Don't bring your work home with you.

17-06-2014 10:00AM

Yeah I don't really talk about it outside of work

17-06-2014 10:05AM

Not really. I'm talking about my new job a bit because I'm learning loooooads of new stuff and I know people who know all this stuff so they're interested in what I'm learning. If that makes sense.

What melts my brain is people who talk about work at lunch time. Unless it's a hilarious anecdote I don't want to hear it right now. Thanks.

daithi7 · 17-06-2014 10:11AM

irish_goat wrote: »

The gf and her friend's from college are terrible for this. Anytime they meet up it's all about their work, every so often one would apologise to me and say something like "oh god, you must be sick hearing about all this", and then carry on nattering about it!

My wife & her friends are terrible for this, she's working all hours these days & struggles to talk about anything else...

not good. not good for her & not a lot of joy for me.

i cut her slack cos of the hours she is working, but when a group of her buddies gather & just talk about work (&/or babies), that's just ignorant.

I've started marking a few of their cards too, if that's ALL they have to offer....so this should be fun

Blowfish · 17-06-2014 10:18AM

I don't go out of my way to talk about work, especially as it's in a field that most peoples eyes will glaze over when I mention it. I do work with one of my flatmates though, so it naturally does come up a fair bit there.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 17-06-2014 10:56AM

I find it next to impossible to leave work at work due to a couple of reasons.

1. My girlfriend works in the same sector and we have similar jobs, with similar concerns.

2. My team are really nice, but my colleagues, situated elsewhere, are swine humping sacks of moldy mucus. Absolute dogs, they cause hell and get away with it. I have discussed this with my manager over the past year and it only changes from time to time. I have set myself a survival goal of 12 months. If I get through that I will be happy.

3. Flexibilty only exists if it involves being flexible for the company. There are times mentioned in our contracts, but our colleagues are the ones who set our times. We work for as long as it takes to get the work done. If that's 1 or 2 am... then tough poo. If you don't do it, it won't end well for you. You will be labelled as "difficult to work with" or "disinterested in the success of the company".

4. Managers only back you up when there's no 3rd party involved. Once another party is involved, they are unable to take the heat and end up bending under pressure... every single time...

Yea, I really hate my job.

Malari · 17-06-2014 11:03AM

I only talk about work with a couple of people who work in the same sector. If I try to explain what I do to anyone else their eyes glaze over within seconds. I think even some of my family and close friends don't really know what I do. Like Chandler. Sigh.

BeerWolf · 17-06-2014 11:20AM

Yeah, I can imagine...

Listening to a Gastroenterologist all day, seriously... what an ass!

awec · 17-06-2014 11:21AM

I absolutely hate talking about work. Honestly can people not think of a better conversation starter than "how's work?" all the time? Every time I go home it seems this is the default question for people to ask when they haven't seen me in a while. Boring.

When my girlfriend and her mates talk about their work I just completely zone out. Not interested.

jimgoose · 17-06-2014 11:25AM

Matt_Trakker wrote: »

You should probably change your job to one you like so. If you liked it you'd talk about it.

I like my job. Always have. The problem is the only people with whom I could talk about it, were I thus inclined, are Martians! :pac::pac::pac:

miss no stars · 17-06-2014 11:28AM

Not really, I actually quite like what I work at now but work stays in work. Better for your health that way. If stuff related to work comes up naturally in conversation I won't refuse to talk about it, but it'd be rare that I bring something up unless it's quite interesting.

My dad, on the other hand, never shuts up about work be it his job, my job, my brother's job... Fcuk. What's more is he really picks his moments, I'll pop my head into the sitting room to say goodnight and he'll suddenly be giving me an in-depth questioning about minutiae that requires a detailed explanation. Jesus. Right before bed. Makes me feel murderous. I've tried telling him not to bring it up when I'm about to go to bed but he sees no issue with talking shop right before bed. I'm the type where if my mind's going that's it - damned if I'm getting to sleep. So I have an evening wind down routine that works lovely and I get off to sleep around 11, unless he meddles with it and I get a grilling about something. Ugh. The gas thing is, he's the exact same but even with 30 years on me, hasn't worked out that talking shop before bed makes your mind too active to sleep. o.O

hallo dare · 17-06-2014 11:30AM

My work is left at the work gate every evening and will only come back into my life at work time the next morning.

Work is work and should be treated as such. The day is short enough without bringing it home with you.

As one lad once said to me, " If you cannot do your days work inside the days work hours then maybe you shouldn't be in that job", and he's not even a boss.:D:D

17-06-2014 11:30AM

awec wrote: »

I absolutely hate talking about work. Honestly can people not think of a better conversation starter than "how's work?" all the time? Every time I go home it seems this is the default question for people to ask when they haven't seen me in a while. Boring.

When my girlfriend and her mates talk about their work I just completely zone out. Not interested.

While my usual answer is "grand yeah" and then I drop it, I can understand the questioning - it is about a third of our lives spent there and can cause an awful lot of stress if things are going badly
Same answer to people who wonder why others ask them what they do for a living

daithi7 · 17-06-2014 11:34AM

miss no stars wrote: »

Not really, I actually quite like what I work at now but work stays in work. Better for your health that way. If stuff related to work comes up naturally in conversation I won't refuse to talk about it, but it'd be rare that I bring something up unless it's quite interesting.

My dad, on the other hand, never shuts up about work be it his job, my job, my brother's job... Fcuk. What's more is he really picks his moments, I'll pop my head into the sitting room to say goodnight and he'll suddenly be giving me an in-depth questioning about minutiae that requires a detailed explanation. Jesus. Right before bed. Makes me feel murderous. I've tried telling him not to bring it up when I'm about to go to bed but he sees no issue with talking shop right before bed. I'm the type where if my mind's going that's it - damned if I'm getting to sleep. So I have an evening wind down routine that works lovely and I get off to sleep around 11, unless he meddles with it and I get a grilling about something. Ugh. The gas thing is, he's the exact same but even with 30 years on me, hasn't worked out that talking shop before bed makes your mind too active to sleep. o.O

chuckle, chuckle, sorry for laughing but I can totally identify with all of that.

I have a mum just like your dad, she brings up 'the work question' right before bed time. And I have an active mind & can't think of work after 11 or I'll be awake for hours!! & yes the gas thing is, she is exactly the same....

must go with the territory I guess!

Drakares · 17-06-2014 11:53AM

What's wrong with talking about work outside of work? If you have a sh1te job that you don't like then fair enough, but I for one love what I do. I find it extremely interesting and do talk about it at outside of work.

Vojera · 17-06-2014 11:56AM

I pick my wife up from her job on the way home from work. We talk about work on the drive home (about 15 minutes) and that's usually it unless it was a particularly eventful day.

I used to be in a much more interesting job, but it was really stressful and there was no such thing as leaving your work at the door; it was all I used to think about because I was always under so much pressure. Now I'm in a "boring" job that I actually love (surprisingly) and once it hits 5pm I get to go home and be happy. In the nine months since I started the "boring" job, I can honestly say that my mental health has been boosted tenfold.

Tar.Aldarion · 17-06-2014 12:05PM

I only talk about it when asked, but I do try to make it sound exciting then, blackhawk helicopter this, obama that :pac:
Apart from that no, no interest.

awec · 17-06-2014 12:28PM

Drakares wrote: »

What's wrong with talking about work outside of work? If you have a sh1te job that you don't like then fair enough, but I for one love what I do. I find it extremely interesting and do talk about it at outside of work.

I love what I do to - doesn't mean I want to talk about it all the time. Nor do I presume that those people I am talking to particularly care to talk about it.

It's just a bit boring. Some people are worse than others - for some people it seems their entire life revolves around work and they can talk about nothing else. These people are not interesting people to spend time with.

You have to maintain a work life balance IMO. If work starts creeping in to the life bit of that then there's a problem. When I leave on a Friday that's me switched off until Monday.

steddyeddy · 17-06-2014 12:30PM

Well I work in research and I love science so it's hard not to talk about work.

17-06-2014 01:46PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Well I work in research and I love science so it's hard not to talk about work.

I work in a different field of research. I'll talk my head off about it with people in the same field, but otherwise I don't because what I find stunningly interesting other people would probably find stultifyingly boring.

barney 20v · 17-06-2014 01:51PM

I am actually not allowed to speak about my work outside work!
My contract is very tight on protection of info etc

sbsquarepants · 17-06-2014 01:59PM

WhiteWalls wrote: »

. My girlfriend and her nurse friends can spend hours talking about blow jobs.

That's how I read it - they're all in uniform too! Well except the naked ones:D

Caliden · 17-06-2014 02:07PM

If I'm out with friends from work it will inevitably come up in conversation and we'll slag off each other/managers.

End of the day it's only a bit of banter and nothing too serious. Wouldn't be having a full blown official-esque meeting while out

steddyeddy · 17-06-2014 02:36PM

Candie wrote: »

I work in a different field of research. I'll talk my head off about it with people in the same field, but otherwise I don't because what I find stunningly interesting other people would probably find stultifyingly boring.

I can't get my head around that Candie. Everyone should find it interesting (it's not me it's them :pac:). For instance carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme which converts carbon dioxide in the blood to bicarbonate thereby controlling the PH of the blood. The reaction normally happens relatively slow but the enzyme converts 1 million molecules a second :O.

WhiteWalls · 17-06-2014 02:39PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

I can't get my head around that Candie. Everyone should find it interesting (it's not me it's them :pac:). For instance carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme which converts carbon dioxide in the blood to bicarbonate thereby controlling the PH of the blood. The reaction normally happens relatively slow but the enzyme converts 1 million molecules a second :O.

I couldn't have put it any better myself

17-06-2014 02:41PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

I can't get my head around that Candie. Everyone should find it interesting (it's not me it's them :pac:). For instance carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme which converts carbon dioxide in the blood to bicarbonate thereby controlling the PH of the blood. The reaction normally happens relatively slow but the enzyme converts 1 million molecules a second :O.

They should but they ju....zzzz...zzzz...zzzz...zzzz

Czarcasm · 17-06-2014 03:31PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

I can't get my head around that Candie. Everyone should find it interesting (it's not me it's them :pac:). For instance carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme which converts carbon dioxide in the blood to bicarbonate thereby controlling the PH of the blood. The reaction normally happens relatively slow but the enzyme converts 1 million molecules a second :O.

As chat-up lines go eddy, that's a bit of a mouthful!

I love the work I do though between my IT work and my voluntary work, but the reason I don't talk about my work is because IT bores most people to tears, and my voluntary work involves people in difficult circumstances, not exactly topics for light-hearted conversation!

beks101 · 17-06-2014 04:27PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

I can't get my head around that Candie. Everyone should find it interesting (it's not me it's them :pac:). For instance carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme which converts carbon dioxide in the blood to bicarbonate thereby controlling the PH of the blood. The reaction normally happens relatively slow but the enzyme converts 1 million molecules a second :O.

In all seriousness, this kind of sh1t I love to hear about. I love learning about what other people do for a living because 9 times out of 10 it's totally unrelatable to what I do and a world of which I have little knowledge or experience.

Don't really get when people say that those who talk about their jobs all the time are boring. Why? What if they have a really damn interesting/important job? What if they work for the CIA? Or are a presidential speech writer? Or a neurosurgeon? Or an aircraft test pilot? Or a panda nanny? I'm always utterly enthralled to be in the company of anyone with an interesting job and love hearing all the associated on-the-job stories.

My boyfriend's an engineer who builds life-saving medical equipment for large hospitals and on one of our first dates we spent 20 minutes watching a machine-simulation video where I got to see exactly what he does and exactly how highly skilled and technical he has to be every day at work. It was fascinating stuff and gave me an insight into his completely left-brained mindset and even at that stage, gave me a better understanding of him.

I love people who love what they do. I love people who rave about it and are just so thirsty for you to understand - it's always a learning opportunity and a bit of insight into who they are and how their minds work. Tbh I'd find the people who don't really give a sh1t and find zero mental stimulation or interest or motivation in what they spend most of their lives doing a lot more boring.

Naked Lepper · 17-06-2014 04:37PM

try to keep it an absolute minimum around friends as it can be painfully boring to hear someone harp on about work for too long. my jobs not that interesting that people want to hear the details of it really so i keep that in mind and everyone's a winner. i probably think about work a bit too much though but i keep it to myself heh.

Czarcasm · 17-06-2014 05:08PM

beks101 wrote: »

Don't really get when people say that those who talk about their jobs all the time are boring. Why? What if they have a really damn interesting/important job? What if they work for the CIA? Or are a presidential speech writer? Or a neurosurgeon? Or an aircraft test pilot? Or a panda nanny? I'm always utterly enthralled to be in the company of anyone with an interesting job and love hearing all the associated on-the-job stories.

...

Tbh I'd find the people who don't really give a sh1t and find zero mental stimulation or interest or motivation in what they spend most of their lives doing a lot more boring.

I guess I can only speak for myself here really but when I meet new people, I'm not particularly interested in what they do for a living. I'm more interested in them as a person. I know what you mean about getting a better insight into a person or a better understanding of what motivates them, but if you were to take for example a gynecologist... I'm sure her work is fascinating, but I'd rather we talk about something else over dinner!

I was talking to a guy the other day who's unemployed right now, but yet here he was telling me about himself and his mates they recorded a charity single a few years back when the war in Bosnia was in the news, telling me about how he and his brother were driving a jeep down Sniper Alley throwing tins of beans out the windows, and how they organized aid convoys and all this mad shìt, and to see him light up like that when he talked about himself, that's more interesting to me than, y'know, mapping the human genome or whatever.

I guess I'm more of a people person than what they actually do or don't do for a living, in much the same way as when I'm off the clock, the last thing I want to be thinking about is shop talk. I'm also not gone on talking about economics, politics, etc. It's not that I can't talk about them, it's just that I don't find such subjects very interesting.

(Don't even get me started on sports!

)

LynnGrace · 17-06-2014 05:51PM

Czarcasm wrote: »

I guess I can only speak for myself here really but when I meet new people, I'm not particularly interested in what they do for a living. I'm more interested in them as a person. I know what you mean about getting a better insight into a person or a better understanding of what motivates them, but if you were to take for example a gynecologist... I'm sure her work is fascinating, but I'd rather we talk about something else over dinner!

I was talking to a guy the other day who's unemployed right now, but yet here he was telling me about himself and his mates they recorded a charity single a few years back when the war in Bosnia was in the news, telling me about how he and his brother were driving a jeep down Sniper Alley throwing tins of beans out the windows, and how they organized aid convoys and all this mad shìt, and to see him light up like that when he talked about himself, that's more interesting to me than, y'know, mapping the human genome or whatever.

I guess I'm more of a people person than what they actually do or don't do for a living, in much the same way as when I'm off the clock, the last thing I want to be thinking about is shop talk. I'm also not gone on talking about economics, politics, etc. It's not that I can't talk about them, it's just that I don't find such subjects very interesting.

(Don't even get me started on sports! )

I'm much the same, like what I do, but outside of work, and with friends am happy to talk about other things. Meeting new people, I am interested in chatting, about everything and anything, but certainly wont ask 'what do you do'.
I think some people use it as a measure of almost rating someone in their head, 'oh you have an 'important' job, must rate you'. I've pulled someone up on this question, on occasion, when I've heard them ask about someone 'what do they do'...when it has no relevance to the conversation.

I know someone who has no other topic of conversation apart from work, it's hard going, tbh. This person has no interest in what other people have to say, and drags the topic back, if anyone manages to change the subject, drone, drone..

Don't bring your work home with you.

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