ALT-2 Things you should never Talk about with Coworkers
First and foremost the people you work with are your colleagues. Most of the time you will have been thrown together in life because you chose a similar profession, not because you considered them to be confidants. This is one very good reason why you should be on your guard when it comes to what you reveal to coworkers regarding your intimate thoughts, feelings and your private and financial life.
It can be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when you are with the same people day in and day out. They become a comforting part of the office furniture, always there and providing you with a consistent sense of familiarity. However, coworkers may or may not always have your best interests at heart. They could be competing for a higher position at work with you and hoping for a promotion, or, they may not be trustworthy or sincere when it comes to keeping information received as private as it should be.
Subjects you should never talk about with fellow employees include any which involve you revealing extremely private or intimate information. If you are longing to relieve yourself of an emotional burden when at work, unless it's related to your job, save it for time out of the office when you can discuss your worries with a trusted friend. Feelings you need to talk about regarding your job should be discussed with someone in an appropriate position to help you, such as your manager or employer.
It's also wise never to tell coworkers information of a personal financial nature. How much you get paid and any perks your receive at work should be kept between you and higher authorities. You wouldn't want other employees to get jealous or rock the boat by questioning your worthiness. It's possible too, that your employer will expect you to keep such information under wraps anyway.
Be wary about telling coworkers how you feel about your boss and other employees, as you never know if they will use the information against you at a later date, or tittle tattle to those concerned, blowing your confidences out into the open where you wouldn't want them to be.
Discussing any problems you had in past jobs, including run ins with other staff members or your employer is a bad idea. Coworkers may make wrong assumptions about you, or worst still re-tell what you have told them inaccurately to others, showing you in an unfavorable light.
Most of the time you are unlikely to be surrounded by coworkers who wish you harm. It's more likely that things you talk about may get misconstrued or passed on to the wrong people, damaging your relationships at work, or coloring your employers vision of you as a person in a bad way.
Talking with coworkers about your life, but without going into personal or revealing details is fine, and can be a great ice breaker, helping you to form good working relationships with other employees. Remember though, that there's a difference between handing out intimate information that could be used as a weapon later on, and creating a professional image.
