Never give out info people
I learned from experience that you should never give out information to ANYONE at work. Even your so called friends that you think are friends that are really close with you will leak your info so fast. Oh, and management friends will leak your info faster than you can say "manager".
I worked for a non profit outfit recently and about a month into the job, for some reason, it had leaked that I had not filed my taxes since 2002 (which I haven't). The only person I told this to was a so called "friend" at work and it spread like wildfire. My friend was someone on the leadership team, but even managers bust a gut spreading crap around the office. She spread my business all over that three floor office. I was very angry at her and started making her job miserable by not abiding by the rules and she had to basically "deal" with me daily on something that I did wrong. I drove her crazy and about a year into the job, girlfriend quit. It was basically said that why would someone work in finance with financial problems. I have money, just have not filed taxes. Why you ask? Duh we owe money.
DO NOT TELL MANAGEMENT, YOUR FRIEND(S), YOUR IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR OR MANAGER, THE JANITOR, OR EVEN THE POST MAN YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB. If you need to call someone back, get in your car and go ride somewhere and go call. There are "cojacks" at your workplace that will wonder what you are up to and will of course assume the worst that you are looking for another job. They will make sure they listen to your conversations and get quiet when you get on the phone. They might even go try and find you (as my crazy cubicle neighbor used to do). Yes, she would go look for me if I wasn't at my desk. Just to drive her crazy, I would go to the restroom on the 2nd floor. LOL
Do not give any information at work, no plans, nothing. Once you do, you are basically out of the "circle" so to speak and they will try and make you quit, or either, make your job so miserable that you want to quit. I am home and unemployed because I decided to take the high road and tell them I was not happy in the position and I was looking. They let me go the next day. Now I have no income. Don't give that company any information, they only care that you are going to stay there and work for them. If they get wind you are looking, you might as well pack up of your cube or desk because the "let go" will be next.
Thank you for such good advice! If someone had not given you a five-star rating, I would have.
Let me add something else: Be very careful if you are out and about and in a public place, not to gossip about anyone or anything pertaining to work. You would be surprised how small the world gets. Someone can overhear you, know the person you're talking about, and get to them as soon as possible.
A close friend and I used to go out for lunch or breakfast quite frequently when I worked at Pratt and Whitney fourteen years ago. We would sit in the booth and either keep our voices very low or refrain from saying anything about anybody at work, You never know who is sitting in the next booth and hears your conversation. Don't mention anyone's name.
If we were in the mood to complain or vent about stuff at work, we spoke on the phone or in the privacy of our homes and not in public.
Bunzo
I guess it should be obvious that you shouldn't tell someone that you've been committing a crime for the last 5 years. I guess it should be obvious that someone who works in finance should have more integrity than to muck up their own taxes to this degree.
Pay your taxes. After 5 years, this is getting to the end of the road. They're going to catch up with you soon and your next boss will find out when they garnish your wages or arrest you in the office. That's going to reflect very poorly on someone in finance.
Tess
At work I never talk about my personal life or whatever is happening with me. I tell those who like to gather information that I am a private person and do not like divulging information about me. If the press it, I tell them I am a spy. If it gets out then I know who spread the rumor.
Office gossip is juicy news. The most common and most interesting ones are the ones where infidelity or extra martial affairs are concerned. Like who is sleeping with which co-worker and so forth. Or, rumors that someone is pregnant.
People who do this are loners. They need to get attention and gossip usually satisfies their need to feel important or within the loop.
When I need to speak about something personal I usually speak a foreign language I know these other people do not know. For example, I was talking to a friend in an American-Indian dialect about something very personal and several people within ear reach asked me about that conversation. People's ears become very sharp when they want to listen in on someone elses conversations!
Today many people think its ok to get into someone's business. Its even wise to take your medication away from other people. If your looking for a job, don't have your cell phone on. If you have given your cell phone to a recruiter of an agency, then an ignorant recruiter will call you at work. Now you know why many people go to their cars for breaks, to make personal phone calls.
During lunch and after work, I have driven far enough away. Because it is my business while on the phone. Especially do this if you are working temporary or contract, your such a easy target. If you are called, don't say anything about looking. Say, I can't talk right now.
I once had a file at my work station, marked with my name on it. Personal info was hidden, this was on break. The temporary supervisor read into my personal file, that was strictly none of his business. When your working for a client or even permanent, keep all private info out in the car or home. No respect for privacy, its not like I kept out on the desk not in a folder!
Our country is free, but personal information is not protected. It is ok to be a loner, some times I love my privacy.
"When I need to speak about something personal I usually speak a foreign language I know these other people do not know."
A few years ago, a co-worker who happened to work in a cubicle next to mine told me that she could hear me use another language on the phone and in conversations with a certain co-worker from time to time and found it offensive. I asked her why it was important to her to understand my private conversations. I'm not sure how she expected me to respond, but my response seems to have offended her, lol. I guess the more private you are, the harder some people try to figure you out, and the more upset they become if they can't. Although, you have to feel bad for people who have so little going on in their own lives, they have to look for excitement in someone else's.
...they will not throw you in jail for not paying, if you are willing to get in contact with them, and make payment arrangements.
Exactly. And someone who works in finance knows that too. They should really know better and deal with it before it gets to that point. After 5 years it is long past time to do something about it.
Tess
I think failiure to pay your taxes is the least of your problems. After only one month of employment, you confided to your "friend" that you hadn't paid your taxes? Then you were surprised when that "friend" spread the news? You "drove her crazy." At-work Kojaks? Please ...
Non-profits don't have the time or the budget to indulge employees who are immature, indiscreet and vindictive. You were probably fired for all those reasons, yet you have a gift for shifting that responsibility onto other people.
That bald guy down the hall, do you suppose he's a Kojak?
"on-profits don't have the time or the budget to indulge employees who are immature, indiscreet and vindictive"
What else do the have to do? I've seen more silly nonsense at non profits than any real company would put up with.