Being a good co-worker

I'm getting into working at this hotel place, but, there are little cultural things that I've never done in the States, which they seem to do, and I feel like I should be doing in the interest of being a good co-worker.

The main one which makes me gobsmacked (currently anyway) is "the brew". If one person wants one, they make one for all of the co-workers in the immediate area. They all seem to know what the right ingredients are for everyone then either set them out for the correct person to take, or will hand the drink off to the correct person. Holy heck! I've bought people a Starbuck's or two in the States, but, I've never thought to make a drink for another person. I just thought that it was just something the in-laws did here at home, I didn't think that co-workers would do it for each other. DH said that it happens at his work place too, but, that's why he takes a bottle of water with him, so that he doesn't have to deal. But, I want to fit in! :/

One of the ladies is a few months pregnant, do I have to get her a gift when she goes off for her maternity leave? Would've done this in the States as well, but, I don't know if it's the done thing here. And another lady is going to Australia in the autumn and never coming back, so, do I just put some cash into the kitty when it comes round for her leaving prezzie?

We're probably going to work Christmas, and won't really have any sort of holiday party, do I just bring a cake or some sweets? I don't want to have to do Christmas cards with them lot as well! I've already got loads to do for people in the States every year!

Eeek! I'm big on the people pleasing, me. It's a bad habit, because the converse is that I take everything personally.

Ahhh the fun walk of fitting in! In our place it is expected if you make a cup of tea you offer those around you one-- or after a bit you just make them one if you know they always want one. I personally don't drink hot drinks- they all know this and accept the fact that I don't make one--early on I made one for a colleague who asked and she said it wasn't any good-- I said good, I wont have to make another . I now make it known that I make rubbish brews.

At christmas most at my work give cards-- I bake a tray of cookies instead and they all seem to enjoy that.

We generally have a collection for gifts for people leaving and just add a few pounds to that. As for babies usually only the people close to the person get them gifts.

One thing I have learned to fit in is to be sure to accept invites to the pub even if you only stay briefly and drink a diet coke- if you don't accept the first couple you wont be invited again, and it will leave you out of the group.

So as you can see I have gone along with some of the customs-- but not all ;-)

Every workplace is different, just like in the US.  In my staffroom, everyone makes his or her own drinks, but if someone has a birthday, everyone signs the card and if there's a gift whip-round (usually only for people leaving) then everyone contributes.  It's also the custom for people to bring treats for the staffroom on their birthdays.  We don't go to the pub, but occasionally we have dinners out, and the Christmas party last year was the most fun I've had in ages.  Our big staff bonding thing, though, is doing the Guardian crossword together at lunchtime.  We are English teachers, after all

The tea selection at my job in the UK was unbelievable! Top that with milk type, sugar/no sugar and it was a minefield! I got away from making tea by always declining if someone offered to make some for me. If I wanted some, I'd make it for myself. People skipped me on the tea run and I never felt bad about not making it.

Let someone who has been there longer take the lead on the gifts. Unless you're friends with them, you definitely don't need to get them anything on your own. Collections were constantly being sent around for various gifts. I'm not sure how many people you work with, but you could go seriously broke contributing to them all!

You will always have work friends if you bring in sweets and treats! I didn't do Christmas cards and I did feel kind of bad about that, but it certainly wasn't expected. I didn't have a lot of money to get all the cards I would have needed, so instead I brought in a cake and some cookies. 

I got away from making tea by always declining if someone offered to make some for me. If I wanted some, I'd make it for myself. People skipped me on the tea run and I never felt bad about not making it.

This is what I do.  In the beginning, I was terrified that I would end up spilling everyone's drinks all over, and embarrassing myself.  Usually I just drink water from the cooler that I get for myself, so they usually skip me on the tea run - which is fine by me.  Once in awhile, they'll ask me - and out of those times, once in a great while, I'll accept.  I have made one or two drinks for someone here & there, but avoid the whole tea run for everyone.

There is always a kitty going around my work for something!  Birthdays, babies, weddings, leaving - even just leaving to go work in another department (even at just the other end of the same floor!  which I find ridiculous!).  It gets to be kind of expensive.  I'll put one or two quid in usually, if the kitty comes around to me - but often, it doesn't get passed to me as I am out of the office 2 out of the 5 days with my part-time schedule.

And there is always always always food for one thing or another.  Makes sticking to any kind of diet or eating plan really really hard.

I used to go to the pub, and still would occasionally - except now that I don't work on Fridays, which is when they usually go, I'm not in the office & don't generally make a special trip into city centre just to go to the pub!

Our big staff bonding thing, though, is doing the Guardian crossword together at lunchtime.  We are English teachers, after all

I'd much prefer this brand of staff bonding!:D

The tea selection at my job in the UK was unbelievable! Top that with milk type, sugar/no sugar and it was a minefield! I got away from making tea by always declining if someone offered to make some for me. If I wanted some, I'd make it for myself. People skipped me on the tea run and I never felt bad about not making it.

This is the root of the problem I have. I shall have to take everyone's advice and bring my own water, I think.

Ahhh the fun walk of fitting in! In our place it is expected if you make a cup of tea you offer those around you one-- or after a bit you just make them one if you know they always want one. I personally don't drink hot drinks- they all know this and accept the fact that I don't make one--early on I made one for a colleague who asked and she said it wasn't any good-- I said good, I wont have to make another . I now make it known that I make rubbish brews.

At christmas most at my work give cards-- I bake a tray of cookies instead and they all seem to enjoy that.

We generally have a collection for gifts for people leaving and just add a few pounds to that. As for babies usually only the people close to the person get them gifts.

One thing I have learned to fit in is to be sure to accept invites to the pub even if you only stay briefly and drink a diet coke- if you don't accept the first couple you wont be invited again, and it will leave you out of the group.

So as you can see I have gone along with some of the customs-- but not all ;-)

I work with around 7 people at the reception desk, and a few housekeepers and a load of restaurant staff. Everyone seems pretty chummy and they all seem to get on SO well. I just feel like the odd kid out on the playground. Oh dear. The perils of being the new person at work! :[

I have to say that bringing in the biscuits and cakes for your own birthday was the one that threw me at first.  It reminded me of people in elementary school and brining in cupcakes on your birthday.

Although I will say, everyone at my work is always jealous when I bring in leftovers (hubby and I are pretty good cooks) so I plan on bringing in some lunch for everyone.

-early on I made one for a colleague who asked and she said it wasn't any good-- I said good, I wont have to make another . I now make it known that I make rubbish brews.

In one office I worked in here I got out of making coffee because I made it too strong! They used to joke that the spoon stood up on it's own.  It worked well when sales reps came in that they didn't like, then I got to make their coffee so we could watch them politely drink it.  I was still *allowed* to make tea however; my husband taught me well (I can't stand the stuff.)

In my office if you fail to bring your birthday cakes in it will not be forgotten (my boss still owes us from September and trust me it is mentioned on a nearly weekly basis)   

You'll get used to things, it just takes a while. 

Lol, in my office you can't get up from your desk without making tea for the whole pod, you get what you give though, so it doesn't bother me! Sometimes I need a co-worker to go into the kitchen with me to help make the load of teas, thus giving us time to have a good gossip about some random co-worker...we are a tight knit team though, some of us have been working together for the last 10 years.

My husband, overly generous soul that he is, has decided that because he is "management" he needs to give everyone a personal Xmas card.  Add to this that he insists on finding ones that are explicitly Christian, for his own curious political/religious reasons, and ones that have a nice design (no glitter, etc.) to fit his picky tastes, and every year we have had to go through the same routine of scouring the shops for cards that fit his narrow requirements, buying practically their whole stock, and him panicking and writing out what seems like hundreds of cards the night before the company party.  No, he never does them ahead of time!

Whenever I do manage to get a job, if it is in a normal office, I don't plan to do anything like this.  A plate of homemade cookies, perhaps.  But I don't even manage to send cards to most of my family, let alone writing them out for every person in the company!

The bringing in cakes on your own birthday kind of struck me as odd at first, too.  Whenever I worked in an office in the US, somebody else would organize bringing in a treat or getting a card for birthdays.  Maybe it was just our office but I think that the manager might even have appointed someone to take up a collection or otherwise organize it.  It would never have occurred to me to go out and buy cakes for my co-workers!

We generally only make drinks for one another when we have a staff meeting or otherwise are around after the kids have gone home so usually whoever is in the kitchen will ask who wants a drink.

Forgot to bring sweets for my birthday this year - eek!  A definite no-no as it's not only my colleagues but the kids who get them  So we did them the next day.

I've made cakes, cookies and pumpkin pie for them as well (even making a dairy free crustless pumpkin pie so my manager could eat some).  Homemade stuff will always be appreciated.

Yep, I thought it was strange that people would bring in cakes for their own birthday. I've not done that for mine or DH's birthday, but have seen it done. As far as the drinks go, I just never took one when I was offered one, so I ended up outside the circle of drink making. Simple as that! If I want one, I go and make it for myself. I feel like sometimes the sales team really wants to make me a cuppa so I will have to make them for them, but I see their game. It would end up that the receptionist (moi) makes everyone else's drinks. No thanks!