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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Colleagues horrendous attention seeking baking

168 replies

WittysMrs · 17/12/2021 07:41

Last year a colleague decided to try her hand at baking during lockdown. It went terribly wrong and she posted the results on social media. It was funny at the time and the post was shared and went pretty viral. When she came back into work everyone kept going on about the muffins she’d made (Peppa Pig that ended up looking like Mr Blobby) and laughing about it telling her to make some more.
The weekend after she made something else and posted it on social media. These ones looked like turds. Everyone laughed.

Since then she’s been doing it every few weeks and it’s got really tiresome. It’s not just Facebook, it’s the constant talk about it at work. It’s got boring. She’s been baking now for over a year and is still making the same mistakes that ruins whatever it is she’s trying to make. I suggested yesterday that she’s ruining stuff on purpose now for the laughs and likes. She got quite defensive over it and said I could always unfollow her on Facebook. I said that would be an option if it wasn’t for the constant talk about it at work!! The latest one is some elf muffins she’s made that look like piles of snot on a muffin. She’s “promised” everyone that she’ll bring them in to work today. I’m so tired of it now. I have to work closely with her all day so when everyone is coming over to talk “baking fails” i have to sit and listen to it too.
Enough now ffs. It’s wasting food for a start and it’s ridiculous attention seeking. It’s been over a year, she should know how to avoid creating messes by now.

OP posts:
KrispyKale · 17/12/2021 10:12

I think you could say op is at the end of her tether rather than spiteful.
But yes once it's reached that point it's time to actively detach and see if it's possible to develop your career towards a different desk!

UniversalAunt · 17/12/2021 10:26

Apply your ingenuity to the problem: have you a break out area/tea point away from your desks? Maybe suggest a cake club that convenes away from the working area? In house bake off? Home baked cookies for cash & proceeds to local charity? Find a way to suggest that the harmless hobby of baking can be directed to a greater purpose AND it is done in people’s own time away from the work area.

As best you can, zone the chatter out by using headphones etc & getting on with your work. Grit your teeth if need be, smile sweetly, ‘Sorry, can’t join in, got a deadline to meet, task to complete’. After all, you are all there to work, & being friendly is a given…but up to a reasonable point.

If the chatter is too much: call out ‘Hey guys, I’m on a client call & they’ve mentioned the background noise, can you bring the volume down or go into tea room’.

If you can show that this hubbub substantially affects anyone’s productivity or office good will, with sound evidence, then discretely flag up to line managers. You may not be the first person to mention this.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 17/12/2021 10:28

It would get on my nerves too

UniversalAunt · 17/12/2021 10:31

BTW, why FB with people you work with?

Isn’t enough to be shoved into a confined physical or virtual space already without giving free access to your personal life?

I am all for friendly office chats, odd drink out & getting in the birthday cakes etc, but I really don’t want work ‘mates’ rummaging around my friends & family on FB.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 17/12/2021 10:38

The OP does not sound "not nice" who hasn't, at some point been bored to tears by a tedious colleague?

It definitely sounds like she deliberately sabotages her own efforts, which is :

Attention Seeking
Draining

Like people who make the fact they like Disney or Friends their entire personality

Its also Repeatedly Offensively Wasteful in a country were some people need Food Banks to get by

WorraLiberty · 17/12/2021 10:38

This would get right on my nerves but I voted YABU, because people who make excuses as to why they can't unfriend the people they moan about on FB, get on my nerves more.

SoupDragon · 17/12/2021 10:39

The OP does not sound "not nice" who hasn't, at some point been bored to tears by a tedious colleague?

The "not nice" part is that she actually said it to her colleague rather than simply rolling her eyes and ignoring it all.

Atla · 17/12/2021 10:43

Sounds tedious, but just ignore her, live and let live. Life is too short to get would up about this type of thing.

Carryonmarion · 17/12/2021 10:45

Every office has one of these. Tiresome but at least you get regular free cake.

Amelion · 17/12/2021 10:50

Ignore her. Mute her on social media. But don’t be mean - she’s really not doing you or anyone else any harm. Leave her be.

AngelonTopoftheTree · 17/12/2021 10:52

Just because they don't look like Peppa Pig or an Elf or whatever doesn't mean the food is being wasted, it's still edible.
Stick in earphones and don't engage in the baking chats.

thepeopleversuswork · 17/12/2021 10:54

I suggested yesterday that she’s ruining stuff on purpose now for the laughs and likes. She got quite defensive over it and said I could always unfollow her on Facebook.

Why would you say something like that?

If it's true, she's hardly going to admit to it. If its not true you've just needlessly hurt someone who's doing something they enjoy.

TBH this sort of thing is par for the course with life in offices. People are often stressed particularly now and look for ways to blow off steam.

Yes it does sound a bit tiresome. But tune it out or learn to deal with it without being spiteful. You can't expect to be on the same wavelength as everyone you work and no-one owes it to you to make sure that you will find everything hilarious and stimulating.

It sounds as if you're blowing this hugely out of proportion and I think you need to just grow up about it.

sonjadog · 17/12/2021 10:55

Unfollow her on FB, as she suggests. Others find her funny so why should your opinion trump theirs? There's lots of things I don't find funny that other people do, like all the in-jokes on MN which have some posters crying with laughter. Just because I don't find them funny doesn't mean that other posters have to stop using them. Let other people find joy where they want to and stop trying to force your opinion on others.

TellySavalashairbrush · 17/12/2021 10:55

In my former job, we had a woman who suffered with significant anxiety and used to bake as a means of calming herself. She was a good baker, but I must admit, it became very tiresome to constantly act enthusiastic over her latest 'bakes'. In addition, she had a way of making people feel bad if they didn't sample her wares. This resulted in most of us putting on weight and slumping after lunch due to a sugar overload.

I still follow her on FB and she continues to bake constantly. Wish she'd consider donating them to a charity instead.

GrannytoaUnicorn · 17/12/2021 10:56

@MiddleParking

I couldn’t stand her. I generally feel a bit icky about office baking let alone stuff that looks intentionally disgusting, and it’s just tedious to repeat the same joke over and over. But going viral on social media can be a hell of a drug.
I don't think she's actually baking it IN the office!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦🏼‍♀️
MrKlaw · 17/12/2021 10:57

every few weeks and its chat for what, 30 minutes after she shares and a few little mentions after that? doesn't seem to take a huge amount of time out of your year and relatively easy to ignore or avoid engaging with?

QweenJinx · 17/12/2021 10:57

Wow! Nasty much?

IamGusFring · 17/12/2021 11:02

@WittysMrs you sound extremely stressed and in need of a few days holiday .

user93948921 · 17/12/2021 11:03

You can always not listen to her talk about it. She is allowed to do whatever she wants and doesn’t need your approval. Why don’t you unfollow like she suggested and do something else when they talk about baking fails. Honestly this is none of your business and you are just being rude @WittysMrs

Mudflaps · 17/12/2021 11:06

She would drive me mad. Hate attention seeking. Maybe do some baking yourself but do your absolute best and bring it in to the office occasionally, it'll either quieten her or make her worse.

Viviennemary · 17/12/2021 11:07

Sounds to me as if you are a bit jealous of all the attention she is getting. Still I would find it irritating too.

Somebodylikeyew · 17/12/2021 11:09

I think you sound a bit miserable tbh. So what if she’s cocking it up on purpose, so what if it’s now a running joke? Life is pretty shit right now for lots of people and if this brings a bit of office fun for a few people, as it clearly does, what’s the harm?

You’re not into it: fine. But there was literally no need to be snarky to her. If it does your head in, just detatch. Don’t be the office misery.

DrSbaitso · 17/12/2021 11:12

@Mudflaps

She would drive me mad. Hate attention seeking. Maybe do some baking yourself but do your absolute best and bring it in to the office occasionally, it'll either quieten her or make her worse.
You said you hate attention seeking...
JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil · 17/12/2021 11:12

This would wear thin pretty quickly for me too OP. I remember being at school in the 80s and a teacher admonishing me for ‘showing off’. I was mortified. Pretty sure most kids who were told they were ‘showing off’ were embarrassed. Nobody seems to care about that anymore.

Nanny0gg · 17/12/2021 11:13

@SoupDragon

At least there's no need for her to attempt to bake a fun sponge.

Just roll your eyes and ignore it.

Grin