Colleagues mocked me

[NB16]

I never really think to bring anything back from holidays unless someone asks me specifically for something and some people did in previous jobs in work and some didn’t it wasn’t ever a big deal nor was it frowned upon. Is it proper eqtiquette to bring sweets back for colleagues? I got mocked for not doing so and it’s made me cause resentment and stubborn to not bring anything back. I got mocked at school and think it’s triggered me in some way. The jokes have went on for months. Am I being over sensitive?

YANBU.

People usually bring something back where I work, but nobody would have a go at someone who didn’t.

“And she never even brought us a packet of sweets..”

”surely you don’t need them Jenny, aren’t you sweet enough?”

”I bought you some Roger, but figured you can’t afford to lose any more teeth”

”I always bring back something for people who don’t harass me about it months later”

We always have wherever I worked, just a multipack of rock or big bag of some sort of sweets or chocolates.

But I have always worked in quite "foodie" places (I'm a nurse and these little treats go down well) where People frequently bring things to share and more often than not there is something nice to eat on the staff table.

It depends on office culture re the sweets.
For these jokes to go on for months sounds very strange and bordering bullying. I can't understand why people are going on about sweets for months.

I would speak to your line manager if it's really upsetting you.

This

Also, if they are still doing it months later, you need to address it.

Yes, it’s common to bring sweets back to share at work at some workplaces and yes, you are being over sensitive.

I don't think I've worked anywhere where people brought their colleagues things back from holiday. I'm sure it would be very welcome if they did, buy never expected.

I imagine this is some sort of tradition that is done at your workplace and has become an expectation. You may have committed a faux pas of sorts but it's ridiculous for anyone to be talking about it months later.

It's bullying, I would speak to someone at work about it. Bloody sick of nasty behaviour being called 'banter'.

This has been so for the last twenty years where I have worked. Just a big bag of duty free local sweets or chocolates.

Let me guess. The ones hassling you about this are the ones who stand and hoover up the lot and leave nothing for anyone else. With that attitude I'd see them in hell before I took anything in

The best way to address something like this is a joke.

I brought you back sweets but I ate them in the car coming in this morning, they were delicious you’d have really enjoyed them or else I gave them to ‘Sarah’ for stepping in to carry your weight when I was gone that sort of thing.

It is supposed to be banter just banter back.

I think it is dependent on office culture. It isn't the norm where I work, but sometimes people do bring stuff back if it suits them to (I guess it depends how bored they are in the airport1). Not a requirement of anyone and going about about it months later is bullying.

Is it literally everyone still wanging on about sweeties six months later, or is it one or two nasty idiots? If it's the first, you work with morons. If it's the second, gather all your courage together and stand up to them. Either tell them to fuck off, or wrap up a mars bar in paper and a bow, put it ceremoniously on their desk and make a point of saying to everyone that you finally brought Jenny a sweety since she was so upset about not getting anything from Fuerteventura. Extra points if you put a load of glitter in the wrapping, so it goes all over the desk / keyboard / offender when unwrapped.

I've never brought anything back for work colleagues, nor they for me or anyone else. Why would we?

I think they are still teasing you because they can see that you are sensitive to it. If you ignore them or just roll your eyes, they will soon stop.

It’s common to bring back a big or sweets, biscuits or similar at mine but I don’t expect it and probably wouldn’t notice if someone didn’t. Your colleagues sound pretty irritating.

Tbh I’ve made a joke or two back saying the same joke gets boring or have you not get any other jokes? It’s only one person. No one else really seems to care if you bring sweets back or not and tbh I don’t think or care about work when I’m on holiday. Also what annoyed me is that when they started making the joke everyone else started bringing sweets when they were away it annoyed me like they were scared not to. I’m tempted to just be an ass back and not bring anything

Are you a manager/junior or in the middle?
It does depend on the office culture. When I was a manager in a previous role, I would always bring back biscuits, sweets or nibbles from my travels for staff to share. I often had colleagues at my level bring small gifts back- a scarf from Italy, a silk scrunchie from Thailand, a fan from Spain etc. If someone didn't bring something back though- it was not an issue at all!

The next company I was at- no one ever brought anything in from their travels.

Its awful they they are teasing you about it though! I'd either make a joke out of it, isn't this getting old now etc or speak to your line manager or even HR if its harassing behavior.

Sorry- cross post OP. Don't bring things back if you don't want to.

There are grown adults whining about not getting a sweetie?

Jesus.

Just tell them you brought back gifts for people you like and they didn't make the cut. If they whine about that say it's "just bantz".

So it's one person who's an arsehole or socially clueless.

It really grinds you down when someone makes the same lame 'joke' every day for weeks or months. It happened to me. In the end there was a confrontation. He'd had no idea how irritating it was, and it stopped. But it sounds like you've already told the person to stop, so that's something else.

Meh - some do some don't. Can't imagine passing comment on it though.

Buy your colleague a bag of Haribo and ask them to stop talking about it.

Never brought things back from holiday for colleagues, don't recall any others doing it either. We do bring things to share on birthdays, Christmas, Halloween though.

I worked somewhere that had so many sweets and biscuits lying around the rats chewed through the boxes, cupboards and drawers they were in. And they still kept bringing the stuff in and eating al desko right next to the chewed stuff.

You don't need to take in sweets or anything unless you are alway scoffing the sweets other people bring in. If you do just take in a box of sweets to shut them up

Jeezus…tell him work is work get his candy at home Do you even eat candy or other treats? If not then say…don't eat them dont think about them And dont start now because then he has bullied you into doing it. Its your vacation you do not need to worry about bringing gifts back of any sort. I see this more with older workforce…is your work environment a little old school? A clinging to…we always do this…kind of mentality My work is ALWAYS trying to separate me from my money and based on MN posts many others experience this too Just say…nothing…when he makes his next performance Just blank him

I do eat them tbh but again it just goes straight out of my head to even bring anything back. In previous jobs some people did bring things back and some didn’t. No one batted an eyelid if you didn’t. Obviously has very little to worry or think about.