up to -nothing, I’m knackered! I saw a couple of family members & caught up on my housework & shopping.

But why wouldn’t you just say that?

And someone will say, that’s sounds perfect, and someone else will say something else and so it goes on… and the outcome is that you don’t spend your time at work in silence.
And maybe somebody replies about the never ending housework, and you laugh - and chat about your worst housework jobs, and that breaks the ice and you talk more, over time, about other things… and make a friend. Or at least I “person I enjoy being on shift with.”