Has your office become a little bit too comfortable? People wearing slippers, bringing dogs, having long lunches together, and maybe even engaging in office romance?
The COVID-19 pandemic is way behind us, and yet, its effect on the work culture is unprecedented.
We might not have learned how to use technology yet, as so many meetings still feel like spiritism séances, with someone trying to summon their colleagues by asking, “Are you there? Can you hear me?”
But we have certainly mastered to blur any boundaries that were left between our personal and professional spaces.
Have you ever walked on your coworker sleeping on a couch in the middle of the office?
Check.
Do you feel like you know more about someone’s marriage than you do about your own?
Check.
Have you ever been bombarded with a person’s medical information when you couldn’t even remember their name?
Check.
I could go on and on. It’s hilarious how watercooler chit-chat has transformed into nonchalantly ambushing a coworker with your private stuff.
I thought this might be my very personal experience until I stumbled upon this article from Business Insider, saying that Gen Z won’t stop oversharing.
I especially enjoyed the article’s idea that work-life balance isn’t about separating the two, but rather letting them bleed into each other a bit.
I observe with curiosity a marketing influencer whom I used to study with. Along with sharing useful marketing advice, she’s building her professional persona on top of her private self. Her social media posts are always interwoven with her motherhood joys and struggles, beauty tips, and her podcasts even feature her husband, where they talk about really private stuff.
Building that kind of persona makes sense for an influencer, I guess. But does it seem like we might be doing a little bit of the same thing in regular office settings?
There are a few people I am deeply afraid to ask how they are, because the answer is never a polite and short “fine”, but more like a five to ten minute rant at least.
According to Business Insider, the American workplace has become more empathetic, and that’s a positive shift from times when an ideal worker had to always be available and not speak up.
“When reporting for this story, I heard from one woman who had to explain to an intern that it wasn't OK to take her bra off in the office, and another whose manager told her some pretty extensive details about her birth, including her mother's episiotomy,” the article reads.
Employers might have pushed all inclusion and openness initiatives too far, as some employees have seemingly become unfiltered.
What are your thoughts? Head to the comment section to discuss.
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