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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Investigated by team nates

7 replies

Ereerenownow · 27/11/2024 18:26

I work in a not particularly nice team. Lots of bitchiness, back stabbing and judgement aimed at certain colleagues (me included) and those we are supposed to be supporting.
I love my job though so I can put up with it. After a couple of people in my team ganged up on me when I first started I decided to just keep myself to myself and I'm thriving in my work. General chit chat with some if the nicer ones but nothing deep and meaningful.
Issue is, part of my keeping myself to myself is just not sharing any personal information. This includes about my relationship, health (I'm having some issues currently which I don't want to tell the team about), my birthday or my age. This has really wound some people up and there is a well publicised campaign by a few to dig around for details about me which I'm not happy about. Digging around on social media and approaching people outside work who know me.
I have loads of friends so keeping these people at bay is not making me lonely but I simply don't want them to know my age for example (I'm 50 in a notoriously ageist group of people) and my partners health (he has cancer).
Am I being stupid for this way of thinking?

OP posts:
IAm16StoneHalloween2024 · 27/11/2024 19:10

Bloody hell.

Erm, HR? Complain to someone? There’s loads of people on here who will know what to do, but I just want you to know that is completely wrong.

Plus, look for a new job. The basis nastiness will remain if managers don’t want to do anything about it.

MumOfOneAllAlone · 27/11/2024 19:26

I think you should own your age - take inspo from Samantha Jones and throw yourself a birthday party in the office revealing your age

Sorry they're so horrible op - it's sad, especially as you love the job. If they want to dig into your partner having cancer, you can rightly chew them out and embarras them.

Sorry to hear about your dh x

itsgettingweird · 27/11/2024 19:35

I'd have some fun.

I'd get your friends to plant some outrageous replies to their digging and let them spread it around.

I'd start with a rumour you're 70 and thinking of retiring soon!

MumOfOneAllAlone · 27/11/2024 20:51

itsgettingweird · 27/11/2024 19:35

I'd have some fun.

I'd get your friends to plant some outrageous replies to their digging and let them spread it around.

I'd start with a rumour you're 70 and thinking of retiring soon!

Oo actually, this is a good alternative, op 🤭

another1bitestheduck · 27/11/2024 21:19

They are being very weird to care so much, but you also sound a bit precious about some of it. Most people look fairly close to their age, it's pretty unlikely you pass for 35, they can probably guess you're between late forties to early fifties so does it matter if they know/don't know that you're 50 exactly? Same with your birth date, it's odd of them to want to know but also a bit odd that you're so keen on them not knowing -how does it actually have any negative impact on you if your colleagues know you're born on July 2nd or whatever?

If they have been making enquiries about things like your health (e.g. a reason for why you've been off sick) or sexuality, then that's not on, although tbh I'm not sure what HR could really do if it was out of work, but tbh good friends wouldn't pass private information on to third parties anyway, surely?

Not getting involved in gossip and keeping work/private life separate is completely fine, but depending on how you word your refusals I can understand why it might come off as a bit odd. e.g. if they are chatting about 'Ah it's rubbish having a birthday so close to Christmas, I never get 2 sets of presents! When's your birthday Tim?'
'June, still bloody rains every year though! How about you, Mary?'
'I'm not telling you.'
Is a bit odd.

Similarly if someone asks "Are you married Mary?' There's a range of options between
a) "Well I was married to Bob Jones, we met at school and were together for twenty years but then I had an affair with my next door neighbour, realised I was a lesbian, got a divorce and now I'm on Tinder making up for lost time."
b) "No, I'm divorced, but enjoy the peace to be honest haha! Do you have that spreadsheet we need?"
and
c) "That's none of your business."

Rescue2024 · 27/11/2024 21:30

I also loved my job but they sucked the joy out of life and then HR got involved and I was labelled the non team player…

very draining

Ereerenownow · 28/11/2024 07:05

Hi all thanks for your replies. I suppose it is a bit odd that I don't want to share personal information with work colleagues. Though I am a very private person and find it strange that I need to pass on information about myself that I don't want to, to people who don't give two ha'pennies about me.
I'm open and honest with my friends but not sharing details about my birthday and partner for instance, with people who have kind of bulied me, didn't seem that strange ..must be me.!!

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