Hanging Out with Coworkers Outside of Work

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At work, sometimes we tend to get friendly with some of our coworkers, especially if we have worked with each other for a long period of time.  Sometimes this leads to gatherings and outings after hours and on the weekends. 

However, this does lead to a few questions. For instance, would some of you consider such outings to be problematic or unprofessional?  What if the gatherings consist of only one manager, while the other attendees fulfill nonsupervisory rolls? Have any if you attended such gatherings? If so, did it affect your work performance? 

Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
7 hours ago, MPKH said:

I’ll go to the unit Christmas party

Wrongway Regional Medical Center, where I was employed for 17 years, had a big yearly Christmas Party/Awards Ceremony extravaganza and I never went to one.

It just didn't seem like it was worth it to put on my fake social mask and hang out with a bunch of people whose funerals I wouldn't attend.

On 5/7/2022 at 8:34 AM, Davey Do said:

Wrongway Regional Medical Center, where I was employed for 17 years, had a big yearly Christmas Party/Awards Ceremony extravaganza and I never went to one.

It just didn't seem like it was worth it to put on my fake social mask and hang out with a bunch of people whose funerals I wouldn't attend.

ROTFL

Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

To be honest, the unit I've worked on where I was by far the most invested and happiest was one where I *did* socialize with coworkers, including our manager and my shift's supervisor. It was mostly for unit holiday parties, an event for Nurses Week one year, and other things that everyone on the floor was invited to. I also hung out with a couple people individually that I was especially close to, or would grab breakfast with the crew after crazy shifts. I really liked feeling close to the people I worked with and having those fun shared memories, and I think by and large it was the reason I was more engaged in that unit than any I've worked at since.

My manager and I even collaborated on a non work-related hobby we shared for a bit, and it honestly never felt weird. I would not have felt comfortable doing that with any manager since, but I knew from experience that she could tell me about myself if needed, so favoritism wasn't a huge concern I had. ?

Things I learned...not the hard way, but more through near-misses:

-Watch the booze and know your limits! Preferably, stay conservatively under those limits.

-Be careful what you're texting to whom if you regularly communicate with people from work on your personal phone! ?

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