Seattle Nesties
Dear Community,

Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.

If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.

Thank you.

Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.

co-worker ettiquette

married PNW ladies, i need your advice.

my office has typical happy hours where all who want go out for drinks together and some end up staying our really late drinking. we've hired a whole lot of new people so we've been going out a lot to acquaint with all the new people. i've been with the company for a month now. there is a single guy co-worker that helped me out in a stressful situation my second day of work. he is also the one that organizes the happy hours. he's a few years older than me and been with the company for a few years. after my first happy hour he emails "Would you like to grab a drink next week? Not a typical happy hour, just a get-out-of-the-office type of thing? depending on your schedule." trying not to think much of it since i've clearly mentioned DH around him SEVERAL times, i agreed to go to get to know him, about the office, get advice on the area since we just moved here, etc. beforehand I thought he was gay so i didn't think much of it. i told DH about it that night and though he's not the jealous type, he kept joking about it being a date. of course that made it awkward (at least before the drinks came). turns out he?s not gay and made an extra effort this week when planning tonight?s group happy hour to try a place for beer or cocktails since he knows that?s what I like. now the latest is he?s asked me out for lunch next week.

Is this just me freaking out? I?m from the south and there most people don?t go out with someone of the opposite sex alone due to the rumor mill. Tell me what you think, is it wrong for a single guy co-worker to ask a female married new co-worker out for drinks or lunch or coffee, just the 2 of them or am i overanalyzing? I am an uptight Bible-belt Christian who just doesn?t put herself in situations that could make her falter (not that I would I just know how uncomfortable it has made DH and I respect him too much to jeopardize his trust).

we?ll see how said co-worker acts in a group setting at tonight?s happy hour. He is flirtatious with me which makes me feel like a need to have a conversation with him about only hanging out with crowds or on the weekend when DH can tag along.

Jackie & Joe...May 19, 2007...Raleigh, NC
March 2011 moved to WA from Charleston, SC
live in Mill Creek, work in Seattle, DH works in Mt Vernon

Re: co-worker ettiquette

  • I don't think you're crazy and obviously there are two sides to every story (or two ways of interpreting actions), but it does sound 'inappropriate' IMO (not in the "omg he's going to do something!"), just that it seems pretty forward to me.  I have guy friends, but I don't think we would just grab lunch one-on-one.  I think some people do have that kind of relationship (so not saying it isn't possible), but not this fast.
  • I definitely have male co-workers that I have occassionally had lunch or a drink w/, but I think only after working w/ them and haning out in groups for a while.  But, generally, it's pretty awkward and I'd assume he's interested in you.  Not in every case, but you're the best judge of that.  But, if he's asked you out solo twice so quickly and is flirtatious, I'd make excuses to avoid spending any more time alone with him.
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • judging by your background and where you're from, yes i would say this is "inappropriate". however..i go on "dates" all the time, and h and i call them that (as a joke). i will go out 1:1 with males, or even with his group of friends and i am their "date". as long as you and male coworker know where to draw the line, there's nothing wrong with it...but if it makes you uncomfortable, then there's no reason to put yourself in that situation.
    ♥ bfp2 02/15/2012 ♥ edd 10/23/2013 ♥
    ♥ bfp1 06/14/2011 ♥ edd 02/22/2012 ♥
    ♥ baby jennlin born on 02/15/2012 ♥

    image
    who says you can only wear your wedding dress once?

    honeymoon biomarried bioplanning bio
    jumped ship to the new and improved nest. back to TB for baby boards.
  • imagejennlin:
    judging by your background and where you're from, yes i would say this is "inappropriate". however..i go on "dates" all the time, and h and i call them that (as a joke). i will go out 1:1 with males, or even with his group of friends and i am their "date". as long as you and male coworker know where to draw the line, there's nothing wrong with it...but if it makes you uncomfortable, then there's no reason to put yourself in that situation.

    this. 

  • jsvb14jsvb14 member
    thanks ladies for the confirmation. he's definitely too flirty to hang out with alone.  until DH meets him and is comfortable with him as a guy not trying to persue his wife, i'll just make sure to invite others in the office when he wants to hang out. i'm starting to get to know a few other people pretty well now. the hard thing is i enjoy hanging out with guy friends more than girls typically. i know i need to make more girl friends (the reason i'm on the nest), but most of the cool kids are the guys. at least almost all the new hires lately have been girls, which is not the norm in my industry.
    Jackie & Joe...May 19, 2007...Raleigh, NC
    March 2011 moved to WA from Charleston, SC
    live in Mill Creek, work in Seattle, DH works in Mt Vernon
  • Yeah if he's flirty I wouldn't go down that path.  It starts to seem pretty inappropriate and disrespectful to your husband exactly like in the south.   It's one of those things your really have to feel out as to what his intentions are.  
    Daisypath - Personal pictureDaisypath Anniversary tickers
  • imageuwhuskygirl:

    imagejennlin:
    judging by your background and where you're from, yes i would say this is "inappropriate". however..i go on "dates" all the time, and h and i call them that (as a joke). i will go out 1:1 with males, or even with his group of friends and i am their "date". as long as you and male coworker know where to draw the line, there's nothing wrong with it...but if it makes you uncomfortable, then there's no reason to put yourself in that situation.

    this. 

    I'm totally with Jennlin on this one. It's not inherently inappropriate, and I go out for things with guy friends one-on-one without hesitation... but those're people who're already friends of mine, and most of those are friends with my husband, too. Random male coworker asking me for some non-work one-on-one time for social reasons would make me feel awkward.

    Tbh, I'd make a point of either asking other people along/asking who else he planned to invite, or mentioning my husband a lot, or, if you can do it in just the right tone, being like, "You know, I totally thought you were gay!"

    He might just be one of those flirtatious people who doesn't think about it, or he may be interested in you and not realise that you're not "that kind of girl", as it were. Regardless, if you're not 100% comfortable alone with him... don't be alone with him.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Anniversary
  • Sometimes, this website sucks. Editing dupes.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Anniversary
  • Sometimes, this website sucks. Editing dupes.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Anniversary
  • imagesoralette:
    imageuwhuskygirl:

    imagejennlin:
    judging by your background and where you're from, yes i would say this is "inappropriate". however..i go on "dates" all the time, and h and i call them that (as a joke). i will go out 1:1 with males, or even with his group of friends and i am their "date". as long as you and male coworker know where to draw the line, there's nothing wrong with it...but if it makes you uncomfortable, then there's no reason to put yourself in that situation.

    this. 

    I'm totally with Jennlin on this one. It's not inherently inappropriate, and I go out for things with guy friends one-on-one without hesitation... but those're people who're already friends of mine, and most of those are friends with my husband, too. Random male coworker asking me for some non-work one-on-one time for social reasons would make me feel awkward.

    Tbh, I'd make a point of either asking other people along/asking who else he planned to invite, or mentioning my husband a lot, or, if you can do it in just the right tone, being like, "You know, I totally thought you were gay!"

    He might just be one of those flirtatious people who doesn't think about it, or he may be interested in you and not realise that you're not "that kind of girl", as it were. Regardless, if you're not 100% comfortable alone with him... don't be alone with him.

    I agree with Jennlin and Soralette. It may just be his personality, but your comfort level is the most important.

    That being said, I definitely go on what could be considered "dates" for coffee/lunch with some of my male coworkers, but more than half the time others come along too.  

Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards