If you work in an office setting...
 

Do people at work say "good morning" or "goodbye" to each other? Is conversation allowed at all?

I have a friend who has a relatively new job (been there since last summer), and where she works apparently people just don't talk to one another. She mentioned that while grocery shopping she was watching the cashiers, and thinking that though they probably only make $9 / hour at least they are laughing and talking to one another.

If you work in an office, what is it like where you work?

(I feel bad for her... she's there for the money, but obviously not enjoying it.)

There are a couple of gems who don't have any interest in being friendly at all - I feel bad for them. The rest of us talk off and on all day. Busy working but always ready with a smile and an ear for a friend. We spend more than half our lives with these people, I think we should try to enjoy every minute we can.

Where I work we try and have a good time while we work. We had one employee that LOVED to make everyone miserable but thank goodness she left over a year ago. Conversation and laughter can make your work day seem shorter. I work in the hospital kitchen as the supervisor.
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I used to work at the telephone co. and we weren't allowed to talk one word while at work. The supervisor could see and hear all of us so no talk. It was pretty bad, but it put my husband thru college.

Maybe she could be the new trend setter by starting the day off with good morning everyone and everyone have a good evening as they all leave. Hopefully this would lead to more conversation amongst them. Just a suggestion coz personally I would go crazy working in that kind of environment.

I used to work at a place like that. I remember the first day I walked in I began to say Hey to everyone and they just kept looking a whatever they were doing. NO good morning, no hello, no nothing! Blew me away! I continued each and everyday to greet everyone and make sure to tell them goodbye as we all left. After a month or two, they finally caught on. It was amazing how they didn't realize how stuck up they seemed by not acknowledging each other. Before I left 5yrs later, Several told me how much I improved the atmosphere with my bright attitude each day. SO tell your freind to be her happy self and continue to greet each one each day. She can change the entire office to a better place with just a hello each morning.

Every where I've worked it's been nice. Nice enough anyway. Many years ago when working in Banking, one lady whom I'd worked with for years would come in bright and cheery. I wasn't awake yet!! I had to get up early and open the office and just am not a morning person. Still, I love getting along with everyone if possible. Even early in the morning!

Our office has a lot of talking and interaction. Sometimes too much so - there are a few people who talk more and work less than they should. But most are good about balancing the two.

I want the people in my office to want to come to work and to feel like it's a good atmosphere. I can't imagine how we would retain them otherwise.

We work with our two oldest kids, (46 and 50). We say hello and goodbye every work day. We talk off and on all day.

I've worked in an area where one woman dictated the mood of the office - if she was in a good mood we could talk, if she wasn't then no one was allowed to say a word. I left that department. Before I retired the department I was in had such good rapport - we spent most of our day working but would have wonderful interaction though out the day. It isn't fun to work in a place where no one talks.