Inappropriate Work Conversations

[rmanfredi]

Overheard my boss talking to his insurance agent yesterday about the DUI he had received the night before. And by "overheard," I mean "couldn't possibly avoid hearing it since my cubicle is 10 feet from his office and he left the door open." Apparently, a car pulled out of a driveway while he was on the road and he couldn't miss it. This also happened at around 6 p.m., from what I gather, at a location near our office. The fact that I was at work until 5:20 p.m. that day and my boss was still there when I left is disturbing, to say the least.

He didn't say anything to me about the DUI - I'm thinking that this was his passive-aggressive way to make sure I knew what had happened without him having to directly have a conversation with me. Why I would need to know in the first place, I have no idea.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has managed to overhear something they didn't need to/want to at work or get in a conversation that was wholly inappropriate for work.

 

[dooley_womack1]

I don't understand what the issue is. Sometimes real life has to be dealt with during work hours. And nothing was directed at you

 

[Iron_chet]

I have to admit that I was hoping for something more Penthouse Forumish when I clicked on this thread.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Way to be a newsy neighbor.

 

[imjustagirl]

The fact I wasn't the subject of this thread is really the upset of the century.

 

[rmanfredi]

I don't understand what the issue is. Sometimes real life has to be dealt with during work hours. And nothing was directed at you

I have no problem with him dealing with this on work time. Just don't do it with the door open to your office when there are people - your direct reports - 10 feet away from you. Shut your door, or go outside to have the call.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Shouldn't you be starting the who's going to be the new boss office pool rather than posting here?

And if your time sequence is correct, I can only assume he was drinking at work or chugs down beers and shots the minute he leaves the office.

 

[rmanfredi]

Shouldn't you be starting the who's going to be the new boss office pool rather than posting here?

And if your time sequence is correct, I can only assume he was drinking at work or chugs down beers and shots the minute he leaves the office.

Either that, or he stopped at the local bar and had a couple of quick shots before heading home. The weird part is that in the year I've been here, I've found him to be a very straight-laced, khaki pants and flat-top haircut type of guy. I've had several other bosses in the past who would have been much better candidates for this than him.

 

[rmanfredi]

Way to be a newsy neighbor.

To be fair, it was hard to hear everything, as the glass I was holding up to the wall slipped every once in a while.

 

[Armchair_QB]

The fact I wasn't the subject of this thread is really the upset of the century.

How YOU doin'?

 

[Double J]

I don't understand what the issue is. Sometimes real life has to be dealt with during work hours. And nothing was directed at you

I have no problem with him dealing with this on work time. Just don't do it with the door open to your office when there are people - your direct reports - 10 feet away from you. Shut your door, or go outside to have the call.

You must think a lot of yourself if you believe that him revealing these details in such a way is irrefutable evidence of passive-aggressive behaviour.

Did you ever think that, at that moment, the presence of someone near his office was of such insignificance to him that he simply forgot that other people might be able to hear his end of the conversation?

 

[rmanfredi]

I was being facetious about the passive-aggressive part. Again, the big issue is: shut your door or go outside if you are having a private conversation like that.

 

[Ace]

I was being facetious about the passive-aggressive part. Again, the big issue is: shut your door or go outside if you are having a private conversation like that.

Give the guy a break. He was probably drunk and not thinking straight.

 

[dooley_womack1]

"Hey, IJAG, would you take my checkered flag?"

 

[rmanfredi]

I would prefer this conversation be less about my boss and more about the time someone was telling their friend in the lunchroom about the case of crabs that they have.

 

[Ace]

I would prefer this conversation be less about my boss and more about the time someone was telling their friend in the lunchroom about the case of crabs that they have.

That's not lunchroom conversation. I usually save that for the guy at the next urinal.

 

[imjustagirl]

You don't have to tell him. He can see.

 

[KJIM]

The last two offices I have worked in have had exactly zero places you can go to make a private phone call (business or personal). Currently, my little desk area -- it's not even a cubicle; there are no barriers -- doesn't even have its own phone. I share with the guy next to me.

Everything you do is easily overheard by colleagues.

At my previous stop, there's one guy whose life (including the health of his ailing mother, which he had to deal on a regular basis) I could have I can tell you more about one guy in particular's life whose life I could have documented.

In crowded office spaces, there's only so much you can do.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

The guy I replaced at a previous gig turned in his resignation because he walked past the ME's desk one night and saw a termination letter on the monitor that was written by the ME for him.

 

[MTM]

One of the great things about cell phones is that these kinds of converstations can be taken outside or out of the earshot of others.

The only time I make a personal call from my work phone is if my cell battery dies.