Don't talk money, politics, or religion. It's basic etiquette.

Definitely disagree with don't talk money. It's an outdated stigma that only benefits the employer and leads to people getting significantly underpaid and/or taken advantage of.

"Talk money" can mean "talk compensation", but it can also mean "talk relative wealth and socioeconomic privilege." It's the latter thing that's a bad idea.

Imagine having grown up in poverty, having self-taught and bootstrapped your way into your white-collar job to have a better life than your parents; and then your coworker turns out to be a trust-fund baby who's doing this for fun. Things can get awkward quickly.

If the idea that this could be a problem has never even occurred to you, that's probably because you've been working for companies that have tightly constrained the socioeconomic class range of their hires so that everyone is around the same. This is most of what HR departments mean by "culture fit."

As someone who was homeless as a teenager, it would never bother me that a co-worker grew up rich.

Now, I might attribute some of their attitudes to how they grew up, but it wouldn't affect my ability to deal with them on a day to day basis.

People work at different levels and competency. If you're amongst friends sure, but it doesn't usually lead to good vibes talking money amongst coworkers.

Go ahead, but don't be surprised if you cause rifts. Glassdoor is a click away and anonymous, no need to bring money into personal conversations and compare dick sizes.

-- edit @rexpop --

> I am not sure "good vibes" is a healthy super-ordinate goal among adults.

You don't think good vibes is a healthy goal?

I would strive for good vibes in the workplace. Your coworkers would appreciate a peaceful work environment.

Your political or religious debate is not that important, wait for the bar with your friends.

I am not sure "good vibes" is a healthy super-ordinate goal among adults.

> I am not sure "good vibes" is a healthy super-ordinate goal among adults.

Ok, elaborate why not

Because life is fraught with real peril, and high stakes projects that we, as adults, are burdened to tackle. "Good vibes" is nice for the holidays, but it can't be cultivated nonstop. The "bad vibes" must be dealt with—piecemeal, or in catastrophe.

Please don't stress your coworkers with more shit. Talk amongst your friends with your woes.

Amongst my whom???

i've always had the feeling that it's been way more stigmatic to talk about money* than about politics or religion at work. politics and religion were welcome conversations.

*by money, i mean things you bought with your money or what you're doing with your money. salaries, depending on who you're around, was also easy conversation.

To strangers, and in the most formal contexts... MAYBE, but teams of coworkers are most effective when more traditional human bonds form between them and that won't happen without being somewhat informal with them.

Working is one of the most formal contexts. Politics and the workplace don't mix.

Don't be that annoying activist bothering your coworkers and making people feel uncomfortable with incoherent political rants.

-- edit @ cutemonster --

> GP mentions how to create a more trusting and closely bonded team

Yes my counter is that you aren't bonding, you're most likely isolating others.

You can rarely change someone's core religious or political beliefs, especially with the weak arguments of today. The workplace is not a place to try to do so.

Talk politics with your friends, not with your coworkers, they are too nice to say they don't want to hear it.

-- edit @ blowski --

> Quite a lot of overgeneralisation there

I'm not generalizing, I'm saying if you're amongst friends and know they're okay with talking politics go ahead.

If you're amongst coworkers and don't know then shut your mouth so we can all work in peace.

> In some cultures your comment woud be 100% true, but in others, your refusal to discuss such topics would look aloof.

Oh, which cultures? That's kind of my point though, don't force people to talk politics. They shouldn't have to worry about their refusal to discuss a topic or looking "aloof".

Quite a lot of overgeneralisation there, I suspect you're projecting your own personal preferences onto everyone else. In some cultures your comment woud be 100% true, but in others, your refusal to discuss such topics would look aloof.

Choose to work in a culture you like, rather than trying to impose a culture you like on one you don't.

GP mentions how to create a more trusting and closely bonded team,

and you reply "annoying activist bothering your coworkers"?

You imply that any political discussion is activism. That is nonsense. And not all political topics are divisive. And it’s fine to disagree and move on.

It really isn’t that hard.

I think that it's natural to create a strong interpersonal relationships between people in a more familiar environments.The pressures of a deadline can bring out the short fuses and some passion for the product. Leave working in the workplace; you'll both know that there's nothing wrong with happy hour.

I really don’t care to know which set of political consultants have managed to dupe my coworkers.

If only the religious agreed.

In other words “don’t start questioning the elites”

I don’t know what that has to do with “the elites.”

In my experience, discussing sensitive topics at work tends to bring out the people with the loudest and least nuanced opinions, and leaves everyone else feeling uncomfortable.