this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2024
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This happens in Germany.

Work culture doesn't fit my personality: I don't talk much, I keep to myself, I simply want to do my job and go home, I separate my personal life from work, my colleagues are full fledged gossips, ignore the duties that need to be done and then expect me to help them when they are late. I don't have patience for that crap anymore.

Due to internal regulations, I have to stay on the unit for 4 weeks after sending my notice. Answering honestly the question of why I'm quitting would ensure that they yell at me and bully me, and I don't want to experience that again. Even saying 'it's none of your business' ensures that they feel insulted and start yelling. I have decided I don't have patience for people like that anymore.

So, what do I say?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I signed an NDA

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Personal obligations I can't discuss for the sake of someone else's privacy

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

The mothership has been signalled and I must prepare the bunker.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

"My work here is done"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

Give them a boring answer them leave weird shit for them to find like maps to exotic places in your trash bin and secret coded messages in the photocopy machine

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

You’re being voluntarily committed

You’re going underground with a raf cell

You’re pursuing your lifelong dream of living on a houseboat in Miami

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (1 children)

“New job pays X euros more” and make up random number. That’ll shut em up

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Alternatively, and this has happened to me, they may offer to match the number. When a former boss did this it did get a bit awkward and I had to say "No, I honestly just don't like it here and tbe fact that you're offering me a 60% raise as I walk out the door after never giving reasonable CoL increases just cements that more." I fucking hate squeaky wheel driven compensation, it's stressful and makes employment unnecessarily adversarial (employment is an inherently adversarial activity in most of the world so you don't need to make it even worse).

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Good for you for having conviction.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

At this point OP has already signed a new contract though. Also I’d make up a ridiculous number to sow doubt among the asshats.

But yeah the ‘you could have offered me a raise before to avoid all this’ is a good point.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago

There are already a lot of good answers here, so instead I’ll offer you a game you might enjoy.

For context, I used to have the same problem, but I stumbled into a hack that turns it into a fun pastime rather than a nuisance or concern, and now it’s one of my favorite parts of taking up a new post.

What: Seed your own wild rumors by baiting known gossips with decoys.

How: While I’m often surprised by which rumors have legs, it seems prompt technique is the key controllable factor. Prompts that are more off-hand, indirect, and opaque seem to cultivate rumors with better proliferation and more colorful embellishments. I’m not sure why less is more here, but my theory is that the more gossips have to make up, the more they “own” their version of your story and the better they are at selling it. If necessary, you can drop some facts here and there (use only truths) but in general try to avoid details. Gossips are insanely good at filling these in on your behalf.

Who: This part is easiest. Gossips will always come to you. Usually they are some of the first people to approach you at your new job, looking for the scoop. The first you meet are usually the defacto gossip leads, but the rest reveal themselves quickly, especially if your rumors are good. You will learn to recognize them by the way they sidle up in the break room or pry opportunistically in conversation, however the easiest sign is that they respond to evasiveness and deflection in the opposite way others do.

Why:

  1. Reconciling their conflicting versions of your personal story and private life disrupts their rumor mill internally and erodes their legitimacy externally.
  2. You have the unique pleasure of receiving, over time, fragments of “your story.” This has utility for tracing the leaks and determining network composition, but mostly it’s just hilarious to see what they come up with, and interesting to know the versions of you that people will entertain.
  3. As to social risk, so far none of my rumors have developed into anything terribly embarrassing — usually what they come up with is far more interesting than reality, sometimes even flattering — but the few times I’ve had to correct a story in conversation it was met with instant acceptance of the more realistic take. Most people know to take hearsay with a grain of salt.
  4. I suppose the gossips might be mad if they realized you were toying with them, but I suspect they would just treat you as a dry well and leave you alone, which also solves your problem.
  5. It’s relatively victimless as mischief goes. You don’t even have to lie. In fact it works better if you don’t.
  6. And it requires almost no effort.

TL;DR: You can bait the nosy nellies into writing fan fiction for you. It’s easy, fun, and good for the environment. Your personality traits make you a natural at this game —others might need to tone down their instinct to overshare or practice being pointedly vague — but if in doubt just remember, storytelling is the gossips’ job and you are their humble yet beloved muse.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

It isn't any of their business unless you want it to be so just be vague as hell. "I got another offer that is a good opportunity." "I've decided to pursue other opportunities." They'll obviously ask questions and you can just remain vague. "I would rather not discuss specific details of my new job."

Or if you don't mind them speculating behind your back you can say as something like "I've decided to move on for personal reasons." Just leave it at that and let them sit there and wonder. Is a family member sick and needs care? Are you sick? Did you get a different job? Do you hate everyone? Are you going to prison? Who knows because you aren't telling them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Because I don't work here anymore.

Why are you yelling?

But if you have legitimate gripes about them making you do their work why not tell them? You are leaving, it's not like they can do anything about it now, but if it's their fault (for lack of a better word) why not just say so?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

By not making the last 4 weeks a living hell. Maybe you can even keep some bridges by not incinerating them to hell.
We have the saying "We will always meet another time" in Germany for a reason. No reason to be a dick and be polite and professional.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Because HR and I do not agree on what constitutes sexual harassment, so I choose to take my talent elsewhere.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Fucking hell, even just saying that would terrify employers enough to STFU.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Just say: "many reasons" , and if they keep pressing you: "I'd rather not elaborate"

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (1 children)

"I got an offer I couldn't refuse." and leave it at that! The offer might as well be just 'not having to deal with you guys anymore'.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

That's a glorious response.
But if they probe into it more say, OP should say that they signed an NDA for now due to rules/laws.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Just tell them, "Bubatz ist jetzt legal!"

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago

Say something like:

“It’s best not to discuss such details at this time”

Which will tell them, yes, there is a good reason, no, I can’t tell you since I don’t trust you.

You will never get in trouble for something like that since you literately are not saying anything.

The bonus part is that if the coworker is cool, they can just reach out to you a week or two after you left and you can be honest if you think they are worth it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

By the time I quit a place, the reasons are well-known. I guess I'm lucky that way! :-D

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

My cat has asthma, we're moving to a drier climate.

It's the triple boring combo of pets, manageable illness, and moving.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 months ago

Say you make more money from your Only Fans. I just makes more sense to do it full time now.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

Krankenschein regelt.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago

Just start crying everytime and say nothing. They will get unconfortable and leave.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago

You're kinda asking non German people how to deal with German people I'm not sure you'll get what you're looking for here

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Say you are working for a family member (helping your dad with his company or sth.). A colleague once had to go help his parents with their small company and no one questioned it a bit. No "better pay?" or "man you are moving far away!" just "oh, well good luck".

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

"what kind of businesa is it? what are you going to ne doing there? when will you be back? " etc, etc, etc. this and a lot of other responses [lies] in this thread will invite pletora of questions from gossiping types which is what op is trying to avoid.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

If you risk people yelling at you for stopping, simply tell them there's too much yelling and drama for you.

Also if you have paid sick leave you could simply get ill depending on where you are and on union agreements at least here where I am, the employer has no right to know why you are sick. Just that you are. After a certain number of days/weeks they can ask for a doctors notice that you indeed can't work. But still the proof does not need to explain your illness. It just needs to confirm that you are not able to work. Most doctors will understand the strain of having to be somewhere where youre under this sort of pressure

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

Yeah I second this. OP's workplace sounds toxic as hell, so getting a doctors note for being stressed out is fine I think.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago

They caught me pissing in the water jug from the kitchen. Shrug. Guess I'm out.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Will they find out that you quit? Would your supervisor tell them?

Also can't you just use your remaining vacations and call in sick to reduce the amount of time interacting with them?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Just a note on this one. He may not have told his supervisor, at least where I live you don't have to tell them why.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Not the reason, just that they quit. Some supervisors wouldn't tell the staff for a number of reasons

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I have been activated. Сука Блядь Comrades!
Будем здоровы!

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