the office busy body

When I take lunch there is someone who takes over my duties for a short while.  So, if I need to make plans outside of my usual schedule, I have to let her know.

It does not matter why I have to change my lunch schedule, but I usually will say "I have an appointment".  That is good enough.  But she will always try to guess.  "Oh are you having lunch with your mother?".  There by trying to get me to correct her and tell her what I am really doing.  Nosey thing!

Hah!  If I wanted you to know what I was doing I would have told you.  But I dont like you and so I do not feel compelled to give you a list of all of my activities. 

I have thought about telling her I am having an affair.  But that would just fuel her nosiness.

Do you work with someone like this?

What do you do about it?

Just say, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."  And then stare at her for a minute.  And then just give a little half smile.

Say about everything, "It's personal."

She'll probably continue to be just as nosy (even nosier, maybe, because this evasion makes you seem mysterious), but really, it's not her business where you go as long as you aren't slacking on your work.

Original Post by pavlovcat:

Just say, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."  And then stare at her for a minute.  And then just give a little half smile.

I love this and will be using it very soon.

Question make sure she is not trying to over through you to the management dogs to get herself promoted? 

Office busybody....I haz one.

Ours just likes to keep track of when we come and go.  It's not even her job.  I think she just likes to tattle on people.  Her desk neighbor even said that she thinks Mrs. Busybody has been logging when those around her go for cigarette breaks.  It doesn't even matter to her that we are allowed 2 15 minute breaks (one in the morning and one in the afternoon).  she also gets mad and complains if people take their break too close to quitting time.  I mean, really?  Who cares when we take out breaks?  Nothing in the company policy says that we have to take our breaks at a specific time.  It just says that we get 2 of them plus lunch.

Anyone notice that the office busybody is always a woman? What's up with that ladies?

I don't work in an office, but I do have a few department busy bodies.  If I take an extended lunch because my zones are clear, they're wondering where I'm wandering off to.  Am I sitting on the bridge with my husband?  Am I walking around the children's hospital playing with the toys?  Am I lurking in a unit with the nurses?

And forget about asking someone to mind your zone.  Then they'll really interrogate the hell out of you to find out why you're stepping away from your work.

I told someone once who wouldn't let up about where I was going that I was going to talk **** about her to the nurses and I'd like to do it uninterrupted.

Throw it back in her face and ask "why do you want to know?"  Stops them every time.

Or a "wouldn't you like to know?"  accompanied by an evil grin.