A new starter at the company I work for comes from a culture where it is socially acceptable to burp after a meal. This person burps two to three times a day in our open plan office. The problem is that my colleagues now make rude comments and joke about it behind their back.
This bothers me as I often interact with the person, so I don’t want them to become the laughing stock of the entire office. At the same time, as they don’t know this person well, my colleagues are uncomfortable about speaking to them about their concerns. I have tried gently dropping hints to the person but to no avail. Do you have any suggestions on how to clue them in?
Learning local social norms is an important part of being a newcomer at work.Credit: John Shakespeare
This is one of those workplace problems that looks small on the surface, but which could become more serious if it’s left unaddressed. Being an object of office ridicule, especially when you’re not deliberately provoking a negative reaction, is an awful position for anyone to be in.
I spoke with Dr Zitong Sheng about your question. She is a senior lecturer in management........