Woman Warns Workers That Being Antisocial At Work Is A Privilege Only Reserved For People Who Are Excellent At Their Jobs
She argued that making an effort with colleagues and managers will leave a good impression and help with job security.
bbernard | Shutterstock Most people would readily admit that they only show up to work for the money and not to make friends or be social with colleagues and managers.
However, a content creator named Brittni Rambeaux argued that to play the "corporate game," people need to realize that making an effort to socialize and show your face at different work events and around the office is often non-negotiable.
She claimed being antisocial at work is a privilege only reserved for those who are excellent at their jobs.
Rambeaux explained that for people who are simply "good" or just "not excellent," personality and relationship building with co-workers becomes essential. She said if any parts of your role at work require improvement, you should take that as an opportunity to seek community with those that are around you.
"You need to be asking your boss how his/her daughter's dance recital went. You need to be active and present in the Slack channel and the Teams' chat if you work from home," she said. "You need to shine in other ways."
The crux of her reasoning centers on the fact that if you aren't the type of employee who gives their all, is late on deadlines, or doesn't finish projects when requested, you aren't entitled to being antisocial with co-workers.
Rambeaux admitted that she doesn't need to be performative at work because she actually enjoys her job and being friends with her co-workers outside of the office.
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In 2019, Diane Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in business etiquette training, told the Medium publication Forge that people should "really consider attending" structured work events that have been planned in advance and hosted by their employers, even if they just stay for long enough for their co-workers to remember they were there."
"Really, any kind of formal office event, whether it's a summer picnic or a holiday party, should be considered what I call 'mandatory fun,'" she said.
Workers have felt forced to socialize with their co-workers for fear of being fired.
In a TikTok video, a woman named Natalie Ulwelling admitted that she was fired from one of the best jobs she ever had with no warning because of her lack of interaction with customers. While it didn't have to do with socializing amongst her colleagues, the pressure to be a sociable employee is something that still greatly affects job security.
Ulwelling explained that she'd been called into a meeting with her managers, who told her that they noticed on the security cameras that she wasn't interacting with the customers enough, and they wanted an employee who did. Thinking they were just giving her feedback to start using from now on, Ulwelling agreed that the criticism was fair and would be an easy fix for her to implement.
Sure, employees shouldn't feel the need to be overly friendly to their co-workers, colleagues, or even customers, but just making an effort to maintain a basic level of rapport can help with creating a positive work environment and potentially safeguard against sudden consequences, such as being seen as disengaged or lacking commitment to the job and company.
As a solution, Adam Waytz, a faculty member at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, suggested that companies can do more to promote positive morale by giving employees back their free time.
"Let people go home, let them spend time with their families, let them head to the bar and check out Tinder, let them play in a band and record an album," he explained in the Harvard Business Review. "Rather than mandating 'fun,' give them a day off, and watch their social lives flourish and their loneliness fade away."
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.