Worker Claims Corporate Culture Doesn't Like Introverts — 'I Just Want To Do What I'm Paid For And Go Home'
They found that trying to keep their personal and professional life separate was an issue.
Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels The expectation for workers to socialize with their coworkers during outside hours, such as after work or during weekends, can be a complex issue that depends on various factors and individual preferences.
For one worker, they revealed that their personality is often a topic of conversation at their corporate job, and explained that they really only go to work to complete their job in a confessional posted to the subreddit "r/antiwork" — an online forum where people can share their work-related issues.
They pointed out that corporate culture isn't a good fit for people who are introverts.
In their Reddit post, the corporate employee explained that the jobs where they've either quit or been fired have happened because his introverted personality type clashes with the socializing aspect of being in the corporate world.
"I’m a good worker, and have always been told by upper management however I’m an introvert and don’t do anything besides work," they admitted. "Outside of my first job, I never went [to voluntary] meetings, work parties that were out of work/office hours."
On top of that, they claimed to never hang out with their colleagues, accept friend requests, or go out of their way to talk to their coworkers about topics that didn't pertain to work and assignments. Their personal life and work life were kept completely separate.
"I just did my job and left on time or when someone was able to release me," they added. "It also doesn’t help that I’m neurodivergent so I suck at social cues. I just want to do what I’m paid for and go home."
There can be a few issues with wanting employees to blur the lines between their professional and personal lives.
While some workers may enjoy socializing with their colleagues outside of work, it's not for everyone and shouldn't be a forced aspect of a company environment. People have different comfort levels with sharing their personal lives with colleagues.
Forcing employees to socialize outside of work might violate their privacy and make them uncomfortable.
There also seems to be this belief, mostly due to living in a capitalist society, that working long hours and staying behind to get involved in the work culture is seen as being dedicated and ambitious. This will only lead employees to feel that the only way they will be taken seriously or given promotions is if they sacrifice their only personal well-being.
In the comments section, people shared similar circumstances of being shamed for not wanting to socialize at work.
"I was fired from a job once after about 2 months because they thought I wasn’t interested in the job. Why [did they think] that? My manager thought I was 'too quiet' and 'didn’t ask enough questions,'" one Reddit user shared.
Another user added, "Office jobs are exhausting for me not because of the work but because of the energy it takes for me to pretend to be an extrovert and be extra conscious of how I present myself for eight hours a day."
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.